Family-Run Jiu Jitsu Academy raise almost £2,000 for Muscular Dystrophy UK

A fundraiser for Muscular Dystrophy UK took place at Rogers JiuJitsu Academy in Gosport on Saturday, raising £1,734 for the charity, which seeks to to improve the lives of those affected by muscle-wasting conditions.

Ten people from martial-arts clubs in and around Portsmouth participated, the organisers Rogers JiuJitsu Academy based in Gosport took part, as well as Gorilla Grapplers, a wrestling club in Hilsea who attended in support of their fellow fighters.

The club set out to engage in 24 full hours of non-stop martial arts combat and were pleased to have completed their goal.

The club's youth team kicked off the event at 9am, some of whom stayed and were later joined over the course of the day by their own and other local club members who lent a hand to cover them when energy levels were dropping.

One Juvenile member of the martial-arts Academy, 17-year-old Adele Taylor, came straight from a competition in Dorset in which she won Gold, to the Academy’s charity event and stayed until the very end of the fundraiser.

The awe-inspiring efforts put into the charity rollover, not only its own members, but also clubs in the surrounding area was sincerely appreciated by Aaron and Sharleen Rogers, owners of Rogers JiuJitsu Academy, who could not thank everyone enough.

The Academy welcomed other clubs to join them in their mission, receiving backing from local clubs and even those more far out, who provided support in the form of McDonald’s, pizza and cakes to keep the grapplers going over the tough 24 hours.

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John Andrews, a repeat supporter of the Academy’s fundraising efforts and member of a Brazilian JiuJitsu club in Alton, arrived at midnight on Saturday, armed with pizzas for the tired grapplers, also staying for a few hours to take part.

The Academy gave a special thanks to all their members who remained on the matts for the entire 24 hours, including Sharleen and Aaron’s 13-year-old son Jack Rogers who only stopped for one hours sleep during the whole event.

The local Brazilian JiuJitsu community came together to support a charity close to the heart of one its members, who’s child is affected by a muscle-wasting condition.

‘It was mentally and physically exhausting but seeing the good it does, not only raising money for charity, but also bringing everyone together - especially in the current climate - is just amazing’, said Sharleen.To make any further donations to the cause visit at justgiving.com/teamrjja.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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