There have been a steady number of CBD businesses reopening on a weekly basis with more to come before Christmas.

Something the CBD needs are service-based businesses that will bring people in on a regular basis.

One such business that recently opened is Lismore Jiu Jitsu on Keen Street, next to the Metropole Hotel.

Thom Kotis has been struggling to find a premises to relocate his jiu jitsu business since February 28. Lismore Jiu Jitsu was based in the PCYC next to Trinity Catholic College so completely inundated with no way of reopening in a few months.

Thom and his family moved to Lismore during COVID and decided to open his own place when he found existing similar businesses unsuitable and the PCYC was the perfect venue.

"They had a beautiful space in their Judo room with lovely matting and stuff. So it was really easy for us to just walk in, walk out, PCYC did all the admin and whatnot and that was a really good solution for us. I started doing it so my kids could have training partners and the classes just grew and grew, they filled up and we capped them at 12 kids there and they filled up so we added more and they filled up and then the flood hit."

The GSAC space only had two time slots there due to a lot of other sports using the facilities.

"We had twenty-five kids in every class from 4 to 16 and it was mayhem. The kids were still having a good time but it was hard work for me and they weren't getting the most out of it."

"So, we had to make a decision at that point to either become a proper business and get our own space or cut things right back in Goonellabah."

That decision is now the CBD's gain.

"I always wanted to be in the CBD but there is more rent so it was a big step," Thom explained, "I saw this was for sale a while a go then saw it was sold with a sign up for lease so I called Michelle at LJ Hooker straightaway. She put me onto Nick, who owns the building, so we met had a chat and he liked what we were doing."

"I feel like we're adding to the culture of the CBD and especially at this point of the flood rebuild. It's nice to be in this part of town and be present."

While jiu jitsu is a fighting art, Thom explains how it benefits kids even at the young age of 4.

"They just love it. You know, kids will wrestle naturally. You put in a few parameters around it so that they can learn things and learn to do it well and safely. We train in a playful and respectful manner. It's all very games based and very playful."

"The older they get we add more and more structure to give them real-life learning but we never take the fun out of it. Even for me at 47, I've been training for eight or nine years and it's still about fun for me. It's a hard workout in a fun activity for kids and adults."

Thom, who has coached at elite level since his 20s, has three levels of classes. It starts with the Scrappers class between 4 and 8, the Grapplers class from 8 to 12 and the Troopers class and then there are adult classes in the evening.

"The ages are just a guide," Thom said, "My kids started training when they were two and a half, it's just gameplay stuff, putting on a uniform and experience the culture of it. Some kids aren't up to following the structure at five and six and others are fine at three and a half."

"I really just talk to parents and try them out and see how they go. We have a lady coming in today with her three and half year old boy she feels is ready so if he can follow the structure and not distract my attention and that of the other kids then he joins up and keep coming."

There are no contracts, however, Thom does ask for a month commitment because it takes longer than a few classes to determine whether you like a sport.

"I started surfing about nine years ago and my mate who took me the first time said it was really hard and it was really hard. He said to me, don't decide this time if you like it or not, commit to going 20 times and then after that if you don't like it, don't do it because it takes a while to get the hang of it and stuff. I think that's true with jiu jitsu, too. You need to give it a go to get into it because it's there are some things and certain personalities may be uncomfortable. It's a grappling form, so we're getting very close, you know, grabbing on to each other, taking people down, lying on top of people, very effective as self-defence. But in the training room, if you're not comfortable with people in your space, it takes a bit of getting used to so you know."

The cost per class is $15 so $60 per month which you can pay weekly or monthly using autopay.

Depending on how serious your child wants to be, there are tournaments that have begun again following COVID. In fact, Thom is taking 10 students to the Gold Coast on December 18, including his own kids, who will be making their competition debut. Tournament fighting is by invitation only.

Lismore Jui Jitsu is at 96 Keen Street, Lismore CBD and is open Monday and Tuesday 3pm to 8pm, Wednesday 3pm to 5pm and Thursday 9am to 8pm. Give Thom a call on 0401 567 515.