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Have had a few great submissions via my blanket email to members/other routes, i'll add them over the next few days.

Here are some memories of Barry Foley from GB Brum:

I started Bjj back in September 1999. Back at the old library in Digbeth, Birmingham. I remember a Brazilian blue belt called juliano and a purple belt called Maurice Corty took the first class I had. There was a mixture of very old blue mats both 20mm and 40mm. It really was very basic. At this time I think the club had been running for less than a year. A guy called Dan? And another called Jason Stretton had met Mauricio at a seminar abroad somewhere and managed to persuade him to come and teach Bjj in the UK.

My first experience of training with Mauricio came a couple of weeks after. I had just choked a guy unconscious and was panicking because I didnt know what I should do to bring him round. Mauricio asked me if Id like to roll with him. I jumped at the chance. Two seconds later i was tapping out, then a few seconds after that. This went on for what seemed like an eternity. Mauricio would say one more every time I tapped. I didnt want to quit so kept going and going until Mauricio got bored and called time. This was also my first experience of the famous Knee on chest. It felt as if my whole rib cage was being crushed and my ribs were about to splinter. Mauricio was an awesome instructor and a very funny guy. One of the things that used to amaze me most about him though was this incredible ability to remember everybodys names. If anybody new ever came to do the class they would have to spar with Mauricio. Many didnt return for more. I loved this style because it didnt seem to allow for guys with big egos to want to train once theyd been tapped out my some geeky guy only half their size.

After about a month of training I took Rachel (Wheatley) along to the class. She took to Bjj like a duck to water and was tapping out some of the guys within a few months of training. Come the winter it was so cold in that place that most people wore a tracksuit underneath their Gis. I remember some of the guys going off to fight in the first European championships and guys like Martin Lowe and Dan Elger coming back with gold medals. Some of the others got medals as well but cant remember whom they were. Martin, Dan and John Mannion I remember being the best guys at the club. Other guys I remember as good competitors were Dave Macdonald, Ian Strathmore, Steve Campbell, Krishna Goddania, Jag Phala, Paul Wilson and Simon Moore. Around this time I met Roger Gracie for the first time. I think he was only 16 and a blue belt. His belt was so old and worn it was a greyish white colour and all frayed.. It was obvious even then with my very limited knowledge of Bjj that he was going to be something a bit special.

Some time during the winter myself and Rachel Competed for the first time at One of Chens Tournaments in London. Rachel won her Division. I won mine by Default (no one in my weight) and placed second in the weight category above, losing to a blue belt from Rickson Gracie academy in Germany. This is also when I first met Ande Roberts. Ande had been out for a while with a knee injury and had been training on different nights to myself. Shortly after this Mauricio revealed he was returning back to Brazil, as things were not working out. He had arranged for a brown belt to come over and teach us. His name was Marcus Barros. Mauricio left Dave Macdonald to over see the running of the club. At this time we moved out of the old Library and into a premises just round the corner at the Custard factory. Some of us competed in the national sports jui- jitsu ground fighting championships a short time after the move. I withdrew from the semi final to allow Marcus to progress to the final, which he won. Rachel also won, as did Dan Elger. Myself and Ian Strathmore taking bronze medals.

Shortly after this Rachel was selected to fight for Great Britain in the sports jui jitsu world ground fighting team championships in Leeds. Rachel still a white belt fought a Brazilian black belt in the team semi finals and managed to force a draw with a really great performance. Marcus, Martin and Steve Cambell fought in the iron man tournament also around this time. A few months further down the line Marcus returned to Brazil, leaving no instructor. Dave Macdonald continued running the club with Ande, Rachel and myself. We yet again we were forced to move premises. It was a horrible place and everyone kept picking up skin infections. I t was also when Glenn Brodrick started training with us. He was over here on a visa from South Africa and living not too far from me. It was very apparent he was a special talent he would have only been around 18 at this time. Mauricio came over in the UK doing a seminar at Rob Locks academy which some of the Guys attended. I, Ande Roberts and Rachel were awarded our blue belts. Gracie Barra Birmingham at this time was a real force to be recon with, winning many medals in every competition we entered.

Ande was a bit of a slave driver when it came to training and he used to make everyone compete. Neither of us ever took a penny out of the club but would pay entry fees for the guys competing and when we had enough money wed get Mauricio over for a seminar. Sometime after this after this we trained at a leisure centre but couldnt get many nights training in. Around this time I bumped into Steve Brindle, who at the time was a body builder and gym owner who had also studied martial arts for many years. I used to train with him a few years previous. He was interested in finding out what I had been up to and was particularly interested in Bjj. I did some grappling with Steve over the next couple of months and after a while he asked if I would be interested in teaching at his gym. I spoke to Ande, Rachel and Glenn about moving the club to Stevie Bs Gym. Ande went and took a look and after a short time we had moved into the gym. Ande and I continued to run the club and continued competing in every grappling tournament we could get to. Within a year of moving into Steves. Mauricio and Roger came to do a seminar at the club.

