About Stronger You

In 2003, Renshi Janet (encouraged by Sensei Terry) developed a course for women’s self defense. With the help of Sensei Jim MacGillivray, she incorporated a business and began teaching women’s self defense in corporate settings, to schoolteachers and to friends and family.  Toward the end of the year, Renshi Janet approached her friend and long time training partner, Sensei David Rennie, to consider turning their favourite hobby and passion into a full time school.  Both Janet and Dave had done extensive teaching in martial arts and self defense and had strong ideas on how a school should be run. With the support and encouragement of Terry Kingsbury, Jim MacGillivray, Nigel Spencer, Tim Shaw and Ed Whelan, Janet and Dave built their curriculum, rented a space and opened their own school.  After much late night brainstorming, Dave came up with the name “Stronger You” to reflect the culture and priority of the new dojo. This new dojo was to be about the students as it supported them in their journey to be stronger in body, mind and spirit.

With the help of Karl Shultz (owner of “The Martial Artist” in Orleans and an accomplished martial artist himself), Janet and Dave designed the logo, uniforms and belt styles of the new club.

In June of 2004, the first classes of Stronger You were held at the Walter Baker Centre in the dance studio.  Janet and Dave had a solid curriculum prepared for white to brown belts. They had rented space at Walter Baker so that they could train and stay fit while waiting for the dojo at Strandherd Square to be finished.

The first night, Dave and Janet expected to arrive at Walter Baker, work out and run through katas, but when they arrived, there were 14 black belts standing at the door to the dance studio waiting to train and learn!

In mid-August, a group of martial arts friends arrived on Strandherd to cut and lay out the new mats. The group puzzled and fitted the mats into place and the new dojo was ready to go. Stronger You started out with far more instructors than students, but was off to a great start building a fantastic family community of martial artists.

In March of 2007, Sensei Dave decided to return to the world of high tech. He resigned as head instructor and Renshi Janet and his students were sad to see him go. He was an awesome teacher and a passionate martial artist.

In September of 2007, Sensei Denise Therens stepped in to help Renshi Janet with the growing school and mountains of paperwork. She was invaluable to Renshi Janet, organized and hard working and the students and parents loved her. In the spring of 2008, she became Renshi Janet’s business partner at Stronger You and the school has grown and flourished under her care.

Stronger You has always had an open door policy and welcomes martial artists of all styles from around the world through its doors. We now have a vibrant community of students and instructors and a wide spectrum of programs and services both at Strandherd and in the community at large. We hope we can help you become a Stronger You.