What martial arts can I do in Manotick?
You can train Brazilian jiu jitsu and Muay Thai in Manotick without driving into central Ottawa. Gracie Barra Manotick, at 5700 Longshadow St in Manotick, Ontario, runs 51 classes a week across all seven days for ages 3 through adult. Kids programs, adult classes, Friday Family Boxing and women's only classes run under one roof.
What is training at a Manotick martial arts school like?
We teach Brazilian jiu jitsu and Muay Thai to south Ottawa families, kids and adult beginners. Jiu jitsu is a grappling art. You learn to control someone on the ground, using leverage and position rather than strength. Muay Thai is a striking art from Thailand. You learn to move, hit pads with punches, kicks, knees and elbows, and stay calm under contact.
Some schools call their space a dojo. We call ours an academy, and it is part of Gracie Barra, an international Brazilian jiu jitsu organization with academies in Canada and around the world. Its modern, standardized curriculum means classes follow a set order of skills instead of running as an open gym.
The coaching team is led by Coach Panda Dave, who teaches both jiu jitsu and Muay Thai. Our coaches teach hands-on rather than supervising open training. That matters most on a beginner's first night, when someone needs to show you where your hands go. Training builds physical fitness, focus and confidence, but the community is what keeps most people coming back.
Kids martial arts classes in Manotick, by age
Kids training starts at age 3. Every kids program is grouped by age and level, and a coach teaches every class on the mat, so kids grow into the next group at their own pace.
- Tiny Champions (ages 3 to 5). Monday to Friday at 5:00 PM, plus Saturday at 10:00 AM. A 30-minute class of games, listening, balance and first movements. Short attention spans are expected.
- Kids Jiu Jitsu (ages 6 to 13). Monday to Friday at 5:45 PM, plus Saturday at 10:30 AM. Real grappling technique, drills and safe positional rounds.
- Kids Comp and Advanced Jiu Jitsu. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 5:00 PM, for kids who want more.
- Kids Muay Thai (ages 7 to 13). Monday to Thursday at 6:30 PM. Pad work, footwork and striking fundamentals at a kid-appropriate pace.
If you are choosing a program for a nervous first-timer, jiu jitsu is usually the easier door to walk through. There is no striking to get used to, and the tap is the built-in stop button. A student taps the mat or their partner, and the position stops. Kids learn that on day one.
Adult martial arts, for people who work in Ottawa and live south
If you work in central Ottawa and live south of it, the evening schedule is built for you. Some adults come for fitness, some for self-defence and some for an hour that has nothing to do with work. Adult Brazilian jiu jitsu runs on two levels:
- GB1, the fundamentals class. Monday and Wednesday at 7:15 PM, Tuesday and Thursday at 8:15 PM. This is where everyone starts. Techniques are taught step by step, with no sparring pressure on your first night.
- GB2, advanced jiu jitsu. Monday at 9:00 PM and Wednesday at 8:15 PM, for students who have moved through the fundamentals.
No-gi jiu jitsu runs Tuesday and Thursday. The 6:30 PM class is the fundamentals one, and 7:15 PM is live training. "Gi" is the traditional uniform, and a "rashguard" is a fitted athletic shirt you wear for no-gi instead. GB Live Training on Monday at 8:15 PM is supervised sparring, and the Saturday Open Mat runs from 9:00 to 11:15 AM.
Adult Muay Thai runs Monday to Thursday plus Saturday. Pad Work is at 7:15 PM (Saturday 11:15 AM), where a partner holds pads and you strike. Drills and Sparring is at 8:15 PM (Saturday 12:00 PM), and Muay Thai Advanced runs Thursday at 9:00 PM and Saturday at 12:45 PM. Sparring is a separate class here, so you never spar on your first day.
Jiu jitsu or Muay Thai: which should an adult start with?
Start with the one you will keep showing up for. If you are torn, here is how we would steer you.
| If this sounds like you | Start with |
|---|---|
| You want a hard workout first, and close grappling feels like a lot for week one | Muay Thai Pad Work, 7:15 PM |
| You like slow, technical puzzles and do not mind being on the ground | GB1 fundamentals |
| You want to learn to control a situation without striking | GB1 fundamentals |
| You want to stand up, move and work on timing | Muay Thai Pad Work |
| Your kid already trains one of them | The same one, so you can talk about it on the drive home |
Neither will make you a fighter in a few months, and neither can promise an outcome in a real self-defence situation. What they give you is fitness, composure under pressure and a room of people working on the same thing.
