Championship coaches. Welcoming gym.

Luke Costello is the head coach and founder of Costello BJJ in Exeter. He is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Hall of Famer Braulio Estima, the lineage that has produced some of the most technical grapplers in the sport.

As a competitor, Luke is an IBJJF World Champion, a four-time IBJJF European Champion, an Abu Dhabi World Pro medallist and an ADCC World Championship competitor. He has tested his game at the highest levels of gi and no-gi grappling and brings that depth of knowledge back to the Exeter mat.

Luke also holds a black belt in judo. His coaching style emphasises strong fundamentals, precise technique and problem-solving. Every student — from nervous first-timer to active competitor — gets the same attention to detail.

Andy Costello is a combat sports veteran with decades of experience across judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA. He is a former heavyweight British Judo Champion and represented Great Britain internationally.

Andy fought professionally in MMA on Cage Rage and has competed in boxing, Muay Thai and kickboxing. He brings that cross-discipline striking and clinch experience to the Costello BJJ classroom, especially when the conversation turns to self-defence and no-gi grappling.

Project Mayhem MMA has joined forces with Costello BJJ — meaning students in Exeter benefit from Andy's experience alongside Luke's world-level Jiu-Jitsu instruction.

Mark Allen is a BJJ black belt under Professor Luke Costello with more than eleven years of dedicated training. He is a homegrown Costello BJJ product — having worked his way up through the ranks on the same mat he now coaches on.

As a competitor, Mark is a gold medallist at the IBJJF Paris International Open, Hereford Open, and Surrey Open. His classes focus on technical precision, positional control and competition-tested fundamentals that scale from white belt to advanced.

If you are brand new to BJJ, Mark is often the coach you will meet first — and the one who makes sure nobody slips through the cracks.