News / KNowle West
Empty shop converted into martial arts school
A vacant shop on a south Bristol high street has become the new base of a local martial arts school.
Gracie Barra Knowle has moved out of Filwood Community Centre into a unit on Filwood Broadway most recently occupied by a cafe.
The club, which runs Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes for all abilities, started up at the community centre in Knowle West in 2016.
But instructor Nick Jordan, who took over running the group in 2020, says the new space “feels like home”.
“It’s somewhere safe to train, somewhere you can be yourself and somewhere you can escape from day-to-day troubles,” he said.
At the community centre, Gracie Barra ran classes on two nights of the week. But its new space is open through the week – and a yoga class is set to start there on Saturdays.
Gracie Barra Knowle’s new home was formerly occupied by The Sandwich Stop, a cafe which moved into another unit on Filwood Broadway in January 2021 – photo: Charlie Watts
Charlie Watts is reporting on Knowle West as part of Bristol24/7’s community reporter scheme, a project which aims to tell stories from areas of Bristol traditionally under-served by the mainstream media
Main photo: Gracie Barra Knowle
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