Behind the Business – Eastside Jiu-Jitsu Club

 The doors of Eastside Jiu-Jitsu Club were opened by two very passionate Jiu-jitsu trainers, Matt Mckay and Jayson Brown in 2022. They found their perfect location at 1803 St. Joseph Blvd, Unit 117, in the Heart of Orléans BIA.

Jason said the gym was born out of the pandemic. When their previous training facility was forced to close, they established the Eastside Jiu-Jitsu Club to keep the core community intact. They recognized that the community was special and founded Eastside to preserve it.

They wanted to share authentic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) with the Orléans and the Ottawa East communities by building programs for people of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels. Martial arts has helped to transform both of their  lives and they wanted to share it with as many people as possible. In a time where so many are struggling with loneliness or finding the right program to stay in shape, training BJJ at the club provides folks with daily opportunities to make new friends and creates a support system to help them get into or stay in shape while providing the added benefit of learning self-defense.

There are a lot of great places to train around the city. What sets this gym apart is the quality of the training,  the welcoming environment, and the community. Matt regularly competes at the highest levels and trains with the best MMA fighters in the city so the students know the techniques he’s teaching are battle-tested and effective. They are very proud to have established the first women’s only BJJ program in the east end and have created an environment in which everyone can feel comfortable training. They want to earn your business every month so we’ll never hard sell or pressure any of our members into a long-term contract.

The best thing about running the business is getting to see how it changes their students’ lives. Watching the kids light up when they finally nail a technique they’ve been struggling with or seeing an adult member’s confidence grow as they start to feel strong and capable in their bodies are the type of moments that will never get old. They also have monthly social events to help the members build and foster new friendships on and off the mats which are always a lot of fun.

They believe their early success has come from creating a culture of kindness coupled with authentic martial arts training. (We LOVE this!)

“The Heart of Orléans community is really fantastic.” Eastside Jiu-Jitsu says, “The other small business owners in our neighborhood have been welcoming and very helpful. The support from the BIA was an added and unexpected bonus which has provided resources and insight to help accelerate our growth.”

When they are not on the mats, Jayson will likely be found hanging out with his family, lifting weights, or tinkering with a spreadsheet. Matt will likely be doing something outside with his dog in the winter and fishing or thinking about fishing during the rest of the year! 

If you are in the area, please drop in to this fantastic business and say hi to Matt and Jayson!

A special thank you to ChristinaLH Photography for helping us showcase the faces behind the businesses that make up our BIA!