Mr. Gerard couldn’t be more proud of how the students have embraced the physicality of the sport. And with the addition of the gi, it’s taken things to a new level! Gone are the days of merely grabbing wrists and arms, they are now reaching for sleeves, lapels, and collars?!

For a group of students, most of whom are brand new to jiujitsu, they are truly embracing the martial art with fearless enthusiasm!

A huge thank you to the local company Awe_Ape for offering us a generous pre-order discount, to Ms. Rei Takayama of Grappling Unlimited for her donation of pre-owned gis, to the guys at Mano Jiujitsu for their part in helping us grow our mat area, and to our Principal, Dr. Pasalo for supporting a jiu-jitsu after-school program here at Hokulani. His faith and commitment has given students the chance to build confidence, gain skills that apply both in and outside of school, on and off the mats. The program continues to foster camaraderie, achievement, and empowerment beyond the regular school hours.

Thank you for all the support, and thank you Hokulani for being the first school in Hawaii to run a jiujitsu after school program.