Sports

Orangeville BJJ coach earns black belt, inspires young athletes

October 22, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Chris Perrotte

Shawn Cox, instructor at the Orangeville Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy, was promoted to black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) on Oct. 7, in front of a room full of students, coaches and families at the academy.

There was a tremendous amount of pride in Shawn Cox’s voice as he talked about receiving his BJJ Black Belt, which is one of the hardest ranks to earn in martial arts. It was earned through 10 years of dedicated training and competing during that time. To receive this accomplishment in front of family and friends meant a lot to Cox.

“It was amazing for my family to be there because they have seen me train throughout the years, never complaining, always encouraging me, and they’ve seen how BJJ has changed my life,” said Cox.

Cox is the head coach of three programs at the Orangeville Jiu Jitsu Academy. These programs include two for young kids and one for youth. Cox plays a big part in Orangeville’s next generation of athletes who learn from him every week.

Cox decided four years ago to move his whole family to Orangeville not only because he loves this town, but because it helped in his journey in pursuing this black belt honour.

“I work a physically demanding job, especially in the summer months, where I would have early mornings and long days, all the while teaching and maintaining my own training. There was a time when I lived in Brampton before I moved to Orangeville, where I would drive up after work to teach and train four nights a week. It’s a sense of belonging, the camaraderie and not to mention the physical benefits. Also, BJJ at times can force you to do hard things. Like pushing yourself physically or facing your fears. That’s what keeps me coming back,” said Cox

Jake Smith, the head instructor at the local academy, explains why Cox is so deserving of the Black Belt.

“Shawn is exactly what a black belt should be,” Smith said. “He shows up every day, he works hard, and he gives back to the kids in this town. Our whole club is proud of him.”

Cox has competed at every belt level, challenging himself by stepping out of his comfort zone. His true passion, however, is teaching kids. When he first started to teach kids at the academy, he was a little intimidated and a bit overwhelmed, but the more he did, the more his confidence and teaching skills grew. And that confidence translated to other areas of his life.

“The example I’ve tried to set as a coach is not someone who is a great champion winning lots of medals, but someone who steps out and tries difficult things because that’s when we grow,” said Cox.

“As a father myself, I love seeing kids learn, grow, and gain confidence by overcoming difficult things, and most of all have fun. And hopefully the lessons they learn in Jiu-Jitsu will carry over to other areas of their lives.”

Cox loves the fact that the kids he teaches got to see him get the Black Belt. It’s an honour that doesn’t happen often, and it was nice to share that moment with them. His hope is that witnessing this achievement can be an example of what consistent training and perseverance can achieve.

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