Kids Jiu Jitsu
How to make the right decision
Most parents, unless you have trained some type of Martial Art, are clueless as to what type of Martial Art for kids is the best one. Should you follow the flyer that advertises Karate classes for kids? MMA for kids? Kickboxing for kids? These are legitimate questions. It is imperative to give the right development to your kid in their early years. Please, do not make the mistake my mom did when she saw the ad "Karate for kids" on a banner somewhere in my elementary school and decided to sign me up right away without consulting with me.
If I was a parent trying to decide which type of Martial Art should I put my kid in, I would start off by watching videos with my kid so that he/she can see the differences between each Martial Art. Not only can you get a feel for what your kid will most likely like, but also, you are learning about the topic yourself. Additionally, you can ask other parents if they got their kids in any type of Martial Arts. When you hear what they got to say, talk about it with your kid and see how the conversation goes. Because my mom shoved me in Karate classes at an early age, which I strongly disliked, I had a bad taste for Martial Arts. It's a shame I had this mentality from 11 years old up until I found Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at 21 years of age.
Who knows, maybe I would have not liked BJJ at an early age and ended up not training at all, but, I highly doubt it. This was a mistake by my mother that I do not wish any parent to make. If I would have found Jiu Jitsu at an earlier age, I could only imagine where my level will be at today. Not to blame my mom because I believe she had a good intention when she saw the Karate for kids banner and signed me up. She didn't know any better, but now you do. I will never forget a saying that I once heard, "a smart man learns from his mistakes, a wise man learns from the mistakes of others".
Kids BJJ
Jiu Jitsu classes for kids I highly believe is the way to go. Other types of Martial Arts can definitely benefit your child, however, the community and lessons you learn in BJJ are truly outstanding. This past week, I was coaching a kids' class. As we got into the latter stages of the class, I decided to have fun and let the kids do some sparring. It's not hard to tell when a kid is getting upset at their partner for whatever reason. I usually do not step in right away if kids are getting upset at each other because they should learn from early on to work things out. If it escalates to a more physical altercation, then I step in, very calmy, and ask what's the problem. The last thing you want to do, and I have done it a lot in the past, is come in pissed off and start yelling at the kids; they are already upset so yelling won't alleviate the tension. Anyways, a couple of kids quickly turned a Jiu-Jitsu sparring session into a brawl. These two boys have been having a problem with each other for a few weeks. At first, I thought it would be best to separate them to stop any future conflicts, but as I thought about this more at home, I realized this was the easy way out. It's not right to let kids off the hook that easy. It is extremely important to allow kids to get into uncomfortable situations where walking away just isn't an option, period.
Long-lasting relationship
Here is why I think relationships made while training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are different. This applies both for kids and adults. On your first few weeks, if not months, you'll get into very uncomfortable situations such as having someone on top of you, being taken down and not knowing how to properly fall, getting choked from the back and front, etc. If a kid manages to keep on showing up and start to develop a relationship with other kids that are doing this to him/her, it transcends any other type of altercation you may encounter in a friend-to-friend relationship. I think we can agree that it does not get any worse than having someone sweaty on top of you, choking you. I have seen it multiple times how these kids that were just grappling each other a few seconds ago, can sit on the couch and play video games with each other, smiling. I see the same kids attend each other's birthday parties and it reassures me that the bond they have developed on the mats has transcended to an off-the-mat, long-lasting relationship.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article helped you, as a parent, to decide which type of Martial Arts for kids suits your kid best. If I were you, I'll definitely give it a try and put mine in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Sure you can try Karate classes, MMA, and kickboxing for kids, but do some research on BJJ with your kid and let them choose that for themselves by explaining a couple of the benefits I just mentioned.
Oss
Most parents, unless you have trained some type of Martial Art, are clueless as to what type of Martial Art for kids is the best one. Should you follow the flyer that advertises Karate classes for kids? MMA for kids? Kickboxing for kids? These are legitimate questions. It is imperative to give the right development to your kid in their early years. Please, do not make the mistake my mom did when she saw the ad "Karate for kids" on a banner somewhere in my elementary school and decided to sign me up right away without consulting with me.
If I was a parent trying to decide which type of Martial Art should I put my kid in, I would start off by watching videos with my kid so that he/she can see the differences between each Martial Art. Not only can you get a feel for what your kid will most likely like, but also, you are learning about the topic yourself. Additionally, you can ask other parents if they got their kids in any type of Martial Arts. When you hear what they got to say, talk about it with your kid and see how the conversation goes. Because my mom shoved me in Karate classes at an early age, which I strongly disliked, I had a bad taste for Martial Arts. It's a shame I had this mentality from 11 years old up until I found Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at 21 years of age.
Who knows, maybe I would have not liked BJJ at an early age and ended up not training at all, but, I highly doubt it. This was a mistake by my mother that I do not wish any parent to make. If I would have found Jiu Jitsu at an earlier age, I could only imagine where my level will be at today. Not to blame my mom because I believe she had a good intention when she saw the Karate for kids banner and signed me up. She didn't know any better, but now you do. I will never forget a saying that I once heard, "a smart man learns from his mistakes, a wise man learns from the mistakes of others".
Kids BJJ
Jiu Jitsu classes for kids I highly believe is the way to go. Other types of Martial Arts can definitely benefit your child, however, the community and lessons you learn in BJJ are truly outstanding. This past week, I was coaching a kids' class. As we got into the latter stages of the class, I decided to have fun and let the kids do some sparring. It's not hard to tell when a kid is getting upset at their partner for whatever reason. I usually do not step in right away if kids are getting upset at each other because they should learn from early on to work things out. If it escalates to a more physical altercation, then I step in, very calmy, and ask what's the problem. The last thing you want to do, and I have done it a lot in the past, is come in pissed off and start yelling at the kids; they are already upset so yelling won't alleviate the tension. Anyways, a couple of kids quickly turned a Jiu-Jitsu sparring session into a brawl. These two boys have been having a problem with each other for a few weeks. At first, I thought it would be best to separate them to stop any future conflicts, but as I thought about this more at home, I realized this was the easy way out. It's not right to let kids off the hook that easy. It is extremely important to allow kids to get into uncomfortable situations where walking away just isn't an option, period.
Long-lasting relationship
Here is why I think relationships made while training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are different. This applies both for kids and adults. On your first few weeks, if not months, you'll get into very uncomfortable situations such as having someone on top of you, being taken down and not knowing how to properly fall, getting choked from the back and front, etc. If a kid manages to keep on showing up and start to develop a relationship with other kids that are doing this to him/her, it transcends any other type of altercation you may encounter in a friend-to-friend relationship. I think we can agree that it does not get any worse than having someone sweaty on top of you, choking you. I have seen it multiple times how these kids that were just grappling each other a few seconds ago, can sit on the couch and play video games with each other, smiling. I see the same kids attend each other's birthday parties and it reassures me that the bond they have developed on the mats has transcended to an off-the-mat, long-lasting relationship.
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Conclusion
Hopefully, this article helped you, as a parent, to decide which type of Martial Arts for kids suits your kid best. If I were you, I'll definitely give it a try and put mine in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Sure you can try Karate classes, MMA, and kickboxing for kids, but do some research on BJJ with your kid and let them choose that for themselves by explaining a couple of the benefits I just mentioned.
Oss
It is really a helpful blog to find some different source to add my knowledge. jiu jitsu belts
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