Last Updated on 28 July 2026 by Dave King
Brighton has a stronger run of martial arts clubs than a city this size has any right to, from a free jiu jitsu club training inside an army reserve centre to a Muay Thai gym at the racecourse. This guide covers the best martial arts in Brighton, what each club is good for, and the practical things worth knowing before you go, like what you will actually pay and which nights the beginners classes run.
Prices range from nothing to £140 a month, and that gap says more about how each club is run than about the coaching. Timetables and fees change, so check before travelling.
Table of Contents
Martial Arts Clubs Featured in This Guide
| Club | Disciplines | Area | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton BJJ Exchange | Brazilian jiu jitsu, no-gi | Dyke Road | Free, no contract |
| Elements Martial Arts | BJJ, MMA, K1 kickboxing, wrestling | Kemptown | Free intro; £49 to £99 a month; £20 day pass |
| Kenshiro Gym | Muay Thai, K1, MMA, BJJ, boxing | Brighton Racecourse | £15 drop-in, £80 to £140 a month |
| Nam Yang Brighton | Muay Thai, kickboxing, Savate, kung fu | London Road and Hove | Free trial, nobody turned away on cost |
| Brighton Judo Club | Judo | Manor Road | First session free, suit included |
| Brighton Jiu Jitsu Club | Japanese jiu jitsu | Queen Square | £5 a session |
| Kicks Martial Arts Centre | Wado Ryu karate, kickboxing, Thai boxing, aikido | Lewes Road | Trials £25 to £45; from £23 juniors, £32 adults a month |
| Brighton & Hove Taekwon-Do | ITF Taekwon-Do | Hove and citywide | £8.50 to £13 a session; £30 to £72 a month |
| Samurai Centre | Ninjutsu, jujutsu, koryu karate | New England Street | Price on enquiry |
| Krav Maga Evolve | Krav Maga, self defence | Brighton and Hove | £8 trial class |
Prices last checked July 2026. Only the Samurai Centre does not publish a price on its own pages, so I have marked it as price on enquiry rather than guessing. Several clubs also charge a one-off joining fee on top of the monthly figure, covered further down.
Brighton BJJ Exchange
Brighton BJJ Exchange is the answer to anyone who has looked at BJJ in Brighton and decided it costs too much. The classes are free. No joining fee, no contract, nothing.
It was founded by Marcus Trower, who was frustrated at how expensive it was to train jiu jitsu here, and his friends have kept it running since he died. Their site lists three no-gi sessions a week, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, all 7pm to 8.30pm. They lend a gi jacket free for your first three classes, then £2 to hire.
One thing to know before you go. They train inside the Army Reserves Centre at 198 Dyke Road, so you cannot just wander in. Message them on WhatsApp first, then arrive a few minutes early and wait at the gate, where someone will let you in.
Elements Martial Arts Brighton
Elements in Kemptown is the widest choice under one roof, and the one I would point a complete beginner towards first. BJJ, MMA, K1 kickboxing, freestyle wrestling, a female-led fundamentals class and a kids programme, all in St James’s Gardens just off St James’s Street.
The first intro session is free. After that there are two ways to pay. Recurring adult memberships are £49 a month for four classes, £79 for nine and £99 for unlimited, with 10% off the unlimited plan for students and the emergency and armed services. Those plans carry a £30 joining fee covering insurance, with no contract and 30 days notice. One-off passes have no joining fee and cost £20 a day, £40 a week or £120 a month. Kids BJJ starts at £49 a month with a one-time £50 joining fee that includes a gi and belt.
It sits beside the Old Steine, one of the city’s main bus interchanges, so it is easy to reach from most of Brighton and Hove. If you drive, parking round there is the usual Brighton headache, and their own advice is Morrisons at £3 for two hours or free street parking after 8pm.
Kenshiro Gym
If striking is the actual goal rather than general fitness, Kenshiro is the Muay Thai gym in Brighton people name first. It runs Muay Thai, K1, MMA, BJJ, wrestling and boxing out of Brighton Racecourse on Freshfield Road.
Pricing is the clearest of any club here. Drop-ins are £15 a session. Membership is £80 a month for evenings and weekends, £120 for unlimited classes, and £140 for unlimited classes plus gym use outside class hours and the sauna.
Parking is free, which is rare enough here to matter. If you are not driving, the 2 and 22 buses are the ones to check for Race Hill, but confirm current times before travelling. Do not plan on walking it from town unless you like hills.
Nam Yang Brighton
Nam Yang is a registered charity rather than a business, and it shows. Running since 1999, it teaches Muay Thai, K1 kickboxing, Savate, Shaolin Tiger Crane kung fu and chi gong across more than 38 classes a week at two venues.
Everyone gets a free trial with kit provided, and the club states plainly that it never turns anyone away on cost. It was the first martial arts Club of Sanctuary in the UK, recognised for its work with refugees and people seeking asylum.
The Brighton club is just off London Road, with the entrance on London Terrace rather than London Road itself, which catches people out on a first visit. The Hove club runs from Hove Methodist Church on Portland Road.
Brighton Judo Club
For judo in Brighton, this is the club: a non-profit run by volunteers out of the Manor Road scout hut, with UKCC qualified black belt coaches.
Your first session is free and includes suit hire, so there is no gi to buy before you know you like it. After four sessions you need club and British Judo Association membership for insurance. Juniors train Friday evenings.
Other Clubs Worth Knowing
Brighton Jiu Jitsu Club teaches traditional Japanese jiu jitsu at the Brighton Ki Centre on Queen Square, Thursday evenings, at £5 a session with no membership. It is the cheapest paid class here and has run since 2001.
