100% Martial Arts & Fitness - Embrun

09/16/2026

Last night to register your kids for the party. Enjoy a quiet afternoon while we keep them busy and having fun.

09/12/2026

This one is pretty special.

Patrick started training about 20 years ago. I think he was 10 years old.

In many ways, he grew up at the dojo.

He was one of our Junior Black Belts. He grew up competing. Over the years, I've watched him train and compete in just about everything we do: Sport Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, MMA, self-defence demonstrations... if there was an opportunity to get on the mats and challenge himself, Patrick was usually there.

Today, he's a Black Belt in Kickboxing, a Purple Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and this weekend, he earned his Yondan — 4th Degree Black Belt in Kanzen Budo.

That's a lot of martial arts.

But strangely enough, that's not what makes me the most proud.

I've had the privilege of watching Patrick grow from that energetic 10-year-old kid into the man, leader and instructor he is today.

And the energy hasn't gone anywhere. 😂

Anyone who knows Patrick knows exactly what I mean. He's funny, jovial, a little eccentric, always moving, always looking to improve and always looking for the next challenge.

He's an incredible athlete.

But over the years, I've watched all of that experience turn into something more.

He's learned how to give it back.

Today, Patrick brings his experience onto the mat as an instructor. He leads. He teaches. He sets an example. And he's become someone our younger students can look up to.

As his coach, I don't think there are many things more rewarding than watching someone you've trained since they were a kid eventually stand beside you and help teach the next generation.

More than 20 years later, Patrick isn't just one of my students.

He's a friend, an instructor, and a pillar of our dojo.

It's always a pleasure to train with him, and after all these years, his energy and desire to get better is still inspiring.

Congratulations on your Yondan, Patrick.

Very well earned.

And knowing you, you're probably already thinking about what's next.

Patrick Carriere

09/12/2026

🥋 Congratulations to our Fall Black Belt graduates!

There’s always something special about Black Belt weekend.

We spend so much of our time focused on what’s next: the next class, the next technique, the next thing we need to work on.

Graduation gives us a reason to stop for a moment and look back.

To recognize how much has been learned, how much has changed, and how far we’ve come.

As they say, when you reach Black Belt, now you’re ready to learn.

Black Belt isn’t the end of the journey. In many ways, it’s where the real learning begins.

And as the years and ranks go by, that lesson doesn’t really change. There is always more to learn, more to refine, and more to pass on to others.

Congratulations on your promotions!

Enjoy the moment.

Then, as always… back to training. 😄🥋

09/11/2026

What an incredible turnout yesterday! The energy on the mats was fun, exciting, and inspiring.

Thank you, Kyoshi Bill, for sharing your knowledge and love of jiu jitsu with our students. It’s always special having you in Embrun.

And thank you to everyone who joined us!🥋

08/31/2026

07/31/2026

Congratulations to this month’s newly promoted! We kept training this summer and progress followed. 👊🙂

07/27/2026

If there's anything Jiu Jitsu has taught me, it's that there are no absolute answers.

What works for me right now might not work for you. It might not even work for me tomorrow.

The position that saved me last week gets me swept this week. The grip that felt like home suddenly feels like a trap. Same body, same mat, different day. No absolute answer.

And yet, we need rules.

We need conventions, positions, a shared language of what's "correct" or the mind has nothing to hold onto while it learns.

You can't build a base without first learning what a base is.
You can't break a structure you never learned in the first place.

So we learn the fundamentals like they're gospel. We follow the framework until it becomes part of us.

Here's the paradox, though.

The ones who eventually do it better? They're usually the ones who found a way to bend the rules. Break them, even. Think outside the box while everyone else is still standing inside.

And when think we finally figure it out,

BOOM…

someone else comes along and does it even better, because they had to break some of the rules that the last person swore by.

It never stops. It's not supposed to.

Mastery was never the finish line. It was just the license to start questioning what you'd mastered.

So beware of absolute answers. Beware of holding your opinions in black and white.

Because somewhere out there, right now, someone is thriving doing exactly what you think wouldn’t work.

And that's not just true on the mats.

That's true for:

The way you run your business.
The way you parent.
The way you do life.

There's more than one way there.

Learn the rules like your life depends on it. Just hold them a little looser than you think you should.

07/20/2026

You’re never really ready for the challenges you’re faced with, or they wouldn’t be challenges, would they?

Life wouldn’t be life without struggle.

We, humans, wouldn’t grow without pressure.

And yet, we often do everything we can to avoid that discomfort.

We make ourselves busier, more tired, even sicker, so we don’t have to step up to the plate.

We sabotage our wellbeing, our relationships, and our potential because it is often easier to choose the pain we know than the discomfort we don’t.

Even when we know that discomfort is likely to lead us toward a better version of ourselves.

The thing is, every challenge presents you with a choice:

“Do I meet this challenge with courage, or do I back down?”

Sometimes, backing down is the right answer. Not every battle is worth fighting, and not every opportunity deserves a yes.

But I’m not talking about those moments.

I’m talking about the challenges that sit in between you and the future you've been hoping for.

The difficult conversation you keep postponing.

The boundary you know you need to set.

The habit you know you need to break.

The responsibility you know you need to accept.

You see, those are rarely obstacles placed in your way.

More often, they are the doorway.

So stop asking whether you're capable and start asking whether you're willing.

Because the truth is, you'll probably never feel ready.

It's not about feeling ready. It's about taking the next step anyway.

Whatever challenge came to mind while reading this, don't wait until you feel ready.

And if it happens to be stepping onto the mats for the first time (or for the first time in a long time), we'll be here when you're ready to take that next step.

07/07/2026

What are you tolerating that is not serving you anymore?

What are you telling yourself as an excuse for not being where you want to be?

I can't because...

I haven't because...

I am because...

The thing about beliefs is that they either keep us stuck or help us blaze ahead.

They exist because, at some point, they helped us navigate the world. They kept us safe.

But are they true?

Maybe… most likely not!

They are stories born from our experiences, our environment, and our culture.

And... they serve a purpose, until they don't.

Until they become a nuisance.

Until the thing you thought was keeping you safe is the very thing holding you back.

If you're feeling stuck, something inside of you is trying to tell you something.

It would serve you well to scrutinize the stories you tell yourself. I'd be willing to bet that some of them have expired.

How do you know they’re true?

Where did they come from?

Are they still true? Are they true all the time?

Is it true for everyone? Or just you?

Start by changing the stories you tell yourself about your circumstances and see what changes.

07/06/2026

Summer Class Schedule begins today Monday, July 6th.

Some class times have been adjusted for the summer months, so please take a moment to review the updated schedule and plan ahead so you don't miss your sessions.