There Are Many Reasons Kids Should Train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Here are the Top 7:
#1 Coordination and Body Awareness
Learning Jiu Jitsu requires a child to execute techniques that contain many small details. Learning to perform these techniques develops the childs fine motor skills and teaches them a good understanding of base and balance. This develops in the child strong neuromuscular connections and increases coordination and balance. These skills then spill over to other sports and activities in their lives and aids in making them more successful not just in Jiu Jitsu but in everyday life.
#2 Discipline and Focus
Look around, we live in a world full of stimulation. Kids are highly affected by this and as a result A.D.D. is rampant. It's said that discipline and focus are like muscles that need to be trained. Learning Jiu Jitsu is fun but the techniques are very detailed and complicated to learn and execute. Kids enjoy doing this and are forced to pay attention to instructors to be able to be successful. Jiu Jitsu will strengthen and improve kids discipline and focus. This will translate then into better school work, better relationships, and an overall quality of life.
#3 Confidence
You always hear that martial arts will give a child more confidence and it's true. But I am going to say that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) does this best and here is why! BJJ is very different than traditional martial arts because you use what you learn every day at 100% with your training partners. The learning process requires 2 things: 1) you learn how a technique works and how to do it 2) you learn how to execute the technique against an opponent that is not cooperating. Our Kids Classes have the kids doing live rolling in a safe environment at the end of every class. This is part of the learning process. You will not see a child in BJJ screaming and breaking boards but instead they will be engaged in a real life combat situation trying to grapple their way into a dominate position or escaping an uncomfortable and compromising position. When a child breaks a board or performs a flashy move with no real resistance it just gives them a false sense of confidence that does not carry over in to the real world and can actually be dangerous when they realize that their "karate" they learned actually does not work. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gives the child a REAL confidence and an REAL way to defend themselves without having to punch or kick another kid.
#4 Socialization
In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes children will meet many new friends and share common experiences like drilling techniques, playing games, and live rolling. It's also a great way for kids to learn to communicate with other kids of all ages, as well as authority figures like the instructors and assistant instructors. You will get to see your child grow and learn with new friends that they met in BJJ class and keep these friends for a lifetime.
#5 Fitness and the "Jiu Jitsu Lifestyle"
BJJ provides a fun and demanding cardiovascular workout for your child and they will LOVE doing it. Through BJJ they will lose weight, gain core strength, and have more energy and stamina for demanding activities. The term "Jiu JItsu Lifestyle" has been coined in BJJ to describe the way many practitioners learn to live. Because Jiu Jitsu can be demanding physically, living a healthy life becomes a necessity. Eating healthy foods, sleeping correctly, and stretching daily to body maintenance is vital. This will help you to get more out of your self, your training and help you use what you've learned on and off the mat. Just Google "Jiu Jitsu Lifestyle" and you will see what I'm talking about!!
#6 Goal Setting and Completion
There are many opportunities in Jiu Jitsu for you to test yourself and measure improvement; competition, receiving your next belt, executing a new technique while live rolling or an old one against a new opponent. Through the learning process in Jiu Jitsu you learn to reach a little farther and work a little bit harder each day. The goal every day is to improve by 1%.
#7 Self-Defense
Lastly BJJ will give your child a REAL means of self-defense. Bullying is on the rise and a real concern in all schools. Jiu Jitsu will give your child more confidence and that is the #1 bully deterent. Bullies don't want to pick on confident children, they want easy prey. But besides being confident, they will have the tools to physically defend themselves. Not through flashy, choreographed dance like moves or board breaking but through hours on the mats spent training real situations and how to deal with them using BJJ.