Southside Jiu Jitsu Kids Classes
(Kids Ages 4-15)
There are many different types of Martial Arts out there, which can be hard to really understand the differences between styles when you are trying to choose what would be best for your child. Here are several reasons why Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is one of the safest forms for children to begin their journey into the world of martial arts:
– It is a non-violent, yet effective and complete self-defense system. Many parents want their child to learn a martial art in order to defend herself/himself against bullies or unwanted strangers. Having a safe and systematic foundation of self-defense is key for children to feel confident, specifically about defending themselves, if necessary. Since it is completely based on leverage and submission, BJJ technique actually gives the smaller opponent an advantage. There is no kicking or punching involved, unlike many other martial arts.
– It is a natural martial art, based on leverage and balance. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu uses the principles of action – reaction, leverage, and base. Children learn to use an opponent’s power as an advantage, rather than fighting against the force. We practice many different games that help children experience these principles and learn to understand how to use them as techniques. Children develop a heightened sense of body awareness and coordination, which leads to self-confidence and inner discipline. Not only do children learn how to effectively defend themselves, but also strengthen their kinesthetic abilities to excel in any other sport of which they participate. It doesn’t have to be a choice of one sport or the other
Benefits of Jiu Jitsu for Kids
Self-Defense – Your child will learn real-world techniques that will help them to defend themselves in difficult situations. Brazilian jiu-jitsu’s focus is to teach students who are smaller and weaker to defend themselves against a larger, stronger assailant. While we teach students that the first choice is to avoid conflict all together, we will prepare them with the skills required to protect themselves in situations that cannot be avoided.
Fitness – The stamina and endurance children develop during Martial Arts training in our Kids Jiu-Jitsu program results in natural weight-loss and an improvement in overall physical and mental health.
Balance and Motor Skills – Jiu-Jitsu is a sport known to teach balance and good coordination. Our Kid’s Program focuses on creating good hand and eye coordination when learning the techniques, especially while training with their drilling partners. They will learn the importance of paying attention to their surroundings. We have found that children who train Jiu-Jitsu for a long period of time gain great posture and motor skills, which assists in the development of becoming flexible and in-tune with their own bodies.
Self-Confidence – Your child will naturally gain self-confidence as they work their way through the belt system and progress. Our belt system provides children measurable goals to follow that are realistic to attain. Your child will gain a sense of self-accomplishment by mastering new techniques and earning belts that will follow them throughout their life.
Self-Discipline – Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instills mental focus in your child. Your child will learn how to concentrate on learning a technique while seeing it through, but there is much more than that. We want to make sure that our students are working on their Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu technique, improving their behavior at home, as well as improving their grades at school. We teach a very effective form of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and want to make sure that every kid is learning it correctly.
Respect – The way that we have our Kid’s program structured, we have found that creating a foundation of respect and discipline not only benefits the students on the mat, but also off the mat. We strive not only for great competitors, but also for great individuals. It is necessary for our young children to learn respect and become disciplined to succeed on the mat, at home and in school. All of our students are disciplined to treat others as they would like to be treated, becoming positive influences everywhere they go. We will also continuously impress upon your child the importance to show respect to parents, teachers and peers in their everyday lives.
Teamwork, Positive Social Interaction and Bully-Proofing – Jiu-Jitsu is a sport meant for teamwork, where we teach our kids to encourage and motivate one another to become better in everything that they do. In particular, we educate them about bullying and how to better deal with situations that involve bullying. Every student is encouraged to build one another up and not bring on another down. We find it very important for all of our kids to understand and put into practice a positive social environment within a team.
Smile, Laugh and Have Fun – At the end of the day, we want our kid’s to have fun and become positive individuals. Jiu-Jitsu can take a lot of physical and mental strength, so with the rewards they can gain through hard work, it’s all worth it in the end. Our instructors have placed certain activities in their training to let them smile and laugh, but most importantly… be a kid!