BJJ Gyms in Scotland

Scotland is the directory's largest UK nation outside England, with a 24-gym footprint split between Glasgow (13), Edinburgh (8), Dundee (1), Dalkeith (1) and Coatbridge (1). Pricing is in GBP and clusters in a £55–£90/mo adult-unlimited band, with a notable outlier at Meta-Tech Glasgow's Platinum tier (£126/mo, all-inclusive with sauna/cold pool/online content). Drop-ins typically sit at £10–£20. Scotland runs its own competition circuit (ADCC Scotland Invitational, Scottish Championships) and feeds the British nationals via a tight, well-coached central belt. **Glasgow** is the deepest cluster and runs the whole stylistic spectrum. **The Griphouse** (Possil Rd, founded 2005 by Paul McVeigh and Guy Ramsay) is the city's most senior MMA-and-BJJ room — three resident BJJ black belts (Paul McVeigh, 3rd dan + Cage Warriors Bantamweight/Featherweight world champion; Garry Christie, 3rd dan with 13 years on the mat; Dean Reilly, BB MMA pro) plus Shay Montague — full Gi/No-Gi/Wrestling/MMA at £80/mo adult or £60/mo student. **MNBJJ Glasgow** (Rosyth Rd) is the city's flagship dedicated BJJ academy under **Marcos Nardini**, a 4th-degree black belt under Amal Easton (Colorado), European Champion and multi-time IBJJF Champion; supported by black belt Chris Aiton (since 2014, BB 2019, MMA submission wins) and brown belt Jack Brown (British No-Gi Open Weight Champion, Grapplefest/Samurai Grappling Invitational winner) — £70/mo unlimited adult, women's no-gi class, free Saturday open mat. **Meta-Tech Grappling Academy** in Kinning Park (founded 2023 by world-#13 black belt **Cammy Donnelly** — IBJJF Worlds, ADCC Trials and EBI medallist) is the city's premium facility: Fuji mats, sauna, cold pool, 24 classes/week, £84/mo Standard or £126/mo Platinum with health-suite and online content. **Mark Connor MMA** (Kinning Park) runs full BJJ Gi/No-Gi and MMA under Mark Connor (1st-degree BJJ BB, 20+ pro MMA fights) — £65/mo BJJ-only, £75/mo unlimited, £90/mo "+" (with Fighter Accelerated Learning Program). **Connection Jiu Jitsu** in Govan is the UK's first **JJGF (Jiu-Jitsu Global Federation) certified academy** under **Scott McVeigh**, the only UK professor awarded 1st-degree black belt + Professor rank directly by Master Rickson Gracie. **Glasgow Jiu Jitsu Academy** (Gorbals) is a family-run Gi school under Professor **Ricky Gillon** (3rd-degree black belt, 32+ years) with his daughters Kimberley (BB) and Kellyanne (brown). **NewLife Gym** in Maryhill (est. 2013) is an inclusive MMA gym with no-gi BJJ, wrestling and a NewLife Ladies class under former pro David Galbraith. Supporting cast: **Hybrid Fight Academy** (Bridgeton, est. 2003 — eclectic Total Combat Fight System under Guru George Johnston), **Glasgow Fitness** (Thornliebank — combined gym/spa/Fight Club with BJJ in the Red £59/mo membership), **M-MAG Muay Thai** (Kirkintilloch — Muay-Thai-first with secondary no-gi BJJ), **Spartan BJJ Glasgow** (Bellahouston), plus **Asgard MMA** and **UNIT XII** rounding out the MMA-leaning end. **Edinburgh** is led by **Rick Young Black Belt Academy** in Leith — the lineage anchor for Scottish BJJ. Rick Young (BJJ BB 2005 under Mauricio Gomes, Judo BB 1995, World Masters multi-gold medallist) runs a multi-discipline school covering BJJ, Judo, JKD, FMA, boxing and Wado Ryu karate — £70/mo unlimited, £40/mo 1×/week, with two free trial classes and a £35 signup fee. **Playfair Jiu Jitsu** (Leith) is the Atos-affiliated competition machine under black belts **Steven** (trained at ATOS America under Andre Galvao and Keenan Cornelius — IBJJF/UAEJJF podiums plus British and Scottish titles) and **Mariusz**, with purple-belt Christina (IBJJF European Championship gold) leading the women's program — £65/mo unlimited adult, £50/mo kids, £699/year discounted tier. **Playfair JJ Merchiston** is the second branch under coach Steven (purple-belt instructor there). **CVA Jiu-Jitsu (Coracao Valente Academy)** in Peffer Place is led by **Ben Fletcher** (1st-degree BB under David Juliano Lemes, IBJJF Madrid/Budapest/Poznan No-Gi Open gold) with co-coaches Laurence Irving (BB Feb 2021, ex-London Fight Factory) and Dylan Scott (BB, Oklahoma/Edinburgh) — £75/mo unlimited, 6-week Basics block for £99. **Low Tide BJJ** in Canonmills (founded 2020 by **Si Tutton**, 2nd-degree BB under Helio Soneca + judo brown belt) partners with London's New School BJJ — class-pack model (£50 for 4-class Intro). **Hipe** at The Pleasance is a wrestling/BJJ/MMA studio under **Max Freyne** (Scottish National Freestyle Wrestling champion) covering Freestyle, Scottish Backhold, Catch and Judo blends — £40/mo unlimited (one of the most affordable rates in the city) with a free first night. **Elite Warriors MMA** (Restalrig Dr) under Oskar Smykiel (2x Scottish Boxing Champion) and **The Edinburgh Combat Project** (Gorgie Rd, est. 2019) cover the MMA-first end. **Dundee** is held by **Gracie Barra Dundee** at Angus Works — the city's only listed BJJ academy, part of the global GB network, covering kids and adults in Gi and No-Gi. **Dalkeith** (Midlothian, just south of Edinburgh) hosts **Prana BJJ**, a four-black-belt cluster (John Kennedy — 3rd-degree BB 2011, one of Scotland's first; Craig Ali — 1st-degree BB 2017; Clive — BB 2023; all under **Rick Young**) plus brown belt Shaun — £75/mo adult unlimited, £40/mo juniors, with judo on the timetable. **Coatbridge** in North Lanarkshire is held by **Scottish Hit Squad** under head coach Brian Gallacher — MMA, boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling and BJJ across Coatbridge and Newhouse sites. The Rick Young lineage runs through Edinburgh, Dalkeith and (via Connection JJ) into Glasgow, making it arguably Scotland's defining BJJ root.