Newcomer families find community through free kids’ judo classes in Abbotsford

When Maksym Kovalov watches his eight-year-old son Boris rolling and running across the mats at the Abbotsford Judo Club, he says it brings him a sense of relief and joy he hasn’t felt since leaving Ukraine.

“When I see my son happy at judo, this is the best feeling for a dad,” he said.

The Kovalov family moved to the Fraser Valley in January 2023, fleeing the war. Boris — who proudly sports a yellow belt with a stripe — is one of dozens of newcomer kids enrolled in the club’s free Judo-4-All program.

For him, the highlight is randori — “kind of a free fighting,” he explained — followed closely by a lively dodgeball game played with an exercise ball at the end of each class.

A low-barrier space for newcomers

Head instructor Layton Keely says the program is funded by the federal government and Judo Canada, allowing the club to offer free classes — and free uniforms — to newcomer families for the past two and a half years.

Students aged five to 14 learn everything from safe falling techniques to foundational throws. The program is designed so children of all ability levels can participate.

That inclusiveness makes the program especially meaningful for parents like Iryna Bondar, who also emigrated from Ukraine.

“My son … he has autism,” she said. “I see how judo helps him understand himself, his body and society more.”

Building a new home — and a new community

Keely says many participants come from Ukraine, and families often form immediate connections with each other.

For Kovalov, those bonds softened the difficulty of leaving home.

“Of course we miss our country,” he said. “But now Canada feels like a new home for us. And being part of a community is really important, especially for new immigrants like us.”

Parents gather at the edge of the mats, chatting quietly as they watch their children tumble, throw and bow. For many, it has become a weekly gathering that blends sport with social support.

More than a sport

Keely says judo’s moral code — built around respect, discipline and care — is central to what the kids learn.

“Judo is a combat sport — we're fighting,” he said. “But it always begins and ends with a bow, showing respect. That’s what judo is: taking care of each other and the community around you.”

For newcomer families adjusting to life in Canada, that philosophy is becoming a foundation — one practice at a time.