← Peter Kerby has been learning Karate, Jiu Jitsu and Tai Chi for almost 10 years. 

A counsellor by profession, Kerby said that there is a lot of overlap between what he does from a physiological perspective and his practice of martial arts especially in terms of ongoing personal growth. He also said martial arts are part of a mosaica of subcultures that have come to Canada and continue to carry on and thrive here. 

← Greg Magwood teaches a large variety of disciplines mostly originating in China including Jiu Jitsu, Tai Chi Chuan, My Jong Law Horn Pai and Chito Ryu Karate among others.

Magwood said North America is at a pinnacle in martial arts existence. He said there’s never been as much access to different disciplines than there is now in North America. “Somewhere like Canada you can step from culture to culture and place to place by walking from studio to studio.” He said it’s only recently in Canada that many of the Chinese studios have opened their doors to the public. “That’s a sign of what Canada is, the doors open, suddenly the Westerners are being trained just the same as anybody else.”

← Paul Williams has been fencing since he was 17. “My ancestors are Welsh, Irish, English and a little bit of Spanish and there’s nothing nicer than a Spanish blade,” Williams said. “All of Europe fenced at one time and they brought that across. 

“So as a Canadian cultural issue the Martial arts are part of our heritage.” He added that historically, fencing is still very close to it’s origins. Williams teaches fencing in Belleville, Ont.

← Todd Fischer has been practising Karate and Jiu Jitsu for two years. Fischer said as a Canadian martial arts are an opportunity to try something from a different culture that he can apply to his own life. Fischer practices with a school in Tamworth Ont. 

← Chris Wellstood practices and teaches Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Kingston Ont. 

Wellstood said that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is very practical and relaxed offshoot of Japanese Jiu Jitsu. “I took Karate for a long time. Karate is a very strict disciplined martial art whereas in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu there’s no bowing, there’s no calling your instructor sensei. It’s very relaxed and Canadians identify with that.”