WOMEN ON
THE MATS

South West

highlights

recent posts

  • Stacey – Centaur Jiu-Jitsu

    My name is Stacey Carr, and I am a Brown Belt at Centaur BJJ in Saltash under 2nd Dan Black Belt Jamie Horsman.

    I started my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey in September 2020 after transitioning from Muay Thai and kickboxing in search of a new challenge. Having always enjoyed contact sports, I decided to give BJJ a try despite previously turning my nose up at it as “just people rolling around the floor cuddling.” It didn’t take long for me to realise how wrong I was, and I quickly fell in love with the technical, physical, and problem-solving aspects of the sport.

    Away from the mats, I work as a police officer, and my experience in BJJ has had a genuine impact on my confidence and effectiveness at work. Throughout my career, there have been occasions where the control, composure, and techniques I’ve developed through Jiu-Jitsu have proven invaluable during physical altercations. Those experiences have strengthened my belief in the practical benefits of BJJ, not only for police officers but for anyone wanting to develop confidence, resilience, and effective self-defence skills. I’m particularly passionate about encouraging more women to train, helping them feel empowered and confident in their own abilities.

    A huge part of my journey has been the guidance and support of my coach, Jamie Horsman. Jamie has created a welcoming and inclusive environment at Centaur BJJ where everyone is encouraged to learn, grow, and challenge themselves. His charismatic personality, positive attitude, and commitment to leading by example as both a coach and competitor have played a significant role in my development. The culture he has built at the gym is something I’m incredibly proud to be a part of, and I credit much of my progress to the support and standards he has set.

    Since starting BJJ, I have competed on occasion and continue to enjoy the challenges and lessons that come with training. One of my biggest motivations is my 10-year-old daughter, who now trains and competes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu herself. Watching her confidence grow through the sport has been one of the most rewarding parts of my own journey. She inspires me to keep learning, improving, and setting a positive example, both on and off the mats. I hope to show her that with dedication, resilience, and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone, you can achieve far more than you think.

    I’m incredibly excited to be hosting Women on the Mats on 5th July. My goal is to bring together women from across the Jiu-Jitsu community for an afternoon of training, learning, and connection. Whether you’re completely new to the sport or an experienced competitor, I hope this event provides a welcoming environment where women can build confidence, make new connections, and celebrate the many benefits that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has to offer.

    Our next open mat is at Centaur Jiu-Jitsu, Saltash on Sunday 5th July 12-2pm

    Follow @k9sandkimuras and centaur_bjj_saltash on Instagram for more information

  • Interclub April 2026 – Photos

    The photographs below are from Gemma of Midnite BJJ. These are her pictures from a recent women’s interclub at Horizon Academy, Exeter which was organised by the fantastic Carolina.

    We had 26 women compete from a range of different academies in the South West. It was a brilliant event and such a fun, exciting day.

    The pictures are in chronological order for the day, so that may help you nagivate them. This is just a few of the matches that took place – Gemma does this all for free in her own time for us and we are incredibly grateful.

    Buckets of love and appreciation to Gemma for her contribution to this community and her generosity sharing her skills and pictures. She is also in a couple of these too, as she left her camera unattended!

    Please feel free to use and share, but please credit her! xx

    Show her some love on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/her_one_wild_and_precious_life/

    Contact Gemma:
    her_one_wild_and_precious_life@protonmail.com
    DM on instragram or email for work
    Prints available
    heronewildandpreciouslife.substack.com

  • Flo Martial Arts – Photos

    The photographs below are from Gemma of Midnite BJJ – what a woman! These are her pictures from our recent women’s open mat at Flo Martial Arts in Plymouth. Massive, extensive love to Gemma for her contribution to this community and her generousity sharing her skills and pictures.

    Please feel free to use and share, but please credit her! xx

    Show her some love on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/her_one_wild_and_precious_life/

    Contact Gemma:
    her_one_wild_and_precious_life@protonmail.com
    DM on instragram or email for work
    Prints available
    heronewildandpreciouslife.substack.com

  • Kylie – Flo Martial Arts

    Hey, I’m Kylie. I’m a 40 year old purple belt, mum of my crazy little 3year old daughter Freya, competitor and student. 

