Trainer Samuel Bergeron, 34, is settling into a bigger and better home for Revelstoke's Brazilian jiu-jitsu community—a community that a late friend and colleague was instrumental in fostering.
Bergeron, an IT specialist and jiu-jitsu black belt, started running Summit Jiu Jitsu in town five years ago alongside close companion Ryan Hunter, an MMA professional and fellow black belt.
Each with nearly a decade of training, including from martial art hubs such as Montreal and Calgary, Bergeron and Hunter debuted their local legacy teaching "the gentle art" at Alchemy Studio on Douglas and King streets.
Of course, jiu-jitsu can only be so gentle.
"It was not the vibe they wanted out of their new yoga studio," Bergeron joked, saying that led to Summit Jiu Jitsu seeking a new home within 10 months.
For the four years that followed, he and Hunter ran their training out of a Lundell Road garage in Big Eddy. While the space was a step up, Bergeron felt it lacked natural light, enough room, easy accessibility for Revelstokians across town, and the inviting atmosphere he was looking for.
"I wanted a space where if you're nervous about coming, you can look through the window to see what's happening," he explained.
When the lease finally ended, he made an even better move to a roomy, well-matted and naturally-lit garage studio centrally located off Powerhouse Road in Industrial Park. Since the first week of June, Bergeron's seen busy evenings with as many as 20 jiu-jitsu trainees, without feeling cramped.
Entering the studio from the main doorway, one notices a plaque to the left commemorating Hunter, pictured with his two children, for his dedication to nurturing Revelstoke's jiu-jitsu community. His black belt designation hangs nearby.
Hunter died last Fall at 42. He was a lifelong local who moved to Calgary to excel his MMA training, but returned to Revelstoke to help out the family business when his father fell ill. Known well in the community, Hunter received a memorial service attended by 300 people.
Bergeron first met Hunter through MMA training sessions held at the former Begbie View Elementary School in Southside, in a "rare occasion" for their two fitness types.
"Ryan was like 6'5", 250 pounds; I was like 5'6", 120 pounds," he recounted humorously. But "for (jiu-jitsu) to be fun, you need good training partners." For him, Hunter was the right match.
As well, Bergeron said that expanding Summit Jiu Jitsu to a larger space where it could really thrive had been in Hunter's plans, leading up to his death.
Keeping his friend's legacy going, Bergeron is now looking to expand Summit Jiu Jitsu's training to encourage more participation from different groups.
"I'm thinking that at the end of summer, I'll start a dedicated women's class," he said, adding he'd also like to launch a juniors' class for ages 14 to 16.
Currently, women are fully welcome to participate in majority-men classes, while children must be 15 or older.
"All of our classes are beginning-friendly," Bergeron said, with prospective trainees allowed to trial them for free. "I try to make it as accessible as possible."
His efforts have certainly paid off. Summit Jiu Jitsu already retains as many as 20 dedicated monthly members, from a diversity of professions such as IT and Revelstoke RCMP. Bergeron emphasizes that jiu-jitsu also presents huge appeal to smaller people who might normally feel outmatched in a room of giants.
"You don't need to be huge and big and strong to be good at jiu-jitsu," he said, with the goal not being to overpower, but rather to control and submit. "Jiu-jitsu is like a mandatory part of MMA training. You need to be able to defend yourself if you hit the ground."
Back when he was just 15, Bergeron was engrossed watching younger, smaller guys on TV take on larger opponents.
"Me and my buddies used to watch Georges St-Pierre and be like, 'this is the coolest thing ever,'" he recalled.
Not only does jiu-jitsu burn tons of energy, Bergeron said, it also helps teach people that fighting is something that should be exerted and left on the mat.
"The most important thing is being able to stay calm," he noted.
At the Grappling Industries competitions in Merritt last May, Revelstoke's Bodhi Marra, Aedan Freberg-Hickie and Anders Malone represented Summit Jiu-Jitsu in several categories and came home with three gold and two silver medals. Bergeron is proud of the talented athletes his studio has hosted, particularly as jiu-jitsu gains momentum in B.C.
Formally trained at Tristar Gym in Montreal, once a Canadian hub for jiu-jitsu, Bergeron has gradually seen a western migration of the martial art to Vancouver and even smaller communities in the Interior.
"You don't need a lot," he said for jiu-jitsu. "You just need the space."
Summit Jiu Jitsu runs classes 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, along with open-mat sessions 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays.
