Why it is important to have your children learn Jiu Jitsu the right way

For a number of years before I became a black belt I observed the relationship that kids, their parents, and their instructors have with Jiu Jitsu. Broadly speaking, it always seemed there was a big disconnect of expectations, which inevitably resulted in a shorter tenure of the student in the school.

For the most part, parents want their children to learn how to defend themselves, exercise, burn some of that energy and instill a sense of discipline, and boost self-confidence. Instructors want the students to follow the class, learn the basic body movements, learn basic techniques, and drill. Kids just want one thing. To have fun. This is where the conflict resides. It is very hard to expect that a child will be able to retain attention, perform techniques (as simple as they may be) to perfection, enjoy and see the value in learning them if they are not having fun.

The Jiu Jitsu class for the child needs to be as exciting as going to the playground, and generally speaking, children younger than 10, need to be introduced to the Jiu Jitsu techniques through play. To an untrained eye, a simple game might seem like a silly waste of time, but to an educated and prepared Jiu Jitsu instructor, this is the perfect channel to introduce the most essential body movements and techniques to the child. Their ability to learn and retain those techniques will happen in a transparent way to the child. They will be executing many of the Jiu Jitsu most important moves, without knowing that they are doing it. Different types of games and activities should be the cornerstone of a kid’s curriculum until they are ready to be shown how those fun games and activities translate into practical self-defense and Jiu Jitsu techniques. That’s how you start a child in Jiu Jitsu and as importantly, that’s how you keep a child interested in Jiu Jitsu. The deeper understanding of the techniques, the more demanding and intense sparring sessions, they will all come on the proper time. It really is one of the most precious gifts you can give to your child, that will be carried for the rest of their lives and influence every other aspect of their lives.

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