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Grappling offers lessons beyond the mats, instructors say
By Trident Staff
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Members of the HERO Grappling Club came together for a team day on September 17, focused on shared instruction, skill development and recognition of the progress made by the military grappling community.
Based at Canadian Forces Base Halifax, HERO Grappling was founded in 2024 by S1 Atlas Del Mar to give Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members an opportunity to develop Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) skills while building fitness, confidence and connections across ranks, occupations and service elements.
The team day brings together members who might otherwise train at different times or have different levels of experience. Alongside shared instruction, it provides an opportunity to celebrate the commitment members have shown over recent months, with stripes and new belts awarded to students who have earned them.
For the club’s instructors, the benefits of grappling extend well beyond the techniques learned on the mats. The sport can help members develop resilience, adaptability, and confidence while creating a community where everyone has something to learn and something to contribute.
Lieutenant (N) (Lt(N)) Michael DeSaulniers
Lt(N) DeSaulniers, officer in charge at the Naval Reserve Coordination Centre in Halifax, has trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for approximately nine years and holds a brown belt. In 2025, he helped establish HERO Grappling’s morning class, giving CAF members an opportunity to train before reporting for duty.
Lt(N) DeSaulniers credits grappling with helping him prepare for Basic Training and Officer Basic Training after joining the CAF at the age of 42. He believes the sport develops perseverance, adaptability and mental toughness alongside physical conditioning. He’s also seen members gain confidence in professional settings and improve their performance in other CAF sporting activities. The aim, he said, is to make those benefits accessible to members regardless of rank, experience or career stage.
Master Corporal (MCpl) Eric Nevitt
A Royal Canadian Air Force member and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, MCpl Nevitt has spent 17 years training in the sport. His involvement in CAF Grappling began after a posting to 12 Wing Shearwater in 2018, where he became involved in the local military and civilian grappling communities and took on an instructional role.
MCpl Nevitt feels the greatest strength of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the community it creates. Although often viewed as an individual sport, progress depends on training partners who learn together, solve problems and help each other improve. As a cancer survivor, he also draws on lessons about perseverance and adapting to difficult circumstances. The ability to keep moving forward, he believes, is relevant both on and off the mats.
Major (Maj) James Locke
Maj Locke of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals has taught Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and military combatives within the CAF for more than 15 years. He believes all sailors, soldiers and aviators should have a fundamental level of self-defence knowledge, skill and confidence. He says grappling is one way to develop the fitness, discipline and composure that can contribute to military readiness, with consistent training helping members prepare for challenges before they arise.
Sailor 1st Class (S1) Atlas Del Mar
S1 Del Mar began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2008 and earned his black belt in December 2025. After joining the CAF in 2017 and becoming involved in the local grappling community, he established HERO Grappling to create opportunities for members to develop skills and relationships that extend beyond their regular training sessions.
His vision is for CAF Grappling to continue expanding, with more opportunities for regional and national competition and ways for deployed and seagoing members to maintain their training. Having benefited from the guidance of coaches and training partners throughout his own journey, S1 Del Mar says he’s now working to pass that knowledge on to others.
The HERO Grappling Club currently meets at Stadacona building S120 in the Hand-to-Hand Combat Training Room. Classes begin at 7 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with evening classes at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Reach out to atlas.delmar@forces.gc.ca or michael.desaulniers@forces.gc.ca for more information.
