Shotton coach Charlie McDonald wins Bronze at elite Jiu-Jitsu tournament in U.S

A martial arts coach from Shotton has returned from the United States with a bronze medal after competing in one of the world’s biggest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments.

Charlie McDonald, who runs Checkmat North Wales in Shotton, placed third at the IBJJF Pan-American Championship in Orlando, Florida — a prestigious event that draws top-level competitors from around the globe.

“It was amazing standing on the podium at Pans,” said Charlie.

“Normally I’m not happy with bronze, but because this was the second biggest competition in the world, I felt satisfied. I also know I can go back next year and take gold.”

Charlie, 40, works full time and coaches Jiu-Jitsu to children and adults at his gym.

Despite a demanding schedule, he still competes at an elite level and has more international tournaments lined up this year in Barcelona, Tokyo, San Diego and Las Vegas.

He began training in martial arts at the age of 20, starting with traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu before discovering the Brazilian style through a friend.

“It was all a bit robotic and rehearsed, but I enjoyed the little bit of ground fighting we did at the end,” he said.

“Six months later I was introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which is pretty much all ground fighting, so I quickly switched.”

With no local club at the time, Charlie used to travel to Runcorn and Warrington up to four times a week to train. He did that for years, right up to brown belt level, before opening his own club in Shotton to cut down on the travel and bring BJJ to his own community.

Charlie said one of the biggest things that kept him motivated over the years was the thrill of competition and the chance to travel.

“I love to compete and the competitions take me around the world to places I might not usually travel to,” he said. “It’s great that there are people from all over training in their own gyms, and we all come together to see who gets the gold.”

One of his proudest moments came in 2022, when he won gold at the AJP World Pro in Abu Dhabi.

“I qualified as the number one seed after winning numerous comps leading up to it,” he said.

“I beat the previous year’s champion in the first round and submitted everyone without a single point scored against me.”

Balancing training, coaching and full-time work is a challenge.

Charlie said his days start at 4.30am, followed by work, then strength training or walking the dogs, before heading to the gym to teach alongside his fiancée and daughter.

“When all the classes are done, I clean the mats, go home, shower, eat and get ready to do it all again,” he said.

“It’s exhausting at times, but I’m lucky to be surrounded by amazing black belts at Checkmat North Wales who step in when I can’t be there.”

Charlie said he sees his role at the academy as vital, not only as a coach but as the company’s director. Working with children is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.

“It’s amazing for their confidence,” he said.

“You get to see a transformation in these children, especially the really shy, timid ones.”

With students ranging from five years old to 60, Charlie believes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is for everyone.

“I highly recommend BJJ, no matter your age,” he said.

“It’s just about becoming the best version of yourself while learning lifelong skills and building amazing friendships. I really wish they would teach BJJ in schools — I think every kid would benefit.”

Charlie added: “No matter what sort of day I’ve had or what stress I’m under, I always leave the academy with a smile on my face.”

You can find out more about Checkmat here: checkmatnorthwales.com

[Main photo: IBJJF]