The King has suggested the growing martial art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu could be used to help young people as he met leading legendary figures from the sport.
Charles visited one of the world’s leading Brazilian Jiu Jitsu schools in the country to learn more about the activity as well as Reorg, a charity supporting military personnel, veterans and emergency service by teaching them the martial arts.
The head of state toured the Roger Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy in Hammersmith, west London, and watched students taking part in training bouts on the floor which included the rapper Tinie Tempah.
Tempah told the King he took up the sport thanks to actor Tom Hardy and later described how Charles brought up the idea of using the martial arts to help children.
Commenting on the King’s interest in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the celebrity said: “He was basically saying that he’s been wanting to champion this in some capacity for ages, and that he has been talking to Idris (Elba) about it, and maybe I could be of service in some capacity.
“Because he wants to use it to help young people, and I said to him that that is basically my ambition.
“I want to set up some sort of charity or infrastructure where we can get young people from year nine and upwards who are a bit disenfranchised, maybe they’re from challenged backgrounds, things going on at home, maybe on the verge of going into gangs… to just come (to a club) because there’s hundreds of this around London and the country, hundreds of these clubs.”
Tempah said during a royal event around eight years ago he had chatted to Tom Hardy as they waited for the King and the actor suggested he try Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and invited Tempah to his club.
It has taken him seven years to earn a purple belt, two below black, and the martial arts had “changed my life” and given him discipline, introduced him to father-figure role models, a Jiu Jitsu community across the globe and now his two young daughters “love it so much”.
When the King first arrived he chatted to a group of serving and ex-service personnel, a fireman and others who said they all benefited from the charity Reorg, founded by Sam Sheriff, which has taught them the martial arts, and Charles joked “I’m too old to learn these things”.
Among the group was former Royal Marine commando Mark Ormrod who described how the sport had given him and others a “new lease of life” after their service.
Mr Ormrod, 42, lost both legs and his right arm when he stood on an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Afghanistan on Christmas Eve in 2007.
He has gone on to set records through challenges including achieving the world record for the fastest triple amputee 1km swim and raised more than £150,000 when running a 5km (3.2 mile) run in prosthetics.
The 42-year-old added: “It might sound ridiculous, but this sport has given me so much.
“The gift of being in combat with another man, the gift of being challenged every time I step on the mat and the gift of the community that surrounds Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
“There’s no egos in this sport, nothing outside of here matters.
“We have people from all walks of life, from high ranking military and emergency services personnel, world champions or people just joining the sport.
“There is honour, respect and patience, and that’s what the King saw today.
“It was a pleasure for him to visit.”
Before leaving the King presented a black belt to a recipient and was gifted a white belt, the first on the rung in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Roger Gracie is a 10-time Jiu Jitsu world champion and grandson of the founder of the art, Carlos Gracie.
He said after the visit: “This was a very historical day, not just for us her but for all of Jiu Jitsu.
“For our community and for everybody who has ever trained to better themselves.
“To have to King attend our academy was a great honour.
“Our sport embodies everything about the community.
“People come here to train and to celebrate the human spirit and it reflects in everyone around them.”
Read MoreTube temperatures near 40C as commuters brave heatwave: ‘Hotter than South Africa’
Segro bid boosts FTSE 100 as gold and oil sink
King feels the heat in stifling conditions at climate event
Forecasters warn of even higher temperatures amid sweltering heatwave
Parents facing ‘impossible’ as thousands of babies living in overheated homes
Starmer’s replacement as prime minister must slash energy bills, SNP says
