Podcast Interview | Matt “Hammer” Hache & Jo Maisonneuve| BJJ & MMA
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She is a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces, competes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, No-Gi & MMA, and teaches many classes at OAMA. One of her videos from her first match at Submissions on the Shore has gone viral on YouTube with over 30k views!
There’s not much this woman can’t do!
Jo was in the army for 6 years. When she left she didn’t know what to do, nothing really interested her until she found Jiu-Jitsu.
“Jiu-Jitsu saved my life”, she said, “the camaraderie and the connection are the same in the army and in martial arts.”
“Once you’re in you live and breathe the army. The camaraderie is just there. They’re your family… everywhere you go, you live for it. Not many other places have that tight bond where I have your back no matter what…it’s that straight connection. Jiu-Jitsu has that…The connection we have is martial arts. Jiu-Jitsu has definitely been a saving grace to me.”
Jo started training at OAMA 3 years ago, coming from North Bay – Grounded Studios.
The impact Jo has on our students is phenomenal! She teaches our adults and children’s classes/ programs, as well as our special needs group. “It’s amazing to see martial arts can be for everybody. I love seeing people who may have challenges, come in anyways and they don’t make excuses. If a way of punching doesn’t work for you, it’s ok, let’s find another way. There’s always a way. Everybody is accepted because it feels like they are at home”.
Everyone has challenges or some kind of issue to overcome or resolve, or, as Professor Hammer says “a missing link in their armour that they don’t have or they need to find. Martial arts can help. We just want people to win and succeed.”
Jo, like all OAMA instructors, is available for private lessons. Or join her in a class online on Zoom! The class schedule can be found here.
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Now more than ever we need the benefits of martial arts. They will help guide you both on and off the mats, and you will be in a community with like-minded people, many of who will become family.
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