Postponed jiu-jitsu championship rebounds in Ottawa

The Canadian jiu-jitsu championship is suddenly coming to Ottawa Sunday, after the event was postponedin Montreal over a warning by police that the sport is illegal and organizers could be charged.

In a posting onFacebooklate Wednesday, organizers announcedthe championship, which is expected to attract about 240 competitors,will be held March 5 at the EY Centre near the Ottawa airport.

"We're just happy it's been resolved. It feels really good, especially for the competitors," said Danny Vu, a spokesperson for the event.

The championship was originally scheduled for February 26 atthe Pierre-Charbonneau Centre, near the Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

During the lead up to the event, Montreal police indicated they considered the sport to be illegal, since Article 83 of the Canadian Criminal Code states that only combat sports recognized by the IOC are legal.

But organizers argue their sport is the Brazilian form of jiu-jitsu, which involves grappling and submission holds, rather than fist, foot and hand strikes.

During a jiu-jitsu practice Thursday morning at the Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts on Carling Ave, the mood was upbeat as word spread of the event coming to Ottawa.

"It's going to be fun," said Mick Roy, who'll be competing in the championship. "First you don't have to travel as far, and now youhave the opportunity to compete with friends here. We've been training hard, dayin, dayout for weeks."

'It's not about being violent'

As Roy and fellow competitors practised their submission holds, instructor MatthewHachpointed out how the sport is often misunderstood.

"It's not about being violent," said Hach. "It's actually about teaching people how to be kind, how to be caring, and actually how to build a strong community."

As for any potential legal issues, Danny Vu believes he won't face the same problem in Ottawa as he did in Montreal.

"We're not concerned because Ontario has a different approach to the sport of grappling versus the province of Quebec," said Vu.

Once the championship is over, Vu said he'll turn his attention to encouraging lawmakers in Quebec to be more lenientto the Brazilian form of jiu-jitsu.