The SBG UK Lineage

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lineage leading to SBG UK founder Karl Tanswell.

Kanō Jigorō
Tomita Tsunejirō
Mitsuyo “Count Koma” Maeda
Hélio Gracie
Rolls Gracie & Carlos “Carlinhos” Gracie Jr
Rigan Machado
Chris Haueter
Matt Thornton
Karl Tanswell
The Story

How SBG UK Began

The development of Straight Blast Gym United Kingdom and Karl Tanswell’s contribution to British Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Karl Tanswell established SBG UK in Manchester in 1999, following several years teaching martial arts through Defence Unlimited.

As Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu began to develop in the United Kingdom, Karl sought out leading practitioners and built a close relationship with SBG founder Matt Thornton. He regularly brought Matt to the UK for seminars and travelled to Portland to train and coach at SBG camps.

Karl received his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt from Matt Thornton in 2007 and continued to teach, train and develop the SBG approach in the United Kingdom.

His influence continues through the coaches he developed, the academies that form the SBG UK network and the students they now teach.

Karl’s Legacy

Karl Tanswell’s Black Belts

The six Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts promoted by Karl Tanswell continue his coaching legacy throughout the UK and overseas.

Casey Jones
BLACK BELT — 2012

Casey Jones

Jason Tan
BLACK BELT — 2012

Jason Tan

Chris Coltrane
BLACK BELT — 2013

Chris Coltrane

Glyn Powditch
BLACK BELT — 2013

Glyn Powditch

Matt Inman
BLACK BELT — 2015

Matt Inman

Zenon Ogar
BLACK BELT — 2018

Zenon Ogar

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training at SBG UK
The Next Generation

A Lineage That Continues to Grow

Karl’s original black belts have continued to coach, lead academies and develop new generations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners throughout the UK and overseas.

Rather than attempting to maintain an ever-changing list of every subsequent promotion, this page recognises the original group whose work carries Karl’s coaching legacy forward.

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