One of the people I’ve most wanted to meet and learn from is multiple IBJJF World and ADCC Champion Ffion Davies. So I was thrilled to attend her seminar at my friend Michael Buckman-Cowling’s recently opened academy True Virtues Jiu Jitsu in Wimbledon.
I actually briefly met Ffion back when she was a purple belt and a hotly tipped up and coming talent. Since then, of course, she has gone on to become one of the world’s most accomplished jiujitsu athletes, winning IBJJF nogi Worlds x2, IBJJF gi Worlds x2 and ADCC in 2022 as well as a large number of titles in other grappling events. She became the UK’s first-ever World Champion in the adult division and is still the country’s most accomplished jiu-jitsu competitor. What is more remarkable is that she has won these titles, which include the Absolute divisions, while only weighing in at Feather and Lightweight categories.
Ffion is Head Coach at the lovely ARMA BJJ academy in Clapham. She still competes and in 2025, won the IBJJF World Masters title, as well as winning her superfight matches at Polaris and UFC Fight Pass BJJ events.
True Virtues Jiu Jitsu, Wimbledon
A quick word about Mike’s new academy, which opened in May 2025. I first met Mike at one of the very earliest Bristol Grapplethons, run by Can Sonmez – which I think was in 2013 or maybe 2014? He and I have been friends ever since, and we meet up half a dozen times a year at various events or to train 1-1 with each other.
True Virtues BJJ is located within the Wimbledon YMCA. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is some cheap backpacker’s hostel, oh no! The Wimbledon YMCA is a fully kitted out modern gym with two gorgeous fitness studios, one of which is where the BJJ classes are held. It’s a genuinely impressive facility.
Ffion’s Shoulder Crunch Dilemma
Before the session began, Ffion offered us a choice two topics – knee cut passing or the shoulder crunch? The room was divided in half, so Ffion decided for us and shoulder crunch it was (which, btw, was what I had opted for).
Ffion opened the session by describing the way she likes to play the knee shield half guard. She deploys a very wide guard, which baits the opponent to attack and offer their nearside shoulder (Mike’s right arm in the photo) or their farside shoulder (his left side in the photo). Whichever side they led first would lead to a counterattack by Ffion (she also talked about situations where they did nothing and just sat back).
Ffion likes to convert her knee shield into a longer range guard by placing her foot on the opponent’s shoulder (photo above). This is a bait for the opponent to grab her foot. When this happens, she switches to an arm drag and takes back control.
Of course the opponent may not fall for the bait and prefer to focus on attacking the crossface. In this case, Ffion showed us her shoulder crunch response.
Ffion then showed a number of options from this stage, including the kimura lock, armbar and the Tarikoplata. In additon, she covered a few secondary attacks when the first attempt did not succeed.
The whole two hour set whizzed by, but I was incredibly happy to see how the dual threat of either the arm drag one one side, or the shoulder crunch on the other side of the opponent could be used to effectively. In these examples Ffion deployed the attacks from knee shield but she also showed how they could be used via butterfly or seated guards.
The Friendly Welsh Dragon
Ffion is an excellent instructor. It’s obviously really cool to know that the techniques she’s teaching are the same ones that she uses in her championship matches. But her explanations are also jargon-free and peppered with colourful and amusing visual ideas on how to remember them.
She’s also a very fun, friendly and approachable person. In no time at all, we were all laughing along at her goofy jokes and random asides during her technique demonstrations. She is genuinely one of the nicest people I have ever met in jiujitsu and I had such a great time at her seminar.
