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  • Respect, Humility and Gratitude
    12 Jun 2026

    Respect, Humility and Gratitude

    Respect, Humility and Gratitude- Why These Three Words Are Written Above the Entrance To Our Dojo by Coach Don Cooper As a jiu jitsu athlete we need to often stop and reflect on the deeper answer to the question of "Why do we train jiu jitsu?" For some it may just be that it is a lot of fun. For others it is for the exercise which has enormous benefits. For others it may be they are looking for self defense skills so they are not so vulnerable in a often dangerous world. For others they like the team atmosphere that pushes on one another to get better. For myself I agree with all of the above reasons however they are not sufficient in my opinion. The benefit of training jiu jitsu as a ....

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  • Why Martial Arts Helps Kids Succeed in School (From a Mom and a Coach)

    Why Martial Arts Helps Kids Succeed in School (From a Mom and a Coach)

    by Jennifer Cooper-Coach, mom and grandma As a mom of six, a grandmother of three and a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu coach who has trained for the past eight years, I have seen firsthand how martial arts can truly change a child's life. When parents ask me if Jiu Jitsu is good for kids my answer is always a big yes--not just for self-defense, but because if helps them in school, at home and in life. Here's what I have noticed over the years with my own kids and the students I have coached: 1. Focus Improves in Class and at Home Kids today are pulled in a million directions. Jiu Jitsu gives them the tools to slow down, pay attention, and really focus. I've watched children who ....

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  • Jiu Jitsu and Pinewood Derby: More Alike Than You Think
    14 Apr 2025

    Jiu Jitsu and Pinewood Derby: More Alike Than You Think

    by Coach Don Cooper At first glance, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and Pinewood Derby races couldn’t seem more different. One involves sweaty gis, chokes, and ground battles. The other? Whittling blocks of pine into tiny race cars and hoping they blaze down a wooden track. But if you’re a parent who’s stepped onto the mats and also spent late nights sanding axles with your kids, you’ll start to see the overlap. When I was 7 years-old I was a Cub Scout and had to build a pinewood derby car. When I got the kit I instantly wanted to build it out. I was so excited that I started cutting and sanding and painting all in one night. I didn't understand that to make the ....

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  • How To Be a Good Training Partner While Live Rolling (Coach Don's general advice)

    Coach Don’s Tips on How To Be a Good Training Partner While Live Rolling: Safety for our training partners and for ourselves is number one priority. This should be noticeable in your attitude and behavior while rolling. During live rolls, focus more on learning rather than winning. Be deliberate about what you are learning. Apply the techniques and concepts you are drilling and studying outside of live rolling. Be disciplined to stay calm and focus on self-control and strategy. Do not be too proud to tap. When you focus more on technique, at first you will likely have to tap more. However, over time, the technique will make you magnitudes more skilled and you will see more ....

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  • 25 Sep 2023

    Never Give Up: The Most Important Lesson We Learn in Jiu Jitsu

    Hello Friends and Teammates, Recently I had an email exchange with a great mom and family that is part of the Emerge team. I changed the names for privacy, but here is our conversation. I think it is an important one regarding common struggles in jiu jitsu that also parallel life in general. My intent is for this to help anyone else who might have similar questions and challenges. Please give any feedback you might have or share with me your thoughts. -Coach Don Message from Mom: Hello Coach, Joey is starting to feel very discouraged that he isn’t getting better. He just told me that he when he does the rolling that everything happens so fast & he’s suddenly in ....

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  • Why Emerge BJJ Women's Self Defense?

    *This post is not legal advice. For legal advice consult an attorney who is licensed to practice law in your local area.* by Coach Jason Importance of Self-Defense. In an assault, you’ll experience fear and panic, along with a natural adrenaline rush. Despite the superhuman effects adrenaline can produce — we’ve all heard stories about the grandmother who lifted a car off her trapped grandchild — it doesn’t always work in your favor. You may experience tunnel vision, auditory exclusion and loss of fine motor skills. Consequently, it will be hard to see and hear, and complex techniques may be impossible to perform. If you stick with proven ....

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  • How to Spar According to Legend Rickson Gracie

    How to Spar According to Legend Rickson Gracie

    A recent quote from Rickson Gracie black belt Henry Akins got my attention. The longer I have trained jiu jitsu the more I believe the following quote to be true. There is a lot of wisdom in the statement below from Henry quoting Rickson: If you want to develop very high-level skill in Jiu-Jitsu, there are some great Rickson quotes making the rounds online that I want to share with you today. The ideas in these quotes will become more and more important, the further you go in your Jiu-Jitsu journey. Here they are: “Even when you spar during training, you should minimize your natural talents. By limiting yourself, you may find yourself in much worse situation, but you are ....

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  • Humility: A Character Trait We All Must Continue to Develop

    Humility: A Character Trait We All Must Continue to Develop

    I believe there are many character traits that jiu jitsu helps develop. Of those many, the most important trait (right up there with perseverance), in my opinion, is humility . Yesterday one of our kids in our Minjas program asked me, "What is humility?" Great question. Theologians and philosophers have discussed this since the beginning. And you will find varying definitions of the word between religous and secular folks. In the short time I had to answer the question I explained to her and the class, "Humility is the opposite of pride. Humility is having a heart that is open to learn. Humility is not afraid to try hard things and fail. Humility has no fear of man but an ....

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Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Vancouver

Melissa R

My kids love this gym! They enjoy their teammates and coaches! Friendly staff and very clean.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Vancouver

Greg G

Don and Jennifer are such great and caring people. I’ve known them as neighbors for many years. Emerge is a family focused Jiu Jitsu training facility teaching the skills of self defense and mindset for all levels. Their great family is heavily involved in the training with them as they create an environment where families can learn and train together.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Vancouver

Amir L

Staff is extremely nice and cares about you and will take time to explain everything too you until you understand. Just in general filled with good people and is a good environment to be in

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