Hiscoe Jiu-Jitsu

The First Day Of School Starts - TODAY

The big mistake many of us make is waiting till the night before to get our kids ready for back to school.

Start now to get them ready and avoid chaos.

Get their meal times, bedtime and responsibilities aligned today.

Have conversations about returning to school.

Frame the questions more like this...
What are you most looking forward to?
then
What are you least looking forward to?

You might be surprised by their answer.

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A motorcycle changed my life.

Early in my policing career I want to a motorcycle accident, this led me to join a karate club which then led to me starting to teach Jiu-Jitsu and eventually establish Hiscoe Jiu-Jitsu.

You never know when something happens which leads to opportunity. That said above all you also need to be a nice person.

If my Abbotsford Karate Club friends had not been nice or if I wasn't life could be much different right now.

What should your child actually do when someone tries to bully or intimidate them?
“Just ignore them” is advice many of us grew up hearing. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.
In HJJ-021 of Building Confident Kids with Sensei Steven, I discuss something every parent should consider as children head back to school: bullies often test boundaries and look for reactions.
That does NOT mean a child is responsible for being bullied. Bullying is always the responsibility of the person choosing to bully.
But we can prepare our children.
One of the most important things martial arts can give a child isn't the ability to punch, kick, or throw someone.
It's the confidence to stand tall, use their voice, establish boundaries, recognize trouble, and know when to get help.
Teach Your Child These 4 Steps:
STAND. SPEAK. MOVE. TELL.
🥋 STAND — Use confident posture. Head up, shoulders back, and stay aware of what's happening.
🗣️ SPEAK — Use a clear, confident voice: “Stop. Leave me alone.”
🚶 MOVE — Create distance and move toward friends, teachers, or another safe place.
👨‍👩‍👧 TELL — Tell a trusted adult exactly what happened. That's not tattling. That's protecting yourself.

Every Journey Starts with One Step

You just never know where that first step is going to take you. My first step in martial arts has taken me on a great journey. 51 years in martial arts and counting. 35.5 years with the RCMP, a career I loved. A entrepreneur who did not know what he was doing and now 34 years later still learning.

What was your first step? Comment below
Click link below to watch

https://youtu.be/knot8v0SrB0

Are You Accidentally Raising a Child Who Can't Solve Problems? | Building Confident Kids with Sensei Steven

The greatest gift you can give your child isn't the answer... it's the confidence to find it themselves.

Many parents step in because they love their children. But what if constantly rescuing them is preventing them from becoming confident, independent problem-solvers?
In this episode of Building Confident Kids with Sensei Steven, Sensei Steven explains why allowing children to struggle—in healthy, age-appropriate ways—is one of the most powerful things parents can do to build resilience, confidence, and independence.

https://youtu.be/wyTYn9InPW0

Sometimes children who are the shy ones become great leaders.

They sit at the back and are taking in all the information. They are processing before acting.

Maybe they are not sure of themselves but with every little "win" their confidence builds.

Here I sit down for a brief conversation with Sensei Graeson. Sensei Graeson has been at Hiscoe Jiu-Jitsu for almost 15 years. Having started at the age of 5, he is now working towards his 2nd degree black belt, he is a senior instructor in our dojo, and this summer led a group of other teens in teaching several kids classes.

Leave a comment if you enjoyed what Sensei Graeson had to say.

https://youtu.be/bEKm0yaC5_c

Have you ever noticed that your child doesn't always do what you tell them to do...

They do what they see you do?

As parents, we often focus on teaching our children the right words to say and the right choices to make.

But the truth is...
They're learning far more by watching us.

Today was test day for those dedicated students participated in our Summer Intensive Training. These dedicated 7-9 year olds who are I. Our Pure HEET program spent 3 hours each morning over the past 2 weeks working hard. The learned some basic Japanese terminology we use in the dojo, we talked about a variety of life skill words, worked on our belt requirements and finished the day with weapons training. Today everything culminated with their belt test. 30 hours of class time in 2 weeks, and almost all made their evening classes also. Congratulations to everyone.

The Summer Intensive was led by Sensei Graeson along with his team. I am extremely proud of them for the classes they taught in a professional and fun manner. I was very proud sitting on the side watching the students test. One of Hiscoe Jiu-Jitsu’s pillars of success is Mentorship. Sensei Graeson has been with HJJ since he was 5 years old. That’s 14 years now. Now he is mentoring the next generation of HJJ teachers. .53 .campbell13 Graeson .0923 Willem Bezemer

Something to reflect on.

Here is an important lesson that extends far beyond martial arts.

You see, every one of us started somewhere.
None of us walked onto the mats already knowing how to punch, throw, grapple, or defend ourselves.

Someone opened a door for us.

Someone took the time to teach us.

Someone believed in us enough to invest their time and knowledge.

Now, that relationship may not have lasted forever.

People change.
Goals change.
Organizations change.

Sometimes we move on because our needs change. Sometimes there are disagreements. Sometimes it's simply time for a new chapter.

And that's okay.

Moving on doesn't erase the value of what came before.

I often tell my students that life is built one lesson at a time.

Every instructor I've had taught me something valuable.
Some taught me outstanding technique.
Some taught me discipline.
Some taught me leadership.

And yes... some taught me lessons by showing me what not to do.

Every one of those experiences helped shape the instructor I am today.

One word can completely change the way your child thinks about challenges.

Instead of saying:
❌ "I can't."
Teach them to say:
✅ "I can't... yet."

That simple shift reminds children that learning takes time and confidence grows through practice—not perfection.

💬 Parent Challenge: This week, every time your child says, "I can't," gently encourage them to add one word: yet.Watch how it changes the conversation.