Corey Lillis (right) with Professor AJ Scales. (Submitted/ Corey Lillis)

By Nigel Maxwell

Accomplishing goals

Prince Albert jiu-jitsu instructor promoted to black belt

Dec 10, 2022 | 9:00 AM

A journey that started over 14 years ago for Prince Albert’s Corey Lillis has reached a very important milestone.

The head instructor of the BJJ Lab was promoted to black belt during a recent seminar. Having been a brown belt in jiu-jitsu for six years, Lillis admitted he was taken completely by surprise when called up by Professor AJ Scales.

“Right away, it was this feeling like wow I’ve anticipated this moment for so many years and you’re just instantly overcome with emotion,” he explained.

The average time for someone in Brazilian jiu-jitsu to acquire their black belt is 10-15 years and a number of factors are considered for promotion including experience and contributions to the martial art. A senior instructor may also roll with the student to assess what skills have been learned.

Lillis who just turned 50, had a background in judo when he started training jiu-jitsu and recalled wanting to explore the ground game.

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“It’s one of those things that right from the first lesson I was hooked and I remember saying to someone I’m definitely gonna become a black belt in jiu-jitsu. There was something about it that just really appealed to me,” he explained.

Lillis seen here with other black belts at the seminar. (Facebook)

Describing jiu-jitsu as a way of life, a frame of mind, and a way of looking at the world in a different way, Lillis also acknowledged the journey has not been easy. While there were big highs that came with learning new skills, there were also months, when Lillis felt like giving up.

“I started with a great bunch of guys and we’d support each other in an MMA match or jiu-jitsu match and kind of ride those ups and downs together and it just developed into a great sense of community,” he said.

The BJJ Lab currently has close to 20 youth students and 25 adult students. Noting the high he gets now from watching a shy beginner student gain confidence and come out of their shell, Lillis acknowledged he would like to see all his students acquire their own black belts one day. When asked what advice he would share, Lillis said to be stubborn, attend classes, and just keep going.

“It’s not always the most gifted athlete who makes it to black belt. It’s the person who just is average athletic ability who makes that commitment in their mind that jiu-jitsu is something they want to do,” he said.

With the promotion, Lillis is now one of three jiu-jitsu black belts in Prince Albert. Commenting on how great it is to have that many black belts in such a small town, Lillis said in many ways he feels like he’s starting over.

“And all those basic techniques you learned, you kind of go back and you start to dig a little bit deeper, try to understand them a little bit deeper, and become a little bit better of a teacher,” he said.

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell