Created by parents. Built with purpose.
BLUINKWL was created from both professional knowledge and lived experience. Our story began as a family searching for environments where children with different needs could be understood, supported and given a real opportunity to participate.
BLUINKWL did not begin simply as a business idea.
We are parents of children on the autism spectrum and with ADHD, and we understand firsthand how difficult it can be to find activities, sports and therapeutic environments that truly accommodate a child’s individual needs. As parents, we experienced doors being closed.
We saw how challenging traditional group activities could be when a child needed more time, individualized instruction, additional support, help with communication or self-regulation, or simply a different approach to learning.
We wanted to create another option.
We also recognized that many martial arts schools and recreational programs want to be inclusive but may not have the resources to provide dedicated 1:1 support to every child who needs it.
Through our knowledge and experience in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, we created BLUINKWL’s Movement-Based Therapy program—an individualized approach that brings behavioural teaching strategies, structured movement and martial arts together.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu provides a highly structured movement environment where ABA-based teaching strategies can be incorporated while working on areas such as focus, attention, self-regulation, motor planning, coordination, confidence, independence, social readiness and everyday life skills.
We understand the search for the right support.
We understand the appointments, assessments, therapies, waiting lists, long drives, searches for the right professionals, and the desire to find environments where our children are understood rather than simply expected to fit into a program that was not designed around their needs.
We took what we have learned professionally, what martial arts has taught our family, and what our children have taught us, and used those experiences to develop BLUINKWL.
Confidence, boundaries, safety and responsible self-defense.
As parents of children with special needs, we understand the concerns families can have about bullying, vulnerability, personal boundaries and safety.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu provides an opportunity to teach age- and ability-appropriate self-defense skills in a controlled environment while reinforcing that martial arts are for safety, confidence, discipline and responsible use—not aggression.
Our goal is not to teach children to fight. Our goal is to help them develop confidence, awareness, appropriate responses and skills that can support their ability to protect themselves when necessary.
Self Trust
Build confidence by recognizing effort, progress and individual strengths.
Social Skills
Practice communication, interaction and personal boundaries in a structured environment.
Focus & Regulation
Use predictable movement and individualized teaching to practice attention, persistence and regulation.
Inclusion
Build foundational skills that may support broader participation when the learner is ready.
We understand the drive—because we make it too.
One of the most important parts of our story is that we are not only professionals creating services for families. We are parents who have also had to search, compare, wait, travel and make difficult decisions to find the right support for our own children.
We have driven from Oshawa to other cities because we wanted our children to work with professionals and clinical teams we trusted. We know what it feels like to organize the family schedule, spend extra time on the road and make that effort because the connection with the right professional matters.
That experience shapes the way we see every family who contacts BLUINKWL. When a parent tells us they are travelling from farther away, we understand the reason behind that drive. Sometimes families are not looking for the closest service—they are looking for the service that feels right for their child.
We want parents to feel that connection with us. We understand the questions, the concerns and the hope that comes with trying something new for your child, because we live that experience in our own family too.
Our BJJ Movement-Based Therapy program is located in Oshawa, Ontario. Weekend appointments can help make the program more accessible for families travelling from other communities without adding the same pressure as a school or weekday schedule.
Start with the child—not the group.
For some children, entering a busy martial arts class or another group activity immediately can be overwhelming. Initially, it can be just the instructor/therapist and your child.
We can slow things down, repeat instructions, use visual supports, provide appropriate prompting, reinforce progress, incorporate breaks when needed and build skills gradually.
As readiness develops, an individualized goal may be greater independence and, when appropriate, participation in a more inclusive or traditional martial arts environment.
Meet the child where they are. Build one step at a time.
We are passionate about family, ABA, martial arts and creating meaningful opportunities for children and individuals who need a different approach. Different needs deserve thoughtful approaches.