'I was only sober during jiu-jitsu competitions'

A martial arts coach who is nine months into his sobriety journey said the only time he did not drink was when he was competing.

Clayton Chamberlain battled alcohol addiction and drug taking for many years, having spent time "proper partying" in Ibiza, Marbella and Las Vegas.

Chamberlain, who grew up in Southmead, Bristol, runs a Brazilian jiu-jitsu club in the city with his brother, and said his 11-year-old daughter also takes part in the sport despite being given a very slim chance of survival at birth.

He told BBC Radio Bristol "I was super depressed and I needed to turn my life around."

Chamberlain, 45, said he started drinking and taking drugs after befriending a dealer as a teenager.

"My brain thinks super fast and [drinking] used to actually chill me out, it used to calm me down," he said.

"I was able to stay focused and felt I had a purpose, but after competitions I'd go back to it.

"It was just escapism, really, from problems or real life. It can become too much and you're looking for a break from that".

In 2024, he began drinking and using drugs more heavily after his father was diagnosed with stage four cancer, but the pair are now closer than they were before.

"He brought us up super tough, and not to show emotion, and now it's changed for the better."

Chamberlain said being sober gives him "the clearness and the calmness" to process his own thoughts and not be reactive.

"I've been doing a lot of other mindfulness stuff and taking care of myself, swimming, sauna, training martial arts, telling people I love them.

"Speaking to people is the number one though."

Chamberlain, who started martial arts at the age of four after watching Bruce Lee films, now runs Roger Gracie Bristol with his brother, Luke, in Clifton and Southmead.

His daughter was born premature at only 26 weeks and doctors said she had a very slim chance of surviving.

"She's 11 now and does jiu-jitsu like me and she's thriving - but she had health problems growing up and it was a lot of pressure," Chamberlain said.

"The drinking and drugs only exacerbated the pressure I felt under to be a good dad and look after my family."

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