SAM KANARD

COACH: NO GI, GI, KIDS
RANK: PURPLE BELT (2019)
BJJ TRAINING: 10 YEARS

Sam Kanard is a dynamic educator and martial arts instructor with a passion for inclusive, student-centred learning. Drawing on over a decade of coaching and mentoring experience - across school classrooms, martial arts academies, and high-impact adult training programmes - he’s known for balancing firm guidance with an easy rapport.

After years of competition in rugby league and water polo, Sam found his way to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu thanks to a well-credentialed sibling (an internationally ranked competitor). While his brother pursued medals, Sam focused on what he does best: building people up. His approach on the mats mirrors his classroom ethos, meeting every learner where they are and helping them grow with confidence, clarity, and purpose.

Now in his second year as a health and physical education teacher, Sam integrates movement, mental wellbeing, and applied life skills for students of all abilities. Whether guiding a teenager through their first training session or adapting a PE lesson for diverse learners, his style is inclusive, reflective, and informed by the day-to-day realities of young people.

Beyond school and coaching, Sam is a proud dad of two young boys—a role that’s honed his negotiation skills, deepened his patience, and further fuelled his commitment to fair, empowering environments. His teaching is grounded in lived experience and delivered with sharp insight and understated humour.