My name is Matthew Blackburn. I train and teach Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at the Arashi-Do Martial Arts Edmonton South location. I started training in 2010 when I was just 5 years old with Arashi-Do in the Derrick Club, but soon after moved to the Edmonton south dojo when I was 7. It was here, under Professor Chris Bonde, that I began to develop a huge passion for Jiu Jitsu. This passion, along with my parents always getting me to class early, led to me helping out with the younger class when I was not much older than some of them. Over time, I began helping out more and more as I learned more skills, and as my passion for Jiu Jitsu grew, so did my passion for helping others learn it.
In April 2021, I achieved my blue belt, marking off one of my biggest milestones in Jiu Jitsu. The next big goal of mine is to get my black belt.
After a decade of training, my love of Jiu Jitsu has not diminished and neither has my love of teaching it.