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On Saturday 4th July 2026, Aldersley Leisure Village in Wolverhampton played host to one of the biggest dates on the UK junior grappling calendar — Elite BJJ Events' Junior World Gi & No-Gi Championships. Valor Fightwear was there as an official event sponsor, with a pop-up shop on site and four of our sponsored athletes on the mats.
Elite BJJ Events have been running competitions since 2015, and their Junior Worlds has become one of the standout fixtures for young grapplers across the UK and beyond. This is the third year running we've backed the event, and it's one we look forward to every summer.
Our Sponsored Athletes on the Day
Four Valor-sponsored athletes stepped onto the mats, and all four walked away with medals:
- C-Jay Munro — Double Gold
- Elijah Short — Double Gold
- Isla Cullingford — Double Silver
- Lucas Cook — Silver
Two double-golds, a double-silver, and a silver from four athletes is a serious return, and it's exactly why we sponsor competitors at this level — watching them turn training into results on the biggest stage of their season is the whole point.
Team & Academy Standings
The Junior Worlds pulled in nearly 100 academies from across the UK, Ireland, and further afield, all chasing points toward the event's Best Academy trophies. Final standings:
Best Academy (Overall)
- SWBJJ — 246 points
- AVT Leeds — 222 points
- Allegiance Jiu-Jitsu Academy — 164 points
Best Academy – Gi
- SWBJJ — 127 points
- Alento BJJ — 99 points
- AVT Leeds — 97 points
Best Academy – No-Gi
- AVT Leeds — 125 points
- SWBJJ — 119 points
- Allegiance Jiu-Jitsu Academy — 88 points
Beyond the podium, the depth of the entry list said a lot about where junior BJJ in the UK is heading — academies like Alento BJJ, Dream Art Bradford, Team Silverbacks, New Wave Academy Training Centre, Renowned Jiu Jitsu Barnsley, Team Ryano, Predators MMA and BJJ Academy Manchester, and Delariva Wigan all posted strong showings, alongside travelling teams from Ireland, Sweden, Norway, and France. It's this kind of turnout that makes events like this worth showing up for year after year.
The Valor Pop-Up Shop
Alongside the mats, our pop-up shop was set up all day for competitors, parents, and coaches — a chance to get hands-on with gis, rashguards, and belts before the next round, grab last-minute kit, and talk to the team face to face. If you stopped by and said hello, thank you for making the trip over.
Why We Keep Showing Up
Valor Fightwear has been trading since 2010, and grassroots junior competition is where a huge amount of that comes from — kids and teenagers putting in the hours at their local academy long before anyone's talking about sponsorship or medals. Backing events like the Junior Worlds is our way of putting something back into that pipeline, not just selling into it.
If your academy is bringing juniors through the ranks and you want to talk about kit for your competitors, get in touch at sales@valorfightwear.com.
Gear Up for the Next Event
Whether your junior grappler is stepping up in weight, needs a fresh gi before the next open, or is chasing their next belt promotion, we've got them covered:
- Kids BJJ Gis
- Kids BJJ Belts
- Kids No-Gi & Rashguards
- Gi Sizing Guide — always size by height, not age
Valor Fightwear — proud sponsors of Elite BJJ Events. Made for grapplers, by grapplers.