Bow Valley Jiu Jitsu
Unit 208 105 Bow Meadows Crescent T1 W 2W8 Canmore, AB, Canada

#5 Blue Belt Curriculum & Experience If there's anything BVJJ is well known for, it's our Blue Belt curriculum and Blue Belt Demo. BVJJ is an affiliate club of Champion's Creed MMA, meaning we have adopted their curriculum requirements. Travis' Professor, Brian Bird is under Roy Harris who is known as one of the first instructors to publicly publish a formal testing criteria for jiu-jitsu, formalizing his promotion tests from white belt to black belt. Currently, we have had...Continue reading

#6 BVJJ in Competition Counting down to an exciting announcement! But first, let's look back at our journey. Although our number one priority has a sport club has always been community, we do pride ourselves in training for and attending as many local tournaments and competitions as we can. We have quite a few members, both youth and adult, who regularly compete. It's certainly no easy feat to show up and test out your skills, especially in front of an audience. ...Continue reading

#7 Asisstant Coaches Counting down to to an exciting announcement! But first, let's look back at our journey. The club wouldn't be where it is today without the help of our generous assistant coaches who volunteer their time to our community several days a week. We currently have three main coaches which help Travis out; Carter, Dan & Adam. ...Continue reading

#8 Kids Programs Counting down to to an exciting announcement! But first, let's look back at our journey. A couple of years after starting BVJJ, kids classes were introduced and it was an instant hit. Both girls and boys aged between 6 - 12 yrs flooded the club, eager to burn off energy and to make new friends. The coaches love working with kids and find Jiu Jitsu an incredible way to teach kids integrity, self discipline, sportsmanship, respect, kindness and most importan...tly, how to put in the work. Jiu Jitsu, unlike so many things we seek, does not offer instant reward. Both kids and adults alike can find this frustrating and exhausting. We find the kids who fall in love with the sport realize quick enough Jiu Jitsu is a life long road, and they become quite smitten with the process of investment. We love to see the heart and passion our youth students bring to the club, their positive and inclusive attitudes inspire our adult students on the daily. Currently we have just under 20 youth students, as well as 6 teens. It really does feel like a family when you have students of such varying ages training! From Travis: "The kids program was something close to my heart that I wanted to bring into the club since the day we opened. Myself and the other coaches attended a specialized Coaching seminar for how to teach Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to youth to prepare for opening the first program. Ever since I started BJJ I’ve thought to myself how much this would’ve helped me back when I was a kid, and I’ve tried to make the youth program something that will help the youth of this community, no matter what struggles they face. I truly believe in building a better community and doing this through raising a capable and kind future generation".

#9 Expanding Counting down to to an exciting announcement! But first, let's look back at our journey. Location, location, location! In 2018 Travis and Rich finally felt it was time to find a space of their own to accommodate their growing club. They found the perfect space which they wouldn't have to pack up after each and every class. This new location had an office space, change rooms and a private washroom. It had more than enough room for classes of 30+ adults and all ...of their kid's programs which were gaining momentum fast. This space is still where our club remains today; lived in and now adorned with all of our competition achievements, it's been home to BVJJ for just under 3 years. From Travis: "Life Works was a great location for us to start and build our club. They were very accommodating and helped us grow during such an uncertain time of a new business. In late 2018 we decided we needed a new location, one that we could keep our mats down full time so that we could offer more classes. This is why we moved to our current location. The ability to keep the mats down opened up many more scheduling opportunities for the coaches. We went from offering 2 classes a week, to offering 4 regular classes, two morning classes, an open mat and a women's only class. This raised our attendance significantly and we were stoked to watch people from all walks of life join the team!"

Important COVID-19 update. For any concerns or questions, please email Travis at [email protected].

No classes tomorrow on Remembrance Day. Open Mat for members only. See you there!

Name: Kierra Rank: 4 stripe White Belt Favourite Technique: Hip throw. Biggest challenge: Going against different people!

Big night of promotions last youth class! The amount of work and time these students have put in is amazing. Often I ask the class what three things I look for in students who wish to excel. One, is put in the work both on the mats and off. Two, put in the time. Three, try to be better today than you were yesterday. Each and every one of these youths do this on a consistent basis. We’re so proud of them all!

