King Charles Lets Slip His Cheeky Side After Receiving a Jiu-Jitsu White Belt — Watch
King Charles charmed onlookers with his reaction after being presented with an honorary Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu white belt.
One thing about King Charles is that he always manages to charm the room with his quick and witty responses. During one of his royal engagements, the King was presented with a Jiu-Jitsu white belt, and he received the honor with quite the excitement. However, what he said at the moment with his trademark sense of humor became even more memorable.
Charles was all smiles as he received an honorary Jiu-Jitsu white belt during a visit to the Roger Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Hammersmith, which is the world’s leading Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) school. In the clip, he beams as Roger Gracie presents him with his own white belt, which is the entry-level grade in the sport. Holding it up with both hands, the King gave it a playful wave as the students applauded enthusiastically. Watch the video here!
However, Charles could not resist cracking a joke as he watched the grappling demonstrations, saying they reminded him of his Navy days when he took part in a tug-of-war aboard HMS Bronington. He said, “It's almost like you're in a tug-of-war. We used to do that on HMS Bronington, but the rope was tied round the stern so you couldn’t see the other team. It was like a pulley system that never ended.” He served on the mine hunter during his naval career from 1971 to 1976.
Before receiving the honor, Charles watched students of all ages and abilities demonstrate their Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, looking visibly impressed throughout the visit while sporting bright blue disposable shoe covers over his leather shoes. He also spent time meeting students from REORG, an organization that helps serve military personnel, veterans, emergency service workers, and others overcome physical, mental, and social challenges through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Charles also marked a special moment by presenting a REORG student with his black belt. REORG was founded in 2017 by Royal Marines veteran and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Sam Sheriff MBE. Speaking about the student's promotion to black belt, Mr. Sheriff praised his years of dedication, saying, “There's very few people on the planet that get to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, that's because it takes between 10 to 15 years to achieve that.
During the visit, rapper Tinie Tempah, who holds the purple belt, told Charles that actor Tom Hardy introduced him to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu after they met at a King's Trust event in 2018.
