Bradford jiu-jitsu club has 20 world champs in Wolverhampton

The prestigious event was yet another occasion on the big stage where the Bradford club have shone, having achieved impressive hauls at the British Open, Junior European Championships and the Junior National Championships over the last 12 months.

As for their latest achievement, delighted co-owner and programme director at Gracie Barra Bradford, Sam McGinty, said: "They are some serious numbers for one club.

"People have been impressed by what was our best performance at a major championships to date.

Young Abubakr (left) is crowned champion, one of two gold medals he won at the Worlds.

"We're recognised as one of the best jiu-jitsu clubs in Yorkshire, if not the UK, and we always seem to come in the top spots.

"But we are a part of Gracie Barra (which has venues all over the world) and we're all together in this.

"That affiliation of jiu-jitsu clubs always comes out on top, and you know it's a group effort, because the Gracie Barra with the most points gets the Team Trophy, which was us this time."

Little Amandeep was one of Gracie Barra Bradford's youngest competitors in Wolverhampton.

Youngsters Zac Toothill and Hayden Quirke have been in touch with the T&A separately, either themselves or via parents, to tell us how proud they were of winning gold in Wolverhampton.

And McGinty said: "The kids winning gives us such joy.

"That's what pushed us to start getting in touch with the T&A about these championship successes, because the parents and kids love seeing their achievements get a mention in the paper."

Hayden Quirke (left) talks tactics with his team-mate Dom Burgess.

Given there is no jiu-jitsu at the Olympics, McGinty was asked what options there were within the sport for these youngsters once they become adults.

She said: "A lot of them often want to teach jiu-jitsu for a living and myself and Craig (Tetley, who co-owns Gracie Barra Bradford with his partner McGinty) are helping facilitate that, so they can become teachers of the sport.

Posing as a team in Wolverhampton on the Saturday.

"We've been open for many years now, and we've seen kids go through the ranks to become young adults, then wanting to teach the next generation.

"It's exciting for Craig and I to see that, and there's a few of our students in the pipeline to be teaching soon.

"Of course, they can still strive to become world champions in the sport too as adults."

The juniors with the Team Trophy and coach Craig Tetley back at Gracie Barra Bradford following the event.

McGinty insists there is far more to jiu-jitsu than just sporting achievement though, saying: "It gives a lot of the kids their confidence back.

"Parents bring them here for the first time with the idea of improving their self-defence skills, and while jiu-jitsu does that as well, you'll see it changes them in other ways.

"They often walk in to the club for the first time with their heads down and shoulders slumped, but after a while, that disappears.

The Gracie Barra Bradford Tiny Tots will learn far more than just physical skills by doing jiu-jitsu.

"Now, when you see our team at competitions, their heads are up and they're so confident.

"Jiu-jitsu has those physical benefits, but the mentality the kids get from it is so valuable for them too."

Gracie Barra Bradford do not have long to wait until their next big event, the Junior European Championships in September.