    I started my BJJ Journey in the summer of 2014 at Master St James in Plymouth under Tom Barlow and Kenny Baker. It was my husband Mark, who encouraged me to try BJJ to work alongside my Judo. I’m a 4th Dan in Judo and have been training for 32 years. When I started BJJ I just saw it as a way of backing up my Judo ground work, it took me a while to get used to the differences between the two but it wasn’t long and I was hooked on BJJ as well.

    Between 2014 and 2016 life was pretty hectic between buying a house, getting married and being on the Senior Judo Circuit. I trained when I could in BJJ and was lucky enough to have an amazing female purple belt Zayna as my main training partner.

    In 2016 we were lucky enough, thanks to Darren, to move and make Flo Martial Arts in Plympton our home. And by home I mean, it is literally my second home! Flo is by far one of the best Martial Arts facilities in the South West and I am incredibly proud of the facilities and team we have at Flo and I’m lucky enough to be training under Sam Crook and Franck Takoudjou.

    Before Covid decided to put a stop to life! I competed a few times at all 3 belts and I think my first comp I ended up fighting Jade at the Newquay Open. As much as I enjoy competing in Jits my Competitive Judo Career doesn’t allow a lot of time to fit in more Jits Comps.

    Since Covid I’ve had my little girl, a full hip replacement and a ruptured ACL but that hasn’t stopped me and in 2024, within 10 months of my Full Hip Replacement I managed to win Gold at my first Jits Competition since March 2020! I do plan on competing more in Jits once I have semi-retired from the International Veterans Judo Circuit. 

    Now on Women’s Martial Arts, I’ve always been a massive advocate of female only sessions, I have previously run my own quarterly Ladies and Girls Judo sessions bringing players together from all over the South West. Since being at Flo have also hosted a few Ladies Only Judo and BJJ sessions with other High grade females coaching the BJJ side.

    I first met Rosie at Exeter BJJ several years ago when I used to come up and join in with their Saturday Ladies Only sessions after becoming friends with Tanya. I’ve always tried to support any female only session as I think it’s really important that women get a safe space to train together with similar sizes because as much as training with the guys is great it doesn’t replicate the way females train.


    When Rosie and Jade started Women on the mats I knew it was something special and something I wanted to be involved with. It’s such a gorgeous community and the women we have who are hosting the sessions are just as incredible as the ladies we have who we have attending them!

    I’m lucky enough to be able to raise Freya with Flo Martials being her second home and expose her to the world of Martial Arts in a time when Female Fighters are finally getting the attention they deserve! She is a regular visitor to the Ladies Open Mats and she just loves being on the mats in her own little Gi! 

    I’ve been so lucky to meet some amazing females on both my Judo and BJJ Journey and I can’t wait to see how big we can make these sessions in the South West.

    Our next open mat is at Flo Martial Arts, Plymouth on Saturday 11th April, 1-3pm

    Follow @kyz_adams and @flomartialarts on Instagram for more information

  • Women’s Open Mats

    Come along to our next event!

    Important things to know:

    • All our events are free
    • No booking required, just come along
    • Gi and No Gi welcome
    • All levels, belts and affiliations welcome
    • Snacks and drinks are provided at each event

    For any questions, reach out to us on womenonthemats@gmail.com or our instagram @womeonthemats

    Roll at your own speed – we encourage you to communicate with your partners and any level of intensity is welcome if you both agree. Injury-conscious, cautious and gentle rolling is encouraged!

    If you are interested in us running a women’s open mat at your gym, please get in touch.

