05/12/2026
10 years of Rossland Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
This gym started during a strange transition in my life. I had sold my house in Vancouver with plans to move to Nicaragua, but the house sold in one day and we had 15 days to move out. I had no real plan, so at 32 years old I moved back in with my mom and dad while I figured things out.
Then I met Shaun Taylor, who wanted to train more and get his family involved. Thanks to Shaun, we opened our doors with about 10 students and only 100 square feet of mats.
Over the years, people have come and gone, but everyone has helped shape this team. In a town of around 5,000 people, our little gym has continued to show up and compete with schools that have black belts, hundreds of students, and much bigger facilities.
Covid shut us down on and off for almost two years. When we reopened, I was lucky to have Irie join us as head instructor. He has trained with me since around 2017 and has grown into a dominant brown belt who now beats me regularly, which is both one of the best and hardest things you can experience as an instructor.
Jesse has helped coach our smallest kids and run Monday night classes. Rebecca has brought her knowledge of tossing people and arm barring people, and started the first grappling competition in Rossland, which gave our students something real to work toward.
We have had pizza cookouts, fight watch parties, tournament days, hard rounds, and a lot of growth on and off the mats.
Rossland BJJ has become a third space, a home away from home, and a safe, welcoming place for kids and adults alike.
Thank you to everyone who has trained, coached, competed, supported, or walked through the doors.
10 years in, and I am still grateful.