Shotton’s Charlie McDonald wins jiu-jitsu European, Asian gold after Pan-American bronze
Charlie McDonald, owner of Checkmat North Wales Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Shotton, has had an outstanding few months in his competitive career.
In April, he won bronze at the IBJJF Pan-American Championship in Orlando, Florida, a prestigious tournament attracting elite competitors worldwide.
Building on that success, he took gold at the European Championship in Barcelona in May and then secured another gold at the Asian Championship in June.
Reflecting on his European win, Charlie said, “Going into the Europeans, I genuinely believed I could win it, not out of arrogance, but confidence.
“And that confidence came from knowing I’d put in the work and had the results to back it up.
“I’d had a really strong year leading up to the tournament, with plenty of medals and some solid performances on big podiums.
“So when it came time to compete, I wasn’t just hopeful — I truly believed I was ready to take the top spot.”
He described his Asian Championship victory as an even bigger achievement, saying,
“Going into the Asian competition, I felt I had a good chance of doing well.
“There was definitely a bit more pressure than usual, mainly because I’d flown across the world to be there, and if you lose in the first round after all that, it definitely hits harder.
“But I arrived early, got a full week of training in, and managed to acclimatise to the heat and humidity.
“By the time the tournament started, I felt great physically and mentally.
“Once I got through the first match, my confidence really kicked in.
“In the end, I had seven matches that day, and what made it even more rewarding was that I was up against opponents I’d never seen before — people from Australia, South Africa, Asia — all regions I don’t usually cross paths with on the European circuit.
“So compared to the Europeans, it felt like an even bigger achievement.
“It pushed me in a different way, and that made it really memorable.”
Looking ahead, Charlie said, “I’ve got a couple of smaller competitions in San Diego, London and Lisbon but the main goal for this year is the World Championship in Las Vegas in August.”
He expressed pride in representing Shotton and North Wales: “I think it’s really special getting to represent North Wales.
“We’re a small country, so to be able to compete on the world stage, especially in a sport that’s largely dominated by Brazilians and Americans, and actually stand on the podium alongside them, that feels like a big achievement. It’s something I’m genuinely proud of.”
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on ground fighting and submission techniques.
It teaches how a smaller or weaker person can defend themselves by using leverage and technique to control or submit an opponent.
Originating from Brazil, BJJ has become popular worldwide, both as a self-defence system and a competitive sport with tournaments held internationally.
Charlie is planning to start a beginners’ course in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in late August this year for those interested in trying the sport, more here:
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