    Upcoming Events

    Flo Martial Arts

    Unit 9, 62 Valley Road Business Park
    Plympton, Plymouth, PL7 1AB

    Saturday 11th April 2026

    1-3pm

    Location Info

    Centaur Jiu-Jitsu

    Unit 1, Prideaux Close Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 6LD

    Sunday 5th July 2026

    12-2pm

    Location Info

  • Horizon Academy – Photos

    The photographs below are from Gemma of Midnite BJJ – I think we can all agree she does a phenomenal job of capturing how it feels to roll! These are her pictures from our recent women’s open mat at Horizon Academy BJJ in Exeter. We are, as always, incredibly grateful for her time and energy in taking and editing these for us. Please feel free to use and share, but please credit her! xx

    She has a photography exhibition from 2nd – 28th Feb 2026 on at the Mansion in Totnes
    https://www.instagram.com/p/DTvYpWyjXQR/

    Show her some love on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/her_one_wild_and_precious_life/

    Contact Gemma:
    her_one_wild_and_precious_life@protonmail.com
    DM on instragram or email for work
    Prints available
    heronewildandpreciouslife.substack.com

  • Carolina – Horizon Academy BJJ

    Hi! I’m Carolina,

    I’m a purple belt coach, student, competitor and sometimes referee 🙂

    I moved to the UK at the end of 2016 and felt like I wanted to learn something new and needed to  make friends, that’s how I found BJJ.

    My first gym was Checkmat affiliated Trojan Free fighters in Worcester (now Three points martial arts), where I trained my first few months– I tried MMA, K1, wrestling and finally BJJ.

    In the Summer of 2017 I moved to Exeter and started training at Horizon Academy, where I still train.

    Competition was very important for me in my first years – I tried competing around once a month and managed to achieve some cool things – and enjoyed competing all around the UK and in the Europeans in Portugal. I still really enjoy competing, and preparing for it is one of my favourite things to do in BJJ, as it gives me an objective to work towards. I have also made some awesome friends on the way – people I still enjoy visiting and training with.

    My love of competing drove me towards my referee training, which I found quite cool and terrifying at the time. I have since refereed in a few competitions and it’s something I want to keep doing, as it keeps my knowledge sharp and it’s another way to keep attending competitions.

    Another thing I really enjoy doing is attending Seminars and Camps, training  with different people/ coaches has really helped me find the BJJ I like and meet lots of awesome friends along the way – the social side of jiujitsu is really important to me and it makes me feel like we are one massive family.

    Around 3 years ago I took the opportunity of teaching my own women’s classes at Horizon, firstly as a self defence class and now as a BJJ/ competition class – depending on what the students are more interested in at the moment. Self defence is the reason I first started jiujitsu and I find it’s a very important part of the sport, specially for women.

    In 2024 I had a little baby girl and my training changed completely – lack of sleep and no recovery was massive and being a mum took over. The one thing that kept me consistent was my women’s class. Now I still really enjoy competing but I do it very sparingly, even though I am wanting to get into it a bit more – 2026 will be the year!

    Now onto open mats, they have been a constant in my bjj journey – a place to meet people, make friends and learn jiujitsu. I find open mats an awesome place/time to test your jiujitsu without the pressure of a competition. You can just have a chat with your training partner and figure out what you both are expecting of that roll. Open mats are one of the most valuable opportunities we have to meet different jiujitsu ways and training styles.

     Women’s open mats have helped me massively as it’s pretty hard to find people my size in a pretty male dominant sport, which I really value as a way of trying out my jiujitsu against people similar to me. There have been a lot of women along my journey that inspired me, taught me and kept me going – even when I was disheartened and not enjoying it anymore. I have a lot of love for the women I have met along the way and will always be up for another open mat!

    Our next open mat is at Horizon Academy BJJ Exeter on Sunday 18th January, 1-3pm

    Follow @hasta.pasta or @womensbjj.horizonac on Instagram for more information

  • Fightworx Academy – Photos

    The photographs below are from Claudia of Fightworx Academy – she was rolling with us as well as taking these (and Jade also got her hands on the camera too!) and we think she did a phenomenal job!

    These are her pictures from our recent women’s open mat at Fightworks and Maddie’s gorgeous coffee shop Ringside Coffee.

