A unique new program at Armadale Senior High School has been fostering champions.
In 2022, the school partnered with Clear Path Jiu Jitsu to work with students struggling to engage in the academic environment.
The program uses Brazilian Jiu Jitsu – a self-defence martial art developed around 1925 – to holistically improve students’ physical fitness, build resilience, grow self-confidence and teach respect for themselves and others.
“It’s definitely changed me – I used to be a bit of a trouble-maker before doing jiu jitsu,” Jack Gould said. “Now my grades are up, I’m doing well, I’m not getting into fights, and it’s definitely because of our trainers, and the respect I have now.
“Plus, if you have anger problems – you can get it out on the mat.”
The results from the Armadale trial were so impressive that this year the school opened up the program as an elective subject to all interested students.
Enrolled students have been routinely coming in an hour early to school to warm-up before their class, and a core contingent always turn up to the extra lunch-time mat sessions held twice a week.
Their dedication to the sport encouraged their program facilitators – Michael Byrnes and Ben Vale – to create the Armadale Senior High School Jiu-Jitsu Academy to train and enter those they deemed ‘ready’ into competitions.
This year saw eight students compete across six tournaments, making them the first fighters in Australia to be representing their school.
But the Armadale lads did much more than represent – they dominated. Together, they’ve brought home 16 medals and trophies.
Jacob McGough was crowned the state champion for his age division in July, and then in August he headed to Melbourne for the Australian National Championships where he won his first match by submission, but lost the second by advantage, earning him the silver medal. This year, he’s brought home seven medals in total.
The results are astounding considering Jacob had no martial arts training before Clear Path came into his life.
“I’ve got a lot of self-drive and discipline,” he said. “I’m training any chance I get and I just keep trying continually.
“It’s brought me a lot of self-confidence – I didn’t have a lot of that before.
“And I’ve reassessed my future: I plan to open a jiu jitsu gym.
“I originally wanted to join the army, but I realised that would just wear me down over time.
“This is a much better option for me.”
He also has his sights set on winning a few titles, including the Pan Pacific World Championships.
His teammate, Jack Gould, also shone at the states, earning a silver medal despite facing a much taller and heavier opponent. Not to mention the two golds he scored at the Australasian Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championships in Byford, and the silver at the South West Jiu Jitsu Championship.
“I hope to turn this into a UFC career,” he said. “Jiu Jitsu is a really good base for that – it’s one of the most technical martial arts there are and you get a lot of grappling experience – UFC is being dominated by grapplers right now.”
While it’s easy to judge success through wins and the bling brought in, for many of the teens studying jiu jitsu at Armadale, the biggest victories can be seen in their personal growth.
“I was a really lazy person – I didn’t have many goals,” Korben Koevort, who won a silver in Byford, said.
“This has given me more self-drive. I’ve started to build goals for myself – mostly around my health.
“I also want to get out more and be more engaged in the community. So yeah, it’s definitely changed me as a person.”
Wyatt McGough also won a silver at the ABJJC in Byford and says the program has made him more of a “doer’ in life.
“I don’t know how to describe it, but I want to participate in things more now,” he said.
For Declan Cornwall, who’s brought home two golds and a silver this year, jiu jitsu is easily his new favourite school subject.
“I want to be here,” he said. “And it makes you more respectful as a person.”
“It humbles you too,” Jack added. “It puts your ego in check. Because you can easily get put into submission by someone a lot smaller than you.”
What’s clear to see is that these young men have developed a profound self-worth through this program that is being nourished by the growing community that jiu jitsu has created at the school. And that sort of success is immeasurable and priceless.
School Principal Shane Easton said he couldn’t be prouder.
“What we wanted from this program was for our students to gain the resilience to deal with anything life throws at them, and to become respectful and active citizens in their community,” he said.
“And it’s clear they have.”