A typical week, and how it fits real families
Classes run all seven days. Weeknights run from 5:00 PM to 9:45 PM at the latest, Friday ends at 7:15 PM, Saturday runs through the morning and Sunday is women's only classes. Every class time lives on our schedule.
Here is how a week can look for different households:
| Family setup | Weekly rhythm |
|---|---|
| One kid, age 6 | Kids Jiu Jitsu twice a week, 5:45 PM |
| Two kids, ages 4 and 8 | Tiny Champions 5:00 to 5:30 PM, then Kids Jiu Jitsu at 5:45 PM |
| Adult starting fresh | GB1 fundamentals twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday 8:15 PM |
| Whole family | Kids class at 5:45 PM and adult class at 7:15 PM, or Family Boxing together on Friday at 6:30 PM |
| Working parent | Muay Thai Pad Work at 7:15 PM, done by 8:00 PM |
Two classes a week is the minimum for real progress. Three is where most people find their pace. Nobody is going to shame you for missing a Wednesday because a kid has a fever. Steady practice beats intensity, and a schedule you can actually keep beats an ambitious one you drop by November.
How far is Manotick from Riverside South, Greely, Findlay Creek and Kars?
Riverside South, Greely, Findlay Creek and Kars are all within about 25 minutes at the time kids classes start. We are on the east side of the Rideau River, at the west end of Longshadow St, just off Dozois Rd (the south end of Limebank Rd) and below Mitch Owens Rd, beside St. Mark Catholic High School. Parking is at the door.
We checked each drive in Google Maps for a weekday departure at 5:15 PM. The "leave by" column uses the slow end of each range, so you still make the 5:45 PM Kids Jiu Jitsu class on a bad traffic day.
| From | Route | Distance | Drive at 5:15 PM | Leave by, for 5:45 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside South (Earl Armstrong and Limebank) | Limebank Rd south to Dozois Rd | 5 km | 7 to 10 min | 5:35 PM |
| Greely (Bank St and Parkway Rd) | Bank St, then Mitch Owens Rd west | 9.5 km | 9 to 16 min | 5:25 PM |
| Findlay Creek (Bank St and Findlay Creek Dr) | Bank St south, Mitch Owens Rd west | 12.3 km | 12 to 22 min | 5:20 PM |
| Kars (village centre) | Rideau Valley Dr S, River Rd north, Mitch Owens Rd | 15.3 km | 16 to 24 min | 5:20 PM |
If you are booking a first visit, add 15 minutes so you arrive early. Drive times last checked 13 October 2026.
If you are searching more broadly for martial arts in Ottawa, we are the south Ottawa option. The same drive from Parliament Hill takes 30 minutes to over an hour at that time of day, and a long drive twice a week is a common reason a family's routine slips by November.
“Great club with high level BJJ and Muay Thai. … The coaches are all amazing with the adults and kids! It's a wonderful melting pot of all demographics and super inviting!”
Ian Free, Google review, July 2024
What the first class actually looks like
The first class is free, with no obligation to sign up afterward. Book it on the free trial page so we know you are coming, and the first visit page covers what to bring. No experience is needed and no equipment is needed. Wear athletic clothing you can move in, train in bare feet on the mat and bring a water bottle.
If a loaner gi is available in your size, a coach will offer one on the day. A rashguard and shorts are fine for no-gi, and a t-shirt and shorts work for Muay Thai. Parents are always welcome to stay and watch a kids class. Most people in that room felt exactly what you feel walking in, and none of them are going to make a scene of it.
Questions Manotick families ask
How much do classes cost?+
We do not list membership prices on the website. Your first class is free, with no credit card and no obligation. Call us at 343-698-3155 or use our contact page and we will walk you through the membership options.
What if my child won't step on the mat?+
That is common, and it is fine. Parents are always welcome to stay and watch, and some kids watch from the edge of the mat for a few sessions before they join in. If today is not the day, we try again another week.
Is there a class the whole family can do together?+
Yes. Family Boxing runs on Friday at 6:30 PM for 45 minutes, and parents and kids train side by side. On other nights, a parent can train in an adult class while a child is in a kids class earlier in the evening.
Are there classes for women only?+
Yes. Women's Only Jiu Jitsu runs Sunday from 10:15 to 11:15 AM, and Women's Only Muay Thai follows from 11:15 AM to 12:15 PM. Both are open to all levels, for women who would rather start in an all-women room before joining the mixed evening classes.
