How to Involve Kids in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a martial art discipline that uses grappling and ground-fighting techniques similar to judo and jiu-jitsu, can teach kids to be stronger, more confident and less prone to bullies. The fundamentals of Brazilian jiu-jitsu focus on how a smaller, weaker person can defend against a larger opponent through the use of leverage and flexibility.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor

1. Tell your children the history of the sport, and how it was developed to promote health and strength among young people in particular. Kano Jigoro, who developed judo over 100 years ago, originally taught the martial art to youngsters in an effort to build character, spiritual strength and physical fitness. Most training centers specializing in Brazilian jiu-jitsu retain the same values by providing classes for youngsters that teach respect, discipline and how to have fun.
2. Explain the differences between judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. While both disciplines focus on grappling and throwing techniques and teach students how to use an opponent's strength against him, Brazilian jiu-jitsu concentrates more on fighting techniques that are used once both opponents are on the ground and battling for dominance.
3. Present Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a solution for a small child who may be the victim of bullies. Brazilian jiu-jitsu provides many effective techniques that allow a smaller fighter to gain an advantage over a much larger opponent through the use of leverage, flexibility and the ability to turn an opponent's weight against him. Brazilian jiu-jitsu excels at building confidence, fighting skills and physical fitness among smaller, weaker children.
4. Take your kids to a local martial arts training center so they can observe a Brazilian jiu-jitsu class in session. Once they see the enthusiasm exhibited by the other kids in the class, your children probably will want to enroll.
5. Support your children throughout their lessons. The classes may be rigorous, and the instructors may be demanding and unyielding, but the gains in confidence and strength compensate for the difficulty. If your child is having a specific problem during the class, speak with an instructor to see if the two of you can resolve it.

Tips & Warnings

• Judo and jiu-jitsu are designed to conquer an opponent without inflicting too much pain. Share this philosophy with your child if he is skittish about being hurt during a practice. Make sure the training center you pick adheres to it.