Bow Valley Jiu Jitsu added another Blue Belt to the family! Huge congratulations to Georgi (@50ftqueeni) on earning her Blue. There were many ups and downs leading to this but she went through each and every one and was able to perform incredibly! A Blue belt in Jiu Jitsu is one of the hardest belts to earn, it’s a hard road and my expectations are high when it comes to the technical portion of the demo. You will be pushed to your limit where you want to quit and she was, but you learn to push through it and keep fighting, which she did time and time again. I am so proud of Georgi and her hard work and dedication and I’m sure I can speak for the rest of the BVJJ Family when I say we are all very proud of you!

Stretching! Tonight we stretched before class to warm up and after sparring to cool down. If you want to roll hard and excel in Jiu Jitsu, you cant overlook taking care of your body. We see a lot of students and even coaches (heres looking at you, Travis) who only want to do Jiu Jitsu which can sometimes lead to neglecting your injuries. Not only will daily stretching aid in your healing, itll always help your game. Thanks to Coach Travis for leading the way and reminding us its okay to slow down.

Some special promotions last night! Nino & Jeff received their second stripes on their blue belts. Both members invest an immense amount of time into our new students, teaching them the ropes and always training with patience and grace. Then we have marvellous Maven! Maven, a student who has only been training with us a few months, earned her second stripe. A little faster than most, but she has shown day in and day out her impressive dedication to the sport and club. She attends every single class, morning and night, and is already working on her blue belt curriculum every morning class! We love seeing her enthusiasm and dedication. Congratulations everyone!

Competition Class with coach Carter is back! Different day, same time, same instructor. Competition Class is for those looking to amp up their training. We go a little harder, and we drill a lot more. This is a class to refine your favourite techniques and to get your cardio up. No technique is taught in this class. To participate, you don't need to plan to compete. This is for those wanting to test their skills out on the mats. If you're currently nursing an injury, we reco...mmend skipping this class for now as it includes high intensity drilling. Starting next week!

No classes tomorrow! See you at open mat!

Monday night was full of celebrations! 4 promotions were awarded and the stoke is high! Congrats to our Beginners Only Course Graduates, Mike & George on receiving their first stripes, James on also receiving his very first stripe and finally, big congrats to Rheya on receiving her second stripe! Its been incredible to see the club grow. The collective focus and determination amongst our members is impressive. Team work makes the dream work!

Auction alert!Were having a silent auction courteousy of Rafael, a loved member of the club who has made the move to Ontario this week. His first generation (vintage!) BVJJ gi (size a3) is being auctioned off to raise funds for our local Bow Valley SPCA. Their transport van has died and they desperately need a new dog and cat rescue mobile! Their van is a vital part of the shelter and every donation counts. The current bid is at 60 dollars. Silent auction ends Monday at 8:30pm after sparring! All proceeds go directly to the SPCA.

A mix between a private class and open mat, Morning Class is the perfect time to ask Coach anything you like. Its a time to work on a project, rep blue belt curriculum or to ask for that escape you desperately want to learn. 6am 7am, Tuesday and Thursday mornings!

BVJJ paint-balling! We promise we do things other than jiu jitsu... Occasionally training can get frustrating and overwhelming. Sometimes its important to take a break and have some fun with your training partners (and still destroy each other!) Building friendships within our community is very important to us, and essential for creating a support network during these stressful times.

Great seminar today! We went over applying pressure from closed guard through to mount and the positions in between. Although a few students left before we could get a proper group photo, thanks to everyone for coming out and playing!

Halfway through Travis Top Pressure seminar this morning! Travis is providing this seminar free of charge for those students who helped support the club during the pandemic. Without their support, we wouldnt have a club today. Thank you!

Big news this week! We had the pleasure of hosting our professor Coach Brian Bird on Thursday night. Brian taught a great class on side mount control, teaching students the subtle details required to control your opponent without pressure, but with technique. This was very valuable knowledge for our smaller students in particular. Everyone had a lot of fun! We ended the class with 2 very special promotions. Coach Travis & assistant coach Carter, were both promoted to their ...next belts. This is a huge accomplishment and everyone is beyond proud. Both Travis and Carter dedicate close to 6 days a week to the club, mentoring each student, teaching classes, and always putting their students success above their own. It's no easy feat to train when you're taking care of 35+ students and their training needs. Not only do they support every student on the mats, they also support them off the mats. They provide emotional support, guidance and advice to so many of us when we experience self doubt or anxiety. From all of us here at Bow Valley Jiu Jitsu, THANK YOU for everything you do. Congratulations on your new purple and brown belts!

