True North Jiu-Jitsu teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and kickboxing to kids aged 4 to 13 in Maillardville, just off Brunette Ave. Between the two, your child learns both sides of self-defense: how to strike with control, and how to handle themselves if a situation ends up on the ground. First class is free, and you're welcome to watch the whole thing.
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What Parents Ask Us First
Parents in Coquitlam don't come to us looking for a sport. They come with a specific worry. These are the ones that come up most.
Both of our kids classes are built around control. Jiu-Jitsu has no punching or kicking at all, so the most common source of injury in kids martial arts simply isn't there. Kickboxing is taught on pads and in the air, with no hard contact between children. Everything happens on mats, under supervision, with kids matched by size and age.
It reliably does the opposite. A child who knows they can handle themselves has nothing to prove, and the class rules make it explicit that what they learn is never for starting something. In practice, confidence tends to lower the temperature rather than raise it.
Shy kids often do best here. There's no performing in front of the room and no contest to win on day one. They work with one partner, or on a pad with a coach, on one thing at a time, get it right, and the confidence builds from there instead of being demanded up front.
Two Programs, One Room
Kids Jiu-Jitsu is grappling. There is no punching or kicking in it. Kids learn to control distance, take hold of someone, take them to the ground, and hold a dominant position safely. Kids Kickboxing is the striking side: stance, footwork, punches and kicks on pads, drilled for coordination and confidence rather than for fighting each other.
Most of our families end up doing both, and the two fit together neatly. Kickboxing sharpens the athleticism, timing and the ability to keep a cool head when something is coming at you. Jiu-Jitsu gives the skill that actually ends a schoolyard situation, because a child who can hold a bigger kid down and wait for an adult has finished it without hitting anyone. You are also welcome to start with just one and see how your child takes to it.
The Bullying Question
Most bullying stops well before anything physical happens. Kids who carry themselves like they're not an easy target usually aren't chosen as one, and that posture comes from genuinely knowing what you can do, not from being told to be brave.
We teach the physical skills properly, and alongside them we teach when they apply: use your voice, walk away, tell an adult, and only put hands on someone as a last resort. Our instructors are consistent about that from the first class, in both programs.
Classes run 45 to 50 minutes, which is about the right length for this age group. A Jiu-Jitsu class starts with a warm-up built out of movement games, then a technique of the day broken into small pieces, then drilling with a partner, then a game or supervised rounds at the end. A kickboxing class follows the same shape with footwork drills, combinations on pads and coach-led rounds.
Kids are grouped by age and size. Nobody is asked to do anything they haven't been shown properly, and a coach is always close enough to stop something that isn't going right.
Our head instructor, Professor Khatib Ahmad, is a fourth-degree black belt. He's joined on the mats by Professors Mahan Salimian and Ash "Smash" Mashreghi, both black belts, plus Coach Rachel Hofer, Coach Igor Vavi and Coach Kim.
That's a deep coaching staff for kids classes, and it means the ratio stays sensible and quiet kids don't get lost at the back. We're rated 5.0 from 116 Google reviews and are the highest-rated dedicated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym in Coquitlam.
True North Jiu-Jitsu Reviews
See what our members are saying! Browse through the reviews to get a glimpse of the True North Jiu-Jitsu experience straight from our community. From parents of young students to adult martial artists, our members love training at the best martial arts school in Coquitlam.
"I’ve trained at True North Jiu Jitsu Academy and can confidently say it’s one of the best gyms around. The coaches are extremely knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely care about each student’s progress, whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced practitioner. The..."
- JUN
"A couple of months ago, I decided to try Jiu Jitsu, mostly out of curiosity and with a half-closed mindset. I honestly didn’t think it would become a long-term passion but I couldn’t have been more wrong. After finishing my very first one-hour class, I already wanted to come..."
- Anna Kwok
"This is the place !! If you want to teach your kids to excel at life in a safe and kind envoronment this is the place to go! And if you want to get into a really healthy hobby as an adult without running into guys with egos or attitiudes like some other clubs this is a really..."
- Fraser Dodich
"Professor Ahmad is a dedicated instructor, great mentor and father with a healthy lifestyle, great to see his success and growth. A great example for building strong minds and creating leaders in the community, with his evident positive energy, the minute you meet him. Highly..."