For karate in Brighton, Kicks Martial Arts Centre has held the same Lewes Road dojo since 1982 under chief instructor Chris Kent, teaching Wado Ryu karate, kickboxing, Thai boxing, aikido and jiu jitsu across two matted gyms. It is a private members club on monthly payment, with no pay as you go, and trials run £25 for juniors up to £45 for adult kickboxing. Brighton & Hove Taekwon-Do covers the taekwondo side with eleven classes a week across Brighton and Hove, children from five and separate teen and adult sessions. The Samurai Centre on New England Street is one of the older dojos here, teaching ninjutsu, jujutsu, koryu karate and the samurai weapons.
Grappling has the most options. Brighton BJJ School runs gi and no-gi near the station and part-funds scholarships. One Jiu-Jitsu on Boundary Road is the strongest Hove option and opens at 7am on Tuesdays and Fridays. Out east, Grand Union BJJ is behind 10 High Street in Rottingdean and runs a class for over-40s.
If you want self defence rather than a competitive sport, Krav Maga Evolve runs beginner, women-only and junior classes across Brighton and Hove, starting with an £8 trial.
Martial Arts for Kids in Brighton
Martial arts in Brighton starts younger than most parents expect. Almost every club takes children from five: Brighton & Hove Taekwon-Do, the Samurai Centre and Brighton Judo Club. Nam Yang splits junior and teen kickboxing and kung fu, and Elements runs kids BJJ with a free intro and a parent-and-child class on Sundays.
The thing to check before September is the term-time question. Nam Yang runs all year and closes only over Christmas, but drops to a reduced timetable in half terms and the summer holidays, and those sessions need at least three children booked in to go ahead. If you are filling out a wider week, there is more in the same vein among other things teenagers will actually turn up to.
What It Costs to Get Started
Getting started with martial arts in Brighton costs less than people assume. There is a real ladder here, and you climb a fair way up before spending anything.
Free first: classes at Brighton BJJ Exchange, a first session including the suit at Brighton Judo Club, a trial at Nam Yang, an intro at Elements.
Then cheap: £5 for a Thursday at Brighton Jiu Jitsu Club, £8 for a Krav Maga trial, £15 for a drop-in at Kenshiro, £20 for a full day at Elements.
Then monthly: recurring prices start at £23 at Kicks for one junior session a week and £30 for children’s taekwondo, run through £32 and £46 for adults at those two clubs, and reach £49 to £99 at Elements and £80 to £140 at Kenshiro.
Watch the joining fees, which the monthly figures hide. Brighton & Hove Taekwon-Do charges £60 for under 13s, £62 for teens and £72 for adults, covering the suit, belt, licence and association membership. Kicks adds annual membership of £25 for adults or £15 for under 16s, plus insurance. Elements is £30 for adults and £50 for kids, as above.
Budget separately for kit, which catches people out. Striking clubs expect you to own gloves and shin guards, plus a mouthguard if you intend to spar. Grappling clubs need a gi eventually, though most here will lend you one while you decide. If you are weighing a club against an ordinary membership, compare it against what the city’s gyms charge first.
How to Choose
With martial arts in Brighton, the night you can reliably attend matters more than the club you pick:
- For cost, Brighton BJJ Exchange is free and Brighton Jiu Jitsu Club is £5, and neither is the weak end of the scene.
- For choice, Elements has the most disciplines and the clearest beginners pathway.
- For striking, Kenshiro has the facilities and the fight team, if you do not mind the trip up to the racecourse.
- For community, Nam Yang will find a way to make it work whatever your circumstances.
- For kids, Brighton & Hove Taekwon-Do and the Samurai Centre offer structure and grading, and judo is the cheapest way in.
Try two or three before committing. Between the free classes and the trials, that costs a few evenings and nothing else.
FAQs
How much do martial arts classes in Brighton cost?
Anywhere from nothing to £140 a month. Brighton BJJ Exchange is free and Brighton Jiu Jitsu Club is £5 a session. Monthly memberships start at £23 at Kicks for juniors and £30 for children’s taekwondo, and run to £99 at Elements and £140 at Kenshiro for unlimited access.
What is the best martial art for a complete beginner?
Grappling arts like BJJ and judo tend to be the gentlest entry, because you can train at full resistance without being hit. Striking has a steeper first few weeks. Try one of each before deciding.
Where can I train BJJ in Brighton?
Brighton BJJ Exchange on Dyke Road is free, Elements in Kemptown and Brighton BJJ School near the station both run structured beginner programmes, One Jiu-Jitsu covers Hove, and Grand Union covers Rottingdean.
Are there martial arts classes for kids in Brighton?
Yes, and from a young age. Brighton & Hove Taekwon-Do, the Samurai Centre and Brighton Judo Club all take children from five, and Elements and Nam Yang run junior and teen programmes alongside them.
Can I train without signing a contract?
Yes. Brighton BJJ Exchange has no contract or joining fee, Brighton Jiu Jitsu Club works session by session, and Kenshiro sells drop-ins. Nam Yang lets memberships be paused or cancelled by email at any time.
Are there women-only classes in Brighton?
Elements runs a female-led fundamentals class and Krav Maga Evolve runs women-only self defence sessions. Several other clubs run mixed classes with women’s training groups attached, so it is worth asking directly.
Final Thoughts
The useful thing about martial arts in Brighton is that the cheap end is not the weak end. A free club on Dyke Road and a £5 club on Queen Square sit alongside a racecourse gym at £140 a month, and the difference is mostly facilities and timetable breadth, not coaching.
Pick on the night you can reliably attend and the distance you will actually travel in February, not on the website. Check with the club first, and where a website and a Google listing disagree, believe the club.
