About Us
WHO WE ARE
Established in 1997, Bindner Academy is Canada's leading martial arts institution, dedicated to empowering individuals with self-protection, education, and training. Our London, Ontario-based school is a thriving community, led by our founder, Derek Bindner, and driven by a passion for martial arts excellence.
OUR MISSION
Using Jiu-jitsu as a vehicle for personal protection and development, Bindner Academy's mission is to strengthen the mind, body, and spirit of every student, and empower them to lead through conflict and adversity with confidence, courage, and clarity, within a safe, clean, and respectful environment.
OUR VISION
To build a community where every individual develops the confidence, discipline, and resilience to thrive in life — both on and off the mats. Through the adaptable art and science of Fusion Jiu-jitsu, Bindner Academy strives to inspire lifelong growth, mutual respect, and a commitment to excellence in all pursuits.
OUR VALUES
Excellence: We pursue excellence in every class, technique, and interaction — bringing out the best in ourselves and our students.
Integrity: We uphold honesty, respect, and fairness on and off the mats, strengthening character through consistent action.
Growth: We view challenges as opportunities to learn, adapt, and improve — fostering continuous personal and physical development.
Confidence: We empower students to believe in themselves, cultivating self-assurance that extends far beyond jiu-jitsu.
Community: We create a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment where every student is valued, encouraged, and connected.
Discipline: We teach that success is built through consistency, focus, and respect — the true spirit of martial arts.​
Service: We strive to add value to people, our community, and the world — the term "Samurai" means "to serve".
WHY WE DO IT
We believe in people, we value people, and we see how Jiu-jitsu training dramatically enriches the quality of our students' lives, both on and off the mats.​
HOW WE ARE DIFFERENT
Bindner Academy is not a competition-driven school. We emphasize personal development and self-mastery through functionally sound, principle and scenario-based self-protection and leadership training for a powerful and well-balanced lifestyle - for the long run.​
HOW WE DO IT
Through personal and small group lessons, we deliver a comprehensive self-protection education using a highly structured, comprehensive, and separately designed curriculum for kids and adults, taking them from beginner white belt to black belt and beyond. We treat every class like it is the most important lesson we will ever teach. ​
OUR SUCCESS
Since 1997, our success and significance comes from the power of invitation, word of mouth, and the culture of excellence that we value and up-hold. Our community is our true treasure.​
OUR STORY
The fascination began in the early 1980's with the martial arts movies of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. Our founder, Derek Bindner was instantly hooked, and began his lifelong martial arts journey with Karate and wrestling in 1982, Tae Kwon Do, kickboxing and Aikido in 1987, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in 1994, and Japanese Ju-jitsu in 1996.
Wanting to challenge himself and put his skillset to the test, Derek started bouncing in 1991 to see if he had what it took to confront fear, and navigate physical violence.
In the mid 1990s, Derek encountered significant conflict, adversity and violence as an executive close protection professional (bodyguard). Through these evaluated experiences, he gained insights into effective psychological, verbal, and physical strategies for handling undesirable situations, which profoundly shaped his understanding of the world. Derek visualized a world of strong and capable leaders that embody confidence, courage, compassion, integrity, and purpose.
Having faced bullying early in his childhood, he recognized the feeling of powerlessness, before beginning martial arts training at age 12. After becoming a defensive tactics instructor in early 1997, he had a transformative idea: rather than just protecting others, he could teach individuals how to protect themselves, their families, and way of life. This inspired the creation of Fusion Jiu-jitsu and the Bindner Academy, Derek's life's work and contribution to the world.​​
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LET OUR PASSION INSPIRE YOU!
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