Every parent wants the best for their child and for them to succeed in life no matter what they do. You wish to instill core values into them from a young age that they’ll carry on for the rest of their life. Values like confidence, respect, resilience, responsibility, a positive outlook on life as well as being fit and healthy.
Kelly Slater (World Surfing Champion) has previously stated, ‘Put your kid in Jiu Jitsu before any other sport’. We at Warrnambool Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy couldn’t agree more.
Below are a few main reasons why Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is perfect for a child’s learning and development.
Realistic self-defence
Allowing your child to learn a realistic and practical martial art such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will give your child realistic expectations of defending themselves. Why is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training so realistic compared to other styles? The two main reasons are;
- Over 90% of fights end up going to the ground. Once on the ground, the techniques and leverage from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will dominate the striking ability of boxing and karate (to name a few) because these styles have lost the power to effectively deliver a strike and therefore are deemed ineffective. If your child trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, they’ll feel more confident because they’ll have the knowledge and the ability to defend themselves on the ground.
- There aren’t any kata’s/ forms/ patterns, striking bags/ pads or breaking boards in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It’ll be your child going up against another with the sole purpose to control a resisting person without resorting to striking them. Realistic training equals realistic results.
Your child will learn takedowns, escapes, passes, and leverage-based control holds to neutralise aggressors without violence. Not only will they develop techniques to take an aggressor to the ground and control them but will also understand how to escape if pinned on the ground by a bigger and stronger aggressor. Children will be equipped to subdue their aggressor without hurting them, or themselves.
Most importantly your child will remain calm in a real-life fight because they have learnt how to control their emotions via realistic training. Meaning children become accustomed to being placed in stressful conditions (through sparring) and therefore get accustomed in dealing with the associated stress, pressure and emotions that are accustomed to fighting. Your child will develop a ‘never give up’ attitude that’ll see them preserve through pressure.
Builds confidence
Building confidence through Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is possible one of the greatest gifts a parent could give their child and the greatest assets a child could ever possess. Confidence is the base foundation of a child’s development. The more confident they are, the more they’ll achieve and succeed in life.
If a child knows Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and understands how to effectively defend themselves, they’ll have the confidence to neutralise the physical threat whilst keeping their emotions in check and mentally have the winning edge of getting through the situation.
A child with confidence is less likely to be picked on or bullied.
Fitness & fun
At Warrnambool Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy, our kids program focuses on making self-defence practical and fun. We use skill-oriented conditioning games and warm up exercises to engage and challenge kids.
Our program has been developed over time and concentrates on balance, posture, coordination and body position. Drills and techniques are broken down and put together in sequential order to develop their understanding of the drill but also their flexibility, balance, coordination and fitness.
Friendships & social skills
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes give children a unique opportunity to interact with a range of peers of varying ages and abilities, no matter their background. Although Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is seen as an individual sport, it’s nothing without a partner to learn and practice new techniques with.
In class settings, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu enables children to develop communication skills whilst engaging with their peers. This development, from an early age, gives the child social skills that will stay with them throughout their life.
Positive life values
Our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu kids’ program will teach your child valuable life skills that they’ll be able to apply not only on the mat but will stay with them for a lifetime off the mat. Life skills such as discipline, socialisation skills, courtesy, teamwork, mental strength, self-control (both physically and emotionally) and a positive role model.
These skills are learnt from the very moment they step on to the mats as they’ll learn to function in a team environment and respect everyone equally, no matter their rank. They’ll discover in order to learn, develop and acquire new skills they must have patience and be persistent as they’ll fail more times than they succeed in the beginning. Valuable lessons that will stay with them and apply throughout their lifetime.
Discipline
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment” – Jim Rohn
Discipline is the underlying fabric that governs our success on and off the mats.
Discipline not only breeds success, it equals a structured environment where classes run with a purpose to achieve an outcome. Students follow a set of rules which treats everyone equally and consequences apply if these rules aren’t followed.
By allowing your child to train at Warrnambool Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you’ll notice a change in attitude and demeanor within your child. They’ll be focused and motivated to succeed on and off the mats as well as discovering what motivates them to achieve their goals.
Being disciplined also gives the child the ability to control their emotions, impulses and behaviours. Your child will be a lot more relaxed and in control of the actions and emotions as well following through with their decisions without losing motivation.
Learn through failure
“In school, a child is taught a lesson and then given a test. In Jiu Jitsu, they are given a test that teaches them a lesson”
No matter a child’s background or athletic ability, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has a neutral grounding for all who step onto the mat for the first time. Neutral because they all have the same starting point, being on their back.
In the beginning they’ll feel uncoordinated and vulnerable because the movements are foreign to them and they won’t know how to defend or attack from their back. They’ll fail more times than they succeed and can be very frustrating for a child who mightn’t understand the drill and can lead to them wishing to quit.
The best thing a child can do is to be persistent and listen to instructions to correct their errors. This will allow them to understand the concept of the technique and where/when it can be applied. The real life application of this is a child who develops life skills such as patience, persistence, controlling their emotions, seeking assistance etc.
The best way for kids to learn is through failure as they learn not only about the technique but also about themselves.
