It was an honor to spend this past week in London training with Royce Gracie and our extended Jiu-Jitsu family at the 2026 Royce Gracie Network Gathering.
The weekend brought black belts and students from across the network together for testing, seminars, and the kind of learning that only happens on the mat, side by side with the people who carry this art forward.
Who taught
The program was a beautiful blend of self-defense from Royce, MMA, striking, grappling, and more self-defense, each session building on the one before it.
- SELF-DEFENSERoyce GracieThe foundation of the weekend: practical self-defense straight from the source.
- MMAJohn KavanaghCoaching method and MMA application from the head coach of SBG Ireland.
- STRIKINGDenise “Dynamite” KielholtzStriking skills and how to handle a striker.
- GRAPPLINGSebastian OttoTakedowns, control, and wrestling-based grappling.
- SELF-DEFENSERemco PardoelSelf-defense insight from a UFC 2 veteran who met Royce in the Octagon.
New this year, Royce evaluated black belts on their ability to both teach and perform the self-defense. That standard is exactly what we bring home to Wilmington: not only knowing the techniques, but being able to pass them on to our students.
A moment I will never forget
The weekend ended with one of the proudest moments of my journey: receiving my third stripe on my Professor’s belt from Royce Gracie. With Royce since 1993, I am still a student, and I am grateful to keep learning and to bring that learning back to our academy.
— Professor Dave Gomez
Thank you to Royce, to every instructor who shared their knowledge, to our hosts, and to everyone who trained with us. Read our pre-trip story, London-Bound: Back to the Source, and follow our academy Facebook page for more photos and updates.
Interested? Contact the academy.
Want to train in the same system in Wilmington? Call (302) 803-1476 or email roycegracie.aom@gmail.com.