Self-defense classes that work under pressure
Practical self-defence for adults and kids, built on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and taught at our three Greater Vancouver academies by the team of Canada's only 9th-degree red belt.
Why our self-defence training is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Most real confrontations are not a fair fight at arm's length. They are someone grabbing you, pushing you against a wall, or ending up on the ground with a bigger person on top. That is the situation Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was built for.
BJJ is a grappling martial art. It teaches you to escape holds, get back to your feet and control a person without having to strike them. And because you practise against a partner who is genuinely resisting, not against the air or a pad, you find out in class what actually works when someone is pushing back.
We don't run a separate self-defence course, and we think that is the point. The self-defence is the jiu-jitsu: every class, at every level, builds the same skills.
What you will learn
- Escaping grabs, headlocks and holds
- Getting back to your feet safely from the ground
- Controlling someone bigger and stronger without striking
- Staying calm and thinking clearly under pressure
Self-defence that fits Canadian law
In Canada, the Criminal Code only protects force used in self-defence when what you do is reasonable in the circumstances. That is one of the strongest reasons to learn a grappling art. BJJ gives you ways to hold, control and stop someone, rather than only ways to hurt them, which is a very different position to be in afterwards.
Self-defence for kids and teens
Conflict between children is rarely a punch-up at a distance. It is pushing, grabbing and being held down. Our kids classes teach children aged 6 to 13 to handle exactly that, calmly and without hitting anyone, which matters at a school where the child who throws the punch is the one who gets suspended. Students aged 14 and up train in our adult classes.
Self-defence for women
BJJ was designed so a smaller person can deal with a larger one using leverage and position rather than strength. Every adult class at all three academies is open to women, and no experience is needed.
Where to start
Complete beginners start in our Foundations class, which is taught at all three academies:
- Vancouver: Tuesdays and Fridays at 6:00 PM
- Langley: Mondays at 7:00 PM
- Maple Ridge: Thursdays at 7:00 PM
Self-defense class questions
Yes. BJJ is built around what happens when someone grabs you, holds you or takes you to the ground, and it teaches you to control a person without having to strike them. Because it is practised against a partner who is genuinely resisting, the skills hold up under stress in a way that techniques only ever practised in the air do not.
No. Our self-defence training is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, taught in our regular classes at all three academies. Every class builds the same skills: escaping holds, getting back to your feet safely and controlling someone bigger than you. Complete beginners start in our Foundations class.
You learn basic escapes and control positions from your first classes. Being able to use them calmly against a resisting person takes consistent practice, usually months rather than weeks, at two to three classes a week.
They solve different problems. Striking arts teach you to hit and keep distance; BJJ teaches you to handle being grabbed, held or taken down, and to end a situation without injuring anyone. Many people start with BJJ and add striking later, and our Langley academy runs Boxing Foundations on Saturdays.
Yes. Our kids classes teach children aged 6 to 13 to stay calm and safe when a bigger child pushes, grabs or pins them, without throwing a punch, which is exactly the situation most children actually face. Lil Tots introduces the basics to 4 and 5 year olds.
Adult memberships start from $169 a month and kids from $139, for unlimited classes at all three academies. New students start with two weeks of classes for $29.
Learn self-defence that works
Two weeks of unlimited classes for $29. No experience needed, and we lend you a gi.
Prefer to talk? Call 604-725-9797.