- Cedar Roofs
"I started my jiu-jitsu journey at at True North Jiu Jitsu Academy for 7 years, and overall it was a great experience. The owners and instructors genuinely care about their students and work hard to create a respectful, welcoming environment on the mats. Training is well..."
- Omar Khan
"Excellent Jiu-Jitsu academy! Friendly and welcoming environment, highly skilled instructors, and a great atmosphere focused on learning and growth. Amazing place for both adults and kids. Highly recommend!"
- Igor Avi
"True North Jiu-Jitsu Academy was an incredibly welcoming and friendly place. I took my children there yesterday to try it out, and they had an amazing time. The atmosphere was comfortable and positive, the people were very kind, and everything felt well organized and supportive...."
- amanda k
"Been coming here for a few months now and this team really treats everybody like family. Extremely welcoming to beginners and they always have multiple black belts present. On top of that all the blue-brown belts are very informative as well. 10-10 highly recommend checking them..."
- Gavin Chia
Online exclusive offer
Secure your spot & get started today with our EXCLUSIVE online offer!
By opting into the web form above you are providing consent for True North Jiu-Jitsu to send you periodic text messages. Standard rates may apply. You may opt-out anytime by replying STOP.
Kids Jiu-Jitsu runs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 5:00pm. Kids Kickboxing runs Tuesday and Thursday at 4:15pm, which puts it directly before the Jiu-Jitsu class if your child wants to do both in one trip.
We're at 814 Brunette Ave, Unit B in Maillardville, southwest Coquitlam, right by the Brunette and Lougheed interchange. That's a short drive from Sapperton, New Westminster, Burquitlam and Burnaby, and an easy run along the Lougheed corridor from Port Coquitlam and Port Moody. Book a free trial class on the form here or call 604-777-0396.
Beyond the Mat
The self-defense is what gets most families through the door in Coquitlam. The rest of it is what keeps them coming back for years.
Learning a sequence of positions or a combination and repeating it correctly is sustained attention practice, and teachers and parents often notice it turning up in homework and classroom behavior.
A 45-minute class is constant movement: crawling, bridging, climbing, grappling, footwork and pad rounds. It builds strength, balance and coordination while your child is busy playing rather than exercising.
Everyone gets caught, and everyone misses the pad, including the black belts. Kids learn early that being stuck is temporary and solvable, which is a habit worth more than any single technique.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What Coquitlam parents ask us before signing their child up. If your question isn't answered here, call 604-777-0396 and we'll talk it through.
Our kids programs, Jiu-Jitsu and kickboxing, are both for ages 4 to 13. Four is a realistic starting point because the class asks a child to listen, take turns, and work with a partner or a coach for 45 minutes. Teenagers aged 14 and up train in our adult classes.
Jiu-Jitsu is grappling: controlling a person, taking them to the ground and holding a safe dominant position, with no striking involved. Kickboxing is striking: stance, footwork, punches and kicks, worked on pads rather than on each other. Many of our kids do both, and Tuesday and Thursday are set up so they run back to back.
They are among the safer options for children. Jiu-Jitsu has no punching or kicking at all, and in kickboxing the striking is done on pads and in the air, not between children. Everything happens on mats, under supervision, with kids matched by age and size and techniques introduced gradually. Our coaches stop anything that starts going wrong before it becomes a problem.
In our experience it does the reverse. Children who know they can defend themselves have far less need to prove anything, and our instructors are explicit that these skills are for protecting yourself, never for starting a fight. Most parents report their child becomes calmer and more settled rather than more combative.
Shy and inexperienced children are the majority of our new starters, so it is completely normal here. There is no solo performance in front of the class and no requirement to compete. Your child works quietly on one skill at a time, and confidence builds from getting things right rather than being pushed.
Kids Jiu-Jitsu runs Monday 5:00 to 5:50pm, Tuesday 5:00 to 5:45pm, Wednesday 5:00 to 5:50pm and Thursday 5:00 to 5:45pm. Kids Kickboxing runs Tuesday and Thursday 4:15 to 5:00pm. Two classes a week is the sweet spot for steady progress, and once a week still works well for younger children.
Yes, the first class is free for every new student and there is no obligation afterwards. A t-shirt and shorts or leggings with no zips, buttons or pockets is perfect, and no shoes are worn on the mats. You are welcome to stay and watch the entire class. Call 604-777-0396 or use the form on this page to book.