Our Story
5th Element Jiu Jitsu Academy was founded in 2019 with three things in mind: to bring genuinely high-quality grappling to Durham, to build something with real community impact, and to create a pathway that takes anyone — from a nervous first-timer to a professional athlete — as far as they want to go.
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What makes this place different isn't any single person. It's the team that has grown around a shared way of doing things — and the fact that almost everyone on that team started here as a beginner.
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Our coaches weren't recruited from other academies. They were developed on these mats. They went through the same Bronze classes, the same early struggles, the same gradual breakthroughs that every new member experiences. That shared journey shapes how they coach — with patience, with detail, and with a genuine understanding of what it feels like to start from nothing.
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The curriculum at 5th Element has been built from the ground up over years of full-time coaching — not borrowed from a template, but refined session by session to ensure every student at every level is always learning in the right environment for where they are. Every class covers standing work, guard work and pins. Techniques and sparring games are woven throughout. The mix of experience levels in every session is deliberate. It's a system built to develop people, not just teach moves.
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The culture that surrounds that system is equally intentional. We are a Community Interest Company — structured that way because it reflects what we're genuinely trying to do. Our goal is to make an impact on the people who walk through the door and on the wider Durham community around us. That means making the programme accessible to everyone, holding a genuine standard of care for every training partner, and building an environment where people from completely different walks of life train alongside each other without ego getting in the way.
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That environment doesn't happen by accident. It's the result of the team that's been built here — and the values they share.
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"Top coaches — really feel the team spirit when you walk through the door." — Libby, member
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"The coaching staff are all friendly and extremely professional — a place where egos don't exist." — Iain, member
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"Every session is a new discovery." — Eugeniu, member
What We Believe
5th Element was founded with a simple goal: to bring high quality grappling to Durham and inspire genuine positive change — on and off the mats.
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We believe that through training, students of all ages learn to handle pressure, manage emotions, sit with discomfort, and solve problems under stress. These aren't just martial arts skills. They're life skills — and they show up everywhere once you've built them.
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We are a Community Interest Company. That means our purpose extends beyond the gym. We exist to make a meaningful impact on the young people, adults and families of this community — developing them physically, mentally and socially through a programme that meets them where they are and takes them further than they expected.
Three Spaces. One Community
How We Train
Our programme is structured across age groups and skill levels so every student progresses at a manageable pace and gets the most from every session. Classes are never one-size-fits-all — they're built around where you are right now, with a clear path to where you're going next.
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We train in an inclusive environment. Martial arts can carry a stereotype — the aggressive gym, the macho culture, the unwelcoming atmosphere. What people find here surprises them. A studious approach. A friendly room. Partners who look after each other. Ages from 4 to 60+ training under the same roof with the same values.
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That's not something we enforce. It's something the culture produces — and it's something we're proud of.
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"Great community. No egos." — M Forman, member
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"Accessible for anyone — whether you're looking to compete, get fitter, or just pick up a new hobby." — Mani, member
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"I cannot picture a life where jiu jitsu is not in it." — Jodie, member since age 13
Start your Jiu Jitsu journey
Free Trials Available
Your first session is free. No kit, no commitment, no experience needed.
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Got a question first? We're on WhatsApp, email, and social media — and we respond within 24 hours.