Do you want your child to develop the confidence, discipline, and resilience needed to handle life’s challenges? This is precisely what Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) can do for them!
This dynamic martial art originated in Brazil almost a century ago and focuses on leverage and technique to control opponents. Also known as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, named after the family responsible for popularizing it, BJJ has grown into a beloved sport practiced by millions worldwide – according to research done by Ask Wonder, there are around 3 million practitioners!
For children, the benefits of learning BJJ extend far beyond just learning cool moves, serving as a tremendous vehicle for personal growth and development. In this article, we’ll explore the numerous and diverse benefits of BJJ for kids that make it an excellent choice for kids of all ages.
So, let’s get started!
Key benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for kids
While a fun activity for many children due to all those cool moves they learn, practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (or, really, any other martial art) can offer tremendous benefits for child development. When they take on martial arts as a hobby, they embark on a journey that helps them shape their character and instills core life skills that traditional schools usually won’t. With BJJ in particular, these life benefits come down to:
It teaches them discipline
The world we live in is filled to the brim with distractions – phone notifications, advertisements, and especially social media are all designed to be as attractive as possible. Practicing BJJ can help kids mitigate their effects as it requires focus and discipline: to progress through the belts, children must show up consistently, pay close attention to their instructors, and practice learned moves with diligence.
For learned techniques to become second nature, practicing them over and over requires patience and perseverance from children. Whether it’s perfecting a roll or how to break a grip, the tiny, but incremental successes toward a goal are an amazing way to teach kids the power of consistent and long-lasting effort – discipline itself!
It helps them build resilience
The deliberate practice of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an impressive way to develop grit and resilience in kids. Learning to power through the inevitable challenges and setbacks of grappling can teach many things about life. For instance, when an opponent gets the upper hand and they have to tap out, practitioners understand that they must pick themselves up and have another shot.
Additionally, dealing with the adversities on the mat, like trying to escape a submission hold or an armlock, strengthens their perseverance and mental fortitude across all areas of life. They become used to putting more effort into things no matter the outcome. Win or lose, practicing martial arts makes kids more resilient when faced with life’s curveballs.
Additional benefits of practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Besides developing higher levels of confidence, discipline, and resilience, kids get to enjoy other cool perks from practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
For example, as they playfully tumble and grapple over the mat, their overall fitness level and coordination will improve. The martial art’s constant movement and drilling of techniques also enhance their focus and mental sharpness, improving reaction times and developing their abilities to deal with pressure.
Furthermore, it makes kids more aware of their bodies, teaching them how to regulate their breathing and improve their mindfulness.
The social aspect of practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is another amazing perk for younger students. Academies like Phenom BJJ, located in the San Fernando Valley, provide a clean and safe environment for making new friends and interacting cooperatively. Partner drills are a common activity, teaching them how to work together towards a shared goal and boosting their levels of empathy – so much so even police officers are taking classes.
Learning how to win and lose with grace, congratulate opponents even after an uneven match, and uphold values like respect and discipline breeds humility and maturity. Triumphs and defeats are regular occurrences when sparring with peers, and learning how to deal with both in healthy ways is a great skill to teach kids from an early age.
Following on the last point, BJJ is a broad subject. Oftentimes, kids will come across guards, styles, and even techniques they’re not familiar with, which leads to experimentation and on-the-fly improvisation (and helping kids develop their problem-solving skills).
While not its primary goal, practicing grappling arts equips kids with self-defense skills that might prove useful in real-life situations. In these classes, they learn how techniques for subduing opponents, like arm locks, pins, and chokes all have practical applications if needed for protection. The exercises might feel repetitive, but it’s for a good reason: it ingrains muscle memory, so kids can react faster to potentially dangerous scenarios.
Finally, one of the best things about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is that it doesn’t usually feel like a chore, which is a big plus for kids. Rolling around with their friends while trying to apply newfound techniques is an entertaining activity, and so is striving to get the next stripe or belt, fostering a sense of friendly competition.
Phenom BJJ Academy: the best in Los Angeles
In conclusion, the many physical, psychological, and character-building benefits make Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu an outstanding activity for kids. For them, BJJ feels like a fun activity, but they gain so much more than entertainment: children become more confident, resilient, and disciplined. It also serves as a great workout and equips them with life-saving self-defense skills.
As a parent, you want your children to be equipped with the best possible tools right from the start - and BJJ provides exactly that! At Phenom Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, we strive to create a fun and safe learning environment for adults and kids of all ages.
Our age-specific classes for children offer a tailored training experience, emphasizing core values like respect, discipline, and team spirit. Under the guidance of our expert instructors, children develop the confidence and perseverance that will serve them well in all aspects of life.
For our youngest students ages 4 to 7, we have the Little Sieto, providing a fun introduction to BJJ with age-appropriate activities. Children over 7 can join our core Phenom BJJ classes to begin learning the fundamental techniques of grappling art, building a solid foundation for later classes. Finally, for teenagers, our Teen Class BJJ program allows older kids to train together, with drills and exercises adapted to their proficiency level.
Whether a small kid or a teenager, we welcome everyone in our close-knit community at Phenom Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Empower your child and enroll them today! And if you’re in doubt, don’t worry - because you can schedule a free trial class for your little one by clicking here. We’ll be waiting for you with open arms!