Valiquette promotes little fists, big hearts

Instead, self-defense is a vehicle to build confidence and communication skills.

Valiquette has taught martial arts for 15 years. He currently teaches for the City of Westmount and The Study, and has taught at Royal Vale, Temple Torah School, Temple Emmanuel, St. Georges, Lower Canada College and Sun Youth.

“I tell the kids ‘I don’t want you to be only a fighter,” said Valiquette. “I want you to be a thinking fighter.’”

After graduating from Concordia University in 1994, Valiquette founded MASSCO Inc., a company which promoted co-worker wellness and customer relations through massage therapy.

Valiquette successfully grew his company into three provinces, yet decided that his heart lay with helping children to become their best.

“People are body, mind and spirit. I don’t think that you can really motivate others to achieve and maintain success unless you start with body,” said Valiquette, who focuses his teaching around physical activity. “You can’t work backwards. The body is the first step.”

Valiquette teaches that children can do just about anything if they try hard enough and that their success is a result of time and effort.

“I want [the children] to realize that the lessons learned in my classes are applicable not just to self-defense, but to everything they do in life,” said Valiquette. “That means commanding respect from others, believing in themselves, taking what appears to be a monumental task and knowing that if you break it up into small steps you can achieve what others might think of as unachievable.”

“My son is so proud of himself and he’s become so self-confident,” said Shirin Khan, a parent of a student in Valiquette’s martial arts class at Westmount’s Victoria Hall. “The self-defense work, discipline and concentration techniques Jay has taught him have done an immense amount.”

Valiquette founded and directs Sportacular Plus Summer Day Camp, now entering its fifth year. He is presently working on anti-bullying and conflict resolution programs for local schools. He has written a script for a children’s television show, and for a future DVD project on self-defense, fitness and manners. For further information, Valiquette can be reached at jay@jayvaliquette.com.