I think attending a different clubs when you travel is a great way to broaden your point of view. I took three classes during the week, namely one BJJ class and two Canadian Jiu Jitsu classes. The BJJ class was structured similar to most that I have been to, with an athletic warm-up, some skills training, followed by some good competitive rolling (or as we say in Judo, newaza). The Canadian Jiu Jitsu class was a little more of a classical martial arts class. Patrick teaches from a syllabus of technique combinations involving striking, throws, falls, arm locks and wrist locks. Unlike the BJJ class there was a healthy amount of throwing and falling. I really liked the way striking was incorporated and I also appreciated the good self defense habits that were reinforced such as standing up with your hands up by your head to protect yourself from strikes and blocking your vitals immediately after you are thrown. These are habits that are sometimes lost when training in arts with more of a sport focus.
On the flip side of the coin, arts that are more sport oriented usually do a very good job of teaching dynamic response to opponents who are actively trying to do something to thwart your success. Each martial art seems to place a different emphasis on the tension between scripted movement and repetition of combinations, and unscripted dynamic competition. In the Canadian JiuJitsu classes, Patrick taught a style of standup randori involving striking and takedowns and locks. It was less scripted than what was being done in the skills training, but still used more scripted movements than Judo style Randori. He also incorporated some of the more dynamic competitive elements incorporating BJJ style rolling at the end of class.
In total I found the people friendly, the instruction valuable and had an excellent experience. With Boxing, BJJ, MMA, Muay Thai and Canadian Jiu-Jitsu all offered under one roof, you can find the training balance that works best for you. They offer a one week trial membership where you can take as many different classes as you can squeeze in. If you live near Oakville Ontario or are just traveling in the area I highly recommend looking them up.