What a great community to be a part of and help build, constantly growing and trying to better ourselves! #teamBVJJ

Upcoming tournament! Check the post for more details

Sparring with an emphasis on keeping it playful and having fun. Love seeing the smiles and hearing laughter on the mats while we attempt to strangle one another!

Exciting announcement for all BVJJ club members! This seminar is a thank you to all those who supported the club through the initial stages of the pandemic shut down. This seminar is open to all current members at the cost of $75 and free for those who paid their memberships or donated during the club closure. Without your support the club would not have been able to reopen. We are so thankful for the generosity of our members and are excited to finally give back to those who kept us open! To register, please message Travis at: [email protected]

Maven earned her first stripe last night! @maventhemarvelouss dedication has been quite amazing as she is there not only for most of the evening classes but the morning classes as well. Congratulations!

Working on knee drive entries to a double leg take down. Its great too see everyone putting in the work!

Going over a few guard breaks and passes over the last couple weeks. Balance and timing are key elements.

Great class tonight! We went over a floating guard pass which has been a nice break from all of our pressure drilling. We had our Beginners Only members joining our regular class and they experienced their first rolls! Fun night.

6am morning class putting in the work and drilling those mount escapes.

No classes today! Open mat at 12 noon for members only.

Back takes and take downs.

Although its been a super hot week training at the club, you cant wipe the smiles off of our faces!

BIG congrats to Megan and Alex on receiving their first stripes this week! Megan trains with her two children and we couldnt be any prouder of this family. During the COVID lockdown they were the only students who showed up to every single ZOOM class. They truly kept the coaches accountable and helped each other grow. They may be family to each other, but theyre also family to us. We wouldnt know where we would be without Meagans infectious laugh. Thank you for always making us smile. Heres to growing together! @ Bow Valley Jiu Jitsu

Well that concludes our Beginners Only Course! We had such an incredible time working with these enthusiastic students. We are confident they now feel prepared to join the rest of the club with the basics under their belts. So much of the struggle to start something new is the fear of the unknown. Our beginners course is a wonderful tool to ease students into Jiu Jitsu in a small and relaxed environment. The philosophy of Jiu Jitsu is just as important as the physical element. Were so happy we were able to share our values of safety and kindness with students before they start sparring. Your attitude is so important! Cant wait for the next one, let us know if youd be interested in participating in our next Beginners Course!

Congratulations to Georgi Silckerodt on earning her four stripe tonight! Shes been an amazing member of BVJJ ever since she started. Always looking to help out and make anyone and everyone feel welcome as soon as they walk through the door. She has been working hard and progressing steadily towards her blue belt while helping other newer members learn the basics. All the coaches at BVJJ are proud and excited to see you reach that next step! @ Bow Valley Jiu Jitsu

And lets not forget Beau! Where do we start... this kid started not long ago but its become apparent hes a natural born leader. Beau is motivated and kind, always answering questions and giving every class his best. We love his attitude and couldnt be happier to have him setting such a high standard for our other students. We think this kid is going places! @ Bow Valley Jiu Jitsu

From Coach Travis: Im so proud of this young man! In the last year Brooklyn has progressed from being part of our youth program to assistant coach. Hes shown a great dedication to the art and you can always find him smiling on the mats. Even during lockdown he was there for every Zoom class which was an inspiration for myself and fellow coach Carter. It truly made the classes so much more fulfilling to us as instructors, it gave us a reason to show up. He earned two stripes last night which is rare but very much deserved. Excited for Brooklyns future in this sport! Were all very proud of you.

No fun was had in lasts nights class.

Monday nights class! We went over armbar from mount with some dirty wrist locks thrown in.

Morning class seems to be gaining popularity again! Its not easy getting up at 5am, but it sure is fun leg locking your friends at 6am...

Beginners Only Course Members paying close attention.

Had a great Beginners Only class this morning! Only one class remaining in the course. Would you like to see another one in the future? Let us know if youre interested in attending a future Beginners Course.

Blue Belt Prep class, look at the focus! Coach Travis gave students the option to either learn more blue belt technique after class or to finish the night with rolling and they all chose to continue learning technique! Looks like were on the track for some new motivated blue belts.

Kids class was a lot of fun! Here are our kids practising keeping their hooks in. Coaches are getting in their cardio...

Tonights rolling soundtrack