    We are super grateful for her time and energy in taking and editing these for us. Please feel free to use and share, but please credit her! xx

    Show her some love on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudia_baines_/

    Contact Claudia
    https://claudiabaines.co.uk/

  • Exeter BJJ Academy – Photos

    The photographs below are from Gemma of Midnite BJJ – she is not only a passionate member of our local BJJ community but a phenomenal photographer! These are her pictures from our recent women’s open mat at Exeter BJJ Academy. We are, as always, incredibly grateful for her time and energy in taking and editing these for us. Please feel free to use and share, but please credit her! xx

    Show her some love on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/her_one_wild_and_precious_life/

    Contact Gemma:
    her_one_wild_and_precious_life@protonmail.com
    DM on instragram or email for work
    Prints available
    heronewildandpreciouslife.substack.com

  • Madison Murphy – Fightworx Academy

    Hi my name is Madison. 

    I’m a competitor, a coach, a student, a caffeine addict, a proud representative of Fightworx Academy and if you ask anyone at the gym- someone who has built her entire adult life around rolling around on the floor and coffee (more to come on that later😅)

    I actually started martial arts for one very serious, very logical reason:

    I thought WWE looked cool, I was hooked and I fully intended to grow up to be a pro wrestler. 

    And in order to achieve that goal, Fightworx was sold to me as it was the nearest ‘WWE’ gym to me at the time. So at 13, I started MMA, and wandered into the world of Muay Thai and BJJ- there were no steel chairs and dramatic ring entrances but from the very first session I was HOOKED

    From 13 to 18 I trained religiously. I had two Muay Thai fights, competed regularly in junior Jiu Jitsu competitions winning Nationals and Europeans. Then university happened… and Covid happened… and suddenly four years went by without training.

    After graduating, I returned to Fightworx “just to get fit again.” One class a week. Nothing too serious. I even had a job lined up in London and was definitely going to move.

    But week after week I found myself pushing the start date back… and by this point I was training EVERY DAY, 2/3 times a day… until eventually I realised the truth: I had no idea what career I wanted, but I knew I wasn’t ready to stop training or leave Fightworx behind again.

    So I took a gamble, declined the job offer and chose Jiu Jitsu.

    Best decision I’ve ever made.

    Three years later, BJJ has completely rebuilt my world. I’ve made lifelong friends, travelled to places I never would have otherwise and met people worldwide who instantly felt like family. Now I lead our ladies-only BJJ program, proudly teach 1–1s, and teach a junior BJJ & parent and child Muay Thai class weekly.

    Watching women gain confidence and kids develop their skills is genuinely one of my favourite parts of the week.

    Alongside this, Fightworx Academy has expanded, and somehow I ended up opening my own coffee shop inside the academy…Ringside Coffee Shake Shack.  It’s a homely set up and something I’m extremely proud of- great coffee, protein shakes, fresh fruit smoothies and a place for members to hang out before and after training.. representative of the amazing community we have at Fightworx.

    When I’m not teaching, training, making coffee or sleeping then the likelihood is I’m competing. I’ve been lucky enough to compete on a variety of different shows across the UK such as Enyo, Gorilla Invitational and Tanto, and as a result gained some unforgettable moments; most recently becoming the first female middleweight champion on Tanto (bonus is, the belt looks just like a WWE one!) 

    I’ve also been supported by amazing brands that all contribute to how lucky I feel to be on this journey. Such as  Progress Jiu Jitsu (shameless plug of MADISON15 for a discount) and Warrior Supplements (MADDOG for 10% off too). Their belief in me has opened doors I never imagined back when I decided to decline my job and train full time, hoping for the best without a clue where it was going to lead me 

    One of the biggest privileges in my journey now is hosting open mats alongside Rosie and Jade- three people who all found their passion on the Fightworx mats. Even though life has pulled us in different directions, these open mats mean we still get to train together, support each other, stay connected, and keep building something meaningful for the women in our community… that’s pretty cool if you ask me. 

    Jiu Jitsu has given me a career, a community, a purpose, lifelong friends, unforgettable memories, confidence and the opportunity to share this amazing sport with others. Might not be a WWE champ but this is a close second. 

    Our next open mat is at Fightworx Torquay on Sunday 14th December, 2-4pm

    Follow @madison.murphy13 or @ringside.coffee on Instagram for more information