FAQ
Answers for parents and for schools, so you know exactly what you would be signing up for.
GETTING STARTED
Does my child need any experience?
No. All levels are welcome and most students start with none at all. Every session begins with falling and rolling safely, and beginners are always paired with someone their own size and level.
How do you manage mixed ages and skill levels, 5 to 12, in one class?
We use a research-backed, play-based methodology, the Constraint-Led Approach. Instructions are delivered so that foundational concepts are accessible to a 5-year-old while remaining engaging and challenging for a 12-year-old. During drill work and partner activities, students are strictly paired by age, weight, and skill level to ensure safety and fair engagement, and older or more experienced students are encouraged to model techniques, which builds teamwork and leadership across the age spectrum.
Where do classes run?
On-site at schools across Coquitlam and North Vancouver. We bring the mats to the gym your child is already in, so there is no extra drive and no rushing across town.
How do I register?
Through our parent portal. Head to the Programs page, find the class at your child's school, and register directly from there.
How do stripes and belt promotions work?
Stripes and belt promotions are earned through personal growth, consistent effort, and character, never strictly by tracking a set number of attended classes. Students are evaluated on their conduct both on and off the mat, including listening, sportsmanship, and how they treat their teammates and coaches, and on their focus, willingness to learn, resilience through challenges, and active engagement during practice. Regular participation is required to build skill proficiency, but attendance is the baseline for learning rather than a guaranteed automatic promotion trigger.
What should my child wear?
Clothing suitable for PE or gym class: shorts or leggings, a workout top, and hair ties for long hair. No uniform or gi is needed to start. If your child is given a uniform, they should wear it to every class.
Are there any rules before class?
Two before class, both for everyone's safety: no jewelry, so no rings, necklaces, earrings or watches, and fingernails and toenails must be trimmed. On the mat, three expectations are strictly enforced: no shoes on the mat, mandatory listening when coaches speak, and immediate stopping when a partner taps or signals to halt.
SAFETY AND STAFF
Is Jiu Jitsu safe for a child who has never done a contact sport?
Yes. The curriculum is strike-free, with no punching or kicking taught at any level. During drill work and partner activities, students are strictly paired by age, weight, and skill level to ensure safety and fair engagement, coaches supervise every live round, and students are taught to tap early and to stop immediately when a partner taps or signals to halt.
Who is teaching my child?
Our own coaching team, led by head coach Professor Gui Rocha, a black belt who has been teaching kids since 2018. Coaches hold current criminal record checks and first aid certification, and we provide credentials on request.
What do you teach about standing up to bullying?
Verbal de-escalation first. We emphasize using a strong voice, clear verbal boundaries, stop and back off, and stepping away from conflict. Next is adult involvement: children are consistently taught that seeking help from a teacher, coach, or parent is a sign of awareness and safety, not weakness. Physical defense is a last resort, and our physical training focuses strictly on self-defense, distance control, and non-striking control holds to protect oneself from harm. Because we do not have the authority to permit physical force outside of class, we explicitly encourage students and parents to discuss home expectations regarding when self-defense is appropriate.
How do students get from school to the venue?
In North Vancouver, our coaches pick the students up directly from Cleveland and Highlands Elementary and walk them down to St. Catherine's, where the program runs. Children line up in a buddy system, pairing younger students with older buddies, with one coach leading the front of the line and a second coach covering the back. Before every road crossing, the line comes to a complete stop, and one coach steps into the center of the crosswalk with clear visual signaling to ensure all traffic has fully stopped before allowing the children to cross. If your child is registered as drop-off, they come straight to the venue and the walk does not apply.
Who can pick my child up?
Only a designated parent or guardian on the list. We take a head count at the start and end of every session, and we let you know directly if anything came up during the day.
What actually happens in a session?
Our North Vancouver classes run as a 90-minute block. Students get a dedicated 15-minute window to eat a snack, hydrate, change, and transition, and the remaining 75 minutes take place entirely on the mats: a 15-minute warm-up of movement-based games, agility drills, and core athletic skills, 45 minutes of technique and Constraint-Led Approach drills, and 15 minutes of team games and cool down. Water breaks, around 15 minutes in total, are integrated throughout the active training block as needed. Longer sessions at our other locations follow the same order with more time in each block, and we have written the whole thing out step by step for each of our programs on the What to Expect page.
IF YOUR CHILD WANTS TO QUIT
My child says they want to stop. Is that normal?
Completely. Jiu Jitsu is demanding, involves physical contact, and asks kids to be vulnerable. The urge to quit usually means they have hit an emotional boundary rather than that they dislike the sport.
How should I respond?
Usually by validating the effort rather than negotiating about attendance. We have written a full parent's guide, including a decoder for what common phrases like “it's too hard” or “the kids are too aggressive” actually mean, and how to respond constructively.
FOR SCHOOLS
What do you need from our school?
Access to your gym or a similar clear indoor space, and that is genuinely it. We bring our own mats, set them up, and pack them down ourselves. Nothing needs storing between sessions.
How does this fit our PE curriculum?
Units are structured around physical education outcomes so you can point to what was covered. We map the specific outcomes to your grade levels during planning.
How long is a unit, and how often do you come in?
It depends on the format. A PE unit runs across consecutive PE periods, the after school program runs weekly through the term, and Pro D Days are single full days. We set the exact schedule with you during planning.
What paperwork do you need from us?
We work to whatever your district requires for external providers. Tell us what your process is and we will meet it.
How far do you travel?
We work with schools across Coquitlam and North Vancouver. If you are outside that area, get in touch anyway and we will tell you honestly whether we can cover it.
COST
How much does it cost?
For families, fees are listed on each class in the Programs page so you can see the exact cost before registering. For schools, it depends on the format, the number of sessions, and group sizes, so we quote per school rather than publishing a rate.
Is there a cost to the school for the after school program?
No. Families register and pay us directly through our parent portal, so there is no cost to the school and no administration for your office.
WHAT STUDENTS TAKE AWAY
Self-defense without striking Control and neutralize a situation rather than escalate it.
Physical literacy Base, posture, balance, agility, spatial awareness, and breakfalls.
Strategy and problem solving Read a position, pick a response, adjust when it fails.
Anti-bullying and allyship Verbal boundaries first, when to walk away, when to get an adult, and how to stand up for someone.
Respect and self-regulation Bowing in and out, tapping early, and stopping immediately when a partner signals to halt.
Inclusion No bench, no being picked last, no beginner set up to fail.
STILL HAVE A QUESTION?
Ask us directly. We will give you a straight answer, including if we are not the right fit.