Alex Morrissey is working to open Peak Jiu Jitsu, with the goal of providing training to folks in Sun Peaks interested in the martial art, but said he needs community support to turn his dream into reality.
Born out of his passion for the sport, Morissey said he was inspired to open his own gym to cut back on travel time down to Kamloops and help others who want to commit to practicing jiu jitsu.
“A drive into town, particularly in winter, is not without risk,” Morrissey explained, adding gas and wear and tear on vehicles can add up.. “So if we can bring it closer to where we are, then it makes life a lot easier.”
Morrissey needs about 30 people to sign up, or become subscribers, before he can confirm an opening.
“I have a magic number, and if I don’t hit that number, then I can’t do this.”
Once open, the gym will offer adult and kids classes, depending on interest. Classes will run evenings Monday through Thursday with youth classes on Monday and Wednesdays and adult classes Monday to Thursday.
“There might be some Saturday classes and open mat,” Morrissey added.
On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, Morrissey would like to offer parent/tot time, free of charge.
“When it’s minus 10 and you can’t take a two year old out in the snow, I think there’s very much a massive need for that up here, and what I would like to do with the space is open it up to meet that need.”
As a rotarian, Morrissey is also interested in bringing rotary clubs from around the country to Sun Peaks. Taking inspiration from the International Ski Fellowship of Rotarians, which visited Sun Peaks in March and raised funds for Adaptive Sports at Sun Peaks, Morrissey would love to show fellow rotarians the village.
The structure of a typical jujitsu class includes warm-ups and drills, technique training and live training, Morrissey explained.
“It’s a grappling sport that focuses more on the ground game,” he added. “So, we look at attacking from what we call the guard position. If you’re on your back…your goal from the bottom is to control the person, and then from that, you’re either trying to submit them, or you’re trying to get back to your feet.”
Having the space open for all who need it is the biggest goal, and Morrissey hopes to offer a bit of physical training space with kettlebells and battle ropes.
“Any kind of sport if you want to be proficient at it, you have to put the time in,” Morrissey said, reiterating the need for a close and accessible space to practice jiu jitsu in Sun Peaks.
Being one of the first to sign up will include benefits, most notably a locked-in rate of $150 a month for the life of the gym, Morissey said.
For folks looking to train casually, Peak Jiu Jitsu will offer $175 monthly subscriptions, and short-term rental owners will have the option of paying $20 a month for future guests to train at the gym.
To learn more about Peak Jiu Jitsu, contact Morrissey at 250-318-9869 or reach out via email at yourpeakbjj@gmail.com.
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