Without this, I wouldn’t be here.

Everyone has their motivations for training. Some, like Max, train to compete in competitions, many attend to stay in shape, and others, like Kerry, train for self-defence because, as she say’s "After a police officer murdered Sarah Everard, I realised I have to be able to look after myself because nobody else will". One consistent reason I hear from almost everybody is they are committed to their training because of the positive impact on their mental health. More than that, I've been told many iterations of the powerful statement, "If I didn’t have this, I wouldn’t still be here." In 2021, England and Wales endured 5,583 suicides, each likely leaving a painful legacy for family and friends. Tragically, that's nearly 7% higher than 2020.

I've been alternating between training and documenting sessions; I miss taking part every time I turn up to photograph the club. I have not felt this good since the start of March 2020–and this feeling makes me want to represent the sport accurately in my photos. It's 3D Chess with people. As my understanding of the sport grows, I find it more beautiful to spectate. The grinding proximity holds a paradox; interspersed between arm-bars and chokeholds is a genuine desire for your training partner to be at their best. We grow the fastest in the face of adversity. And when there's room for improvement in my game (which there is in abundance in every movement I make), my opponent politely and respectfully walks back through what happened and shows me how they got the upper hand, and together, we find a way through. It's a challenging and complex combination of emotions to catch in a photograph.

While I've been folded up like a pretzel more than a few times on the mat–when I'm holding my camera, the impressive individuals at Unity Brazilian Ju-Jitsu have given me the warmest of unguarded welcome, it's evident in the stills