(14 QUESTIONS)
1. Club name/location
"Our club, Fortitude, is located at the HB Sports Studio complex in Bridgewater, NS."
2. Owner name (s):
"Robbie Inness: Blue belt and former Elite 1 amateur Bantamweight Champion."
3. Instructors
"We are a completely volunteer-run collective led by our brown belt, Shawn Walters. We have a diverse group of individuals from multiple clubs and backgrounds who generously lend their time and support to help make our club successful."
4. When did you open your club?
"Fall of 2018."
5. What made you decide to open your own club and why did you choose your current location?
"After the previous MMA club in Bridgewater shut down, a few core members decided to start something new with a fresh approach. Our current location was the perfect fit for our needs at the time."
6. What is the main purpose or focus of Team Fortitude?
"At Fortitude, we prioritize a close-knit training environment and affordability, with membership priced at just $60 per month. We strive to make classes fun and welcoming for newcomers while also providing challenging rounds for our competitors. Ultimately, we are a group of passionate BJJ enthusiasts who enjoy a good laugh and a great roll."
7. Programs available/Schedule:
"Our current program model includes four weekly classes: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings at 7:00pm, and Saturday mornings at 9:00am. We offer a 50/50 split of Gi and No-Gi training, with a strong focus on competition."
8. Gi versus no GI split on class offering? Demand changing to one or the other?
"Our Gi and No-Gi classes remain in high demand, with students regularly attending both.
However, our former 10th Planet students do seem to be allergic to the Gi."
9. Has your club grown or expanded since opening? Experienced versus beginner ratio?
"Since the end of lockdown, our student base has grown significantly. Whereas 12 people used to be an exceptionally large class pre-COVID, now 17 is the average. Currently, white belts comprise about 50% of our student population."
10. Describe a typical BJJ class at your school.
"Our classes run for one and a half hours. Depending on the number of beginners in attendance, we may begin with some fundamental techniques like breakfalls. However, most of our warm-up consists of drilling simple movement techniques rather than a traditional warm-up. After, we typically drill 3-5 techniques, depending on their complexity. We finish every class with a half-hour of rolling."
11. Do you ever host or offer seminars? If so, some past examples of participants and future events. Open to all or exclusive to membership?
"We have hosted seminars in the past, with our most recent one featuring Josh Presley and focusing on back attacks.
We always welcome anyone who is interested in attending our classes or seminars, and we do not subscribe to BJJ team politics."
12. Advice to anyone who may be contemplating joining a BJJ club?
"If you're interested in BJJ, we encourage you to give it a try. While it may not be for everyone, almost anyone can do it. You won't know if you like it until you try. We understand that walking through the door for the first time can be the hardest part, but we welcome anyone who is interested in learning"
13. Your definition or concept as to what is or makes a "BJJ Community"
"I believe that the BJJ community is defined by a shared passion for the art and a mutual desire to see everyone in the community, regardless of club affiliation, develop and grow in their skills and enjoy the art we all love."
14. Thoughts or opinion on the growth of the sport/art in Atlantic Canada? Anything you would like to see happen in the region for BJJ?
"I think it has come a long way since we started. It will be interesting to see where it goes from here."
Jack Cameron Visit/Maritime BJJ
