Sensei Eric Briere: Anyone In Ottawa (Canada) Ever Train Under / With Him?

**Keej613** · Posted On: 9/05/2012 3:01pm

(FYI: I used the search function before creating this thread. No relevant search results came up.)

I got a flyer in the mail from the Richelieu-Vanier Community Center saying that it offers Jiu-Jitsu courses led by Sensei Eric Briere.

When I Googled him, this is who comes up:

This guy looks a lot like a guy who used to assist Pat Lavigne when Pat was teaching the MMA program at Nomad (r.i.p.) on St-Laurent BLVD. If I recall correctly, he was very good at no-gi jiu-jitsu and I think he might have been wrestling (maybe even teaching) at Tsunami Academy at the same time.

Does this ring a bell to anyone? Has anyone trained Jiu-Jitsu under him?

It would appear that he's given his school / program the name Essential Martial Art.

Has anyone here trained at Essential Marts Art at the Richelieu-Vanier community center? Did you enjoy your experience? How was the training?

Thanks!

**Keej613** · Posted On: 10/09/2012 3:24pm

Weird. There's usually a lot of people from Ottawa on this board so I'm surprised no one's heard of this guy!

**Chili Pepper** · Posted On: 10/09/2012 5:13pm

Unfortunately, I don't have any real connections to the jujutsu community, and those tenuous ones I do, are with Trident.

**Keej613** · Posted On: 10/09/2012 6:19pm

This guy might might be indirectly distantly related to Trident. If I'm right, he was assisting (Renshi) Pat Lavigne when he was running the MMA progra at Nomad (and potentially assisting him at other schools, too) . . . and if I'm right, Pat Lavigne made it up to the brown belt level at Trident before switching to Shihan Helder Nunes' system. Tadaaaaaa! (This is me grasping at straws.)

**DanBelisle** · Posted On: 10/10/2012 8:13pm

Good evening,

I am Sensei Eric's assistant. I can confirm he taught classes for Renshi Pat Lavigne.

The city's flyer advertise it as a jiu-jitsu program but we include striking techniques and bjj.

His instructions are quite thorough and he is a great teacher, regardless the age group.

He currently holds the rank of forth dan.

**Keej613** · Posted On: 10/11/2012 8:29am

Hi Dan! Thanks for replying!

Glad to hear it's the same Eric! He's pretty solid from what I remember!

What style of Jiu-Jitsu do you guys teach? And (if it's not the same as what you're teaching), Eric's rank is in what style of Jiu-Jitsu?

I've recently found Essential Martial Arts' website:

http://essentialmartialart.piczo.com

It's mostly pictures of kids. Do you have adult classes?

Do you guys do any randori or sparring?

Thanks!

**DanBelisle** · Posted On: 10/11/2012 11:02am

The style and rank is Kyoo Soku Seishin Ryu (Style of fast and powerful soul).

Please note that our website is outdated; the pictures date from 2007...

We normally do have an adult class on Tuesdays at 7:30; we unfortunately had to cancel the class this session since we didn't have enough students (I'm sure you received the flyer the day the classes started).

This summer, Eric and I met to rework our curriculum. That being said, we made sure our curriculum was coherent in the sense that what we taught could be applied when we grapple, spar and do some randori. So to answer your question, yes we do spar and we do some randori.

Please feel free to come visit Tuesdays at 6:30 (kids) or Fridays from 6:30 to 7:30 (kids) or 7:30 to 8:30 (teens-adults).

**Keej613** · Posted On: 10/11/2012 3:03pm

Kyoo Soku Seishin Ryu is Helder Nunes' system, correct?

**essential1** · Posted On: 10/11/2012 7:48pm

Hi this Sensei Eric, yes this is Helder Nunes' system. I actually did my 4th degree
exam with him. If we rolled together at Nomad come in on Friday so we can have
some more fun.

**Keej613** · Posted On: 10/12/2012 10:02am

Thanks for the offer, Eric, but I'm afraid that Friday evenings aren't do-able.

Glad to hear that this is indeed you! I only trained a few times with you and Pat (I was in the Muay Thai program at Nomad) but I remember that you were both really good at the ground game! That's why I was wondering about the program at Richelieu-Vanier! I figured that if it was the same guy I trained with at Nomad, it must be a decent program!

I'm sorry to hear that you had to cancel one of your classes. Are there adult classes on any other weeknights?