On this site, we focus on sharing the tips and advice that affects most martial artists but are rarely discussed.
Very often these tips and bits of advice are things that advanced practitioners would’ve forgotten by now, but we wanted to make sure that it’s available for all newcomers (like ourselves!).
Get to know the Strictly Fighters Team on our Podcast or keep reading.
Why Does Strictly Fighters Exist?
The deeper and deeper we’ve gone into the various aspects of fighting, the less information we find geared towards newcomers like ourselves. Very often (as with any discipline) there will be tips and advice that even the most advanced practitioners take for granted.
Mainly because they’ve learned the lesson, and moved on with their practice. These easily forgotten golden nuggets are what we all should know and we intend to share everything we learn on this blog, our Podcast, and our Community.
Shaun Els – The Practitioner
I’m the Founder and Writer for Strictly Fighters, currently a BJJ Purple Belt under Cesar Lima (Grand Union – Formerly Roger Gracie Academy).


I was first introduced to Jiu-Jitsu while training Muay Thai in Thailand. I’ve always enjoyed striking arts, but once I discovered the ‘Gentle Art’ I was sold. Most of my free time is now spent on perfecting my art, looking at the intricacies of positions, techniques, and how we learn them.


After moving from Thailand to the UK, I was able to start training and competing more regularly and started expanding my knowledge on every aspect of Jiu-Jitsu that I could find.
I’ve worked my way through the stacks of books, instructionals, YouTube videos, and blog posts – If there is something about BJJ out there, I’ve probably looked into it. So on Strictly Fighters, I’ll be sharing all the topics that I explore, that I think you might be interested in reading about.
Craig Els – The Brawler
Hey! I’m Shaun’s brother and Co-Founding Contributor at Strictly Fighters. Sport has always been my passion and the driver to keep improving in every aspect of life. This has driven me to become a leader in the personal coaching and commercial world.


Recently, I have had the opportunity to combine my love of combat sport and driving growth to the bottom line. Following the likes of AJ and Tyron Woodley reminds me of a simpler time in my youth when we would pop down to the pub for a messy brawl and congratulatory beer right after, so it’s fair to say as a brawler that I’ve been in my fair share of street fights.
I may not be an expert when it comes to fighting knowledge but I guarantee you I know what it feels like to have some bloody fists and missing teeth! I’m here to ask the hard questions (whether smart or stupid) and entertain in the process.
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