A neo-Nazi group is using mixed martial arts and fitness training to radicalise young Scots, according to fresh investigations into the re-branded Caledonia Club. The group, formerly Active Club Scotland, forms part of a global network that presents itself as a fraternity for physical improvement while advancing white supremacist views.
It has been active in Scotland since 2023, organising regular training meets that combine combat sports with ideological messaging. The movement screens recruits for white European heritage and martial arts skills, aiming to build a network of disciplined men ready for what some describe as a coming struggle.
Caledonia Club Targets Young Scots with Outdoor Fitness Events
The Caledonia Club has intensified its recruitment drive among young Scots. Posts on its Telegram channel include images of group activities involving young people, such as scouting locations for cliff jumping and summer events. One message reads 'Members from Devon met recently for some light sparring and skills practice. We continue to tribe and train, what's your excuse?'
This strategy aligns with the wider Active Club approach of using sports to engage impressionable youth. Across the UK, related Telegram channels have accumulated more than 6,000 subscribers, facilitating coordination of events and dissemination of content including photos of training and ideological statements as reported by BBC North West.
MMA Training Masks Neo-Nazi Ideology in Scottish Fight Clubs
The fitness facade conceals a deeper commitment to far-right extremism. Members have documented links to the banned neo-Nazi terrorist organisation National Action, with some involved in bomb threats. The group frequently posts the white supremacist '14 Words' slogan and celebrates figures such as Adolf Hitler on special occasions.
Regular training sessions include mixed martial arts sparring, hiking in areas like the Brecon Beacons, and strength-building exercises. Alexander Ritzmann, a researcher at the Counter Extremism Project in a BBC investigation, said the tactic was using 'the image of a sports club to build a militia intent on organised violence'.
Posts on the channels reference reviving 'warrior culture' and preparing for future conflicts, encouraging members to get physically fit to protect their heritage. An undercover investigation into the English branch revealed discussions of weapon acquisition and Nazi salutes during training.
International Boot Camps Raise Fears of Coordinated Radicalisation
The Scottish group has strengthened ties with European far-right networks. In June 2025, members travelled to a boot camp in Germany's Thuringia region organised by the neo-Nazi party The Third Way. More than 100 activists from Scotland, England, the Netherlands and Germany participated in commando-style marches, hand-to-hand combat training and lectures on 'national revolutionary' and anti-immigration topics.
A post on Instagram by the verified Scottish Daily Record account captured the event, showing the Scottish contingent bonding with international counterparts through shared drills and discussions.
With the Active Club network now spanning 27 countries and continuing to grow, security services are increasingly concerned about its potential to radicalise young people in Scotland through seemingly innocuous sports activities.
Scottish authorities and counter-extremism units continue to monitor the Caledonia Club's activities closely, particularly its appeal to disaffected young men in deprived urban and rural areas where traditional youth services have diminished. Experts warn that the fusion of combat sports with ideological indoctrination could accelerate the mainstreaming of extremist networks if left unchecked, prompting calls for tighter regulation of online fight-club recruitment.
