What ancient warrior is associated with Jiu Jitsu?”
Brazilian jiu jitsu has found a new home in Vernon, and Shuswap BJJ & MMA (mixed martial arts) head instructor Mario Deveault is hoping it will be a permanent one. Deveault and his wife, Margot, have opened a training centre with 1,200 square feet of unobstructed mat space at 5 – 740 Waddington Drive (just off Highway 6). “We are very excited to bring Brazilian jiu jitsu full time to Vernon,” said Deveault, who also operates a centre near his home in Grindrod. “I really believe Vernon deserves this… a permanent location with a training schedule that will fit theirs. “We want Vernon to have something solid. There are lots of martial arts places in Vernon that move around constantly.” Deveault notes that he and friend Dave Rothwell, who will also teach in Vernon, are certified BJJ black belts – they trained with the Gracie Barra (pronounced ‘ba-ha’) association – in the Shuswap/Okanagan. Shuswap BJJ offers classes for kids, women and adults, with a flexible schedule (including daytime
Grappling styles have existed for eons. Early Egyptian and Greek art show the grappling arts in tombs, on pottery and in statuary. Grappling was known as far back as 2300 B.C. Over the centuries, the grappling martial arts spread throughout the world, eventually coming to Japan. Though the exact origin of Ju-Jutsu is unknown, it is agreed that the Japanese Jujutsu techniques were a culmination of many ancient forms used by other oriental warriors. Fighting forms have existed for centuries in Japan, but few were recorded, thus precise dating is impossible. There were, however, orally passed traditions that mention early combative confrontations in ancient Japan. Their exact origins are shrouded in mythology. The earliest mention of a sportive fight was a style called Chikura Kurabe. Another early tale is of Takemina Kata-no-Kami; a commoner, and Takemikazuchi-no-Kami; a divine champion. They are recorded in ancient tradition as having a combative wrestling match. Another tradition recor