They brought with then a tall skinny Brazilian guy called Braulio whose English at this time was virtually non-existent. I had the honour of having the first spar with Braulio, who back then had a completely different style to the one he has now. He danced around me and I could hardly feel that he was there. He did things that Id never seen before and beat me up without squashing the life out of me like he does these days. He stayed with us for a few weeks. We asked him if he would like to teach for us if we could sort out a work permit for him. Steve and Sarah Brindle managed to get this all sorted. Ande and myself were really pleased that we could hand over the reigns of the club to Braulio as neither of us ever wanted to be instructing, as we were keen to be learning again ourselves. The club as a whole really started coming on in leaps and bounds under Braulios regime and we were winning lots of medals and were a dominant force in the newly found submission league ran by Karl Tanswell and Rosi Sexton.

Ande, plagued by knee injuries, never really got the chance to train much once Braulio took over which is a real shame as he put so much time and effort into building a very successful club. If it werent for this man a doubt very much there would be a Gracie Barra Birmingham today.

Some memories from Dave Briggs:

I did indeed begin my BJJ training under the guidance of the awesome Mauricio Gomes at the Old Library in Birmingham, just round the coner from the Custard Factory. I initally became interested in training in BJJ after reading that Renzo Gracie was to conduct a seminar on behalf of Gracie Barra UK (Birmingham). I called the Academy at Birmingham and went a long to have a go. Myself and a couple of my students - one of whom, Stu, is still training with me now I found Mauricio to be a very nice, friendly gentleman. His instruction was awesome. Over the preceeding weeks I couldn't wait for our Wednesday night trips to Brum. I can remember having to break ice from the edge of the matted area before we could train - what a venue!

At the time I was writing for Martial Arts Illustrated (many years ago), so I asked Mauricio if it would be ok to interveiw Renzo for the mag. He set things up and I had the honour of interveiwning Renzo after the second days training (here's the results of that if you fancy a read; realapproach.co.uk/kickbo...NumPages=2 ) We travelled to Birmingham every week (as much as was possible at any rate) to get as much information as we could. We'd drill things we covered and soon, with Mauricio's guidance, began to see the fruits of our labours. A proud moment for me came one week when we were getting changed before the start of the class. The traffic had been heavy, so we were a little later than normal in arriving. As the changing room began to empty, I heard Mauricio say, "Its time for you to wear your blue belt". I looked around to see who he was talking to, to congratulate them. There was only me and him in the room, and he was looking straight at me!!!!!! To say I was shocked was an understatement. I recieved the traditional 'whipping' from the class. There I was, not only one of the first in the uk, but one of the first to recieve their grade from this incredible man. I owe him so much for his time and efforts in developing my meager skills.

I trained with Mauricio until he left to return to Brazil. The classes at the Old Library were not what you would have expected. I know that the facilities weren't much - bloody cold and damp most of the time - but I couln't believe that, considering Mauricio's obvious skill and standing in the BJJ world (I appreciate it was new to the UK), that sometimes there would be only six or seven of us on the mat - and four of us had travelled from Mansfield!

Regrettably, Mauricio returned back to Brazil, which kind of left things in limbo a little for me. I continued training the techniques and theories that he had taught me until his return to the uk. This wasn't as I hoped, as Mauricio settled in London this time round - not ideal :-( I did continue my training with him by inviting up to teach class seminars every couple of months.

I remember one time that he brought Roger with him, he was a blue belt at the time. I had a roll with him and just couldn't touch him. His skill, even then, was incredible. With Mauricio's commitments in London the sessions became difficult for him do, so once again my direct training with him came to an end. Shortly after that, he returned back to Brazil.

I was training regularly with the BCA and got introduced to Rick Young (Rick was ready a well established grappler at that time) and developed a mutual friendship with him. I had mentioned many times about Mauricio's skill and knowledge and eventually got Rick in touch with Mauricio. Rick proceeded to host a his first seminar with Mauricio, one that has led to Rick Young becoming one of the first UK Gracie BJJ Black Belts. Myself and Stu drove all the way to Edinburgh for this seminar, and I had the honour of being Mauricio's crash test dummy for the evening :-) Afterwards Rick kindly invited me and Stu to have a meal with him and Mauricio, before we set off on the 5 hour drive home. A wonderful memory for me, spending mat time with two people I respected so much. We returned to Edinburgh later that year to participate in Rick Annual Seminar, where Mauricio was taking a workshop. That session was awesome. I got to train a little with Roger, and just to my side were Rick, Erik Paulson and Dan Inosanto, also taking part - awesome.

I then spent several years training with various people to develop my grappling. During this time, Rick Young was a major influence, and I trained with him whenever I could.

To recent times. I began focusing on my BJJ again a couple of years ago with Ben Poppleton. Me and Russ used to go to his place at Doncaster every week for a semi-private class. Ben has helped me a lot, for which I will remain ever grateful. Whilst training with Ben, I got invited up to train with a visiting Gracie Black Belt - Lagarto. Myself, Russ and another of my students had a private with him and found his approach very good. Whilst he was in the UK that time, I trained with him several times. When Lagarto returned to the UK to take care of business for the north of the UK we hosted regular classes with him. Early last year I was honoured to receive my purple belt from him. My passion for BJJ is well and truly alight. My student base now has several blue belts and we Ben down every other week to guide our training. Happy times.