Why Kids should train in Jiu-Jitsu
If there are two things I can confidently say about most, if not all parents, is that we want our kids to live healthy, happy lives and we will always worry about their safety. As parents, we always try to make decisions that are in the best interest of our children. Approximately 9 years ago my wife and I made one of the single best decisions of our lives. We enrolled our 4 year old son in Jiu-Jitsu.
When we walked through the door at Odyssey Martials Arts Academy we had one objective. Provide our son a way of defending himself should he ever find himself in a physical altercation. Even at such a young age there were moments where other children treated him poorly and we knew we weren’t always going to be there to help when this happens. What we didn’t realize at the time was how important Jiu-Jitsu would become in his life and ours as a family.
Over the past 9 years, our children have learned far more than how to defend themselves in a physical altercation should one arise.
The purpose of this article is to share some of the most important values and benefits Jiu-Jitsu can offer your child.
1. Self Defense:
Statistically, most physical altercations will eventually end up on the ground. With Jiu-Jitsu being built on ground fighting skills including grappling, submission and takedown techniques your child will be far more equipped to defend themselves.
2. Physical Fitness / Healthy Habits:
Jiu-Jitsu is both physically and mentally demanding. It requires physical effort, flexibility and endurance. As kids train they will improve their strength, agility and overall physical fitness.
3. Increased Confidence:
Confidence is such an important trait for children to develop, and training in Jiu-Jitsu can help with that. By learning techniques and skills, kids will gain a sense of pride and accomplishment. And as their ability to defend themselves grows, so will their confidence.
4. Teaches Discipline, Respect and Humility:
Jiu-Jitsu requires plenty of discipline to improve. It also teaches you respect and humility as you train with your partners. Kids will learn to control their emotions and respect their training partners, which will also help them in the future, building quality relationships with others.
5. Provides a Safe and Fun Outlet for Energy:
As we all know, kids have a lot of energy. Jiu-Jitsu will provide them a safe and fun outlet for them to blow off steam while also building their skills up.
6. Improves Concentration & Focus:
Jiu-Jitsu requires kids to focus on techniques and strategies which will help improve their ability to concentrate and focus on and off the mat. This will benefit them in school and any other area of life where concentration and focus are required.
7. Overcome Adversity & Build Character
With such a focus on humility & respect in Jiu-Jitsu it will force a child to develop a strong moral character. They will learn that winning isn’t always everything and losing is a part of life. Every loss becomes an opportunity to proactively learn and grow. They will learn to accept constructive criticism and take responsibility for their actions.
8. Friendship & Camaraderie
Friends who train together, grow together. Both in Jiu-Jitsu and in life. In time your child will have a group of battle buddies that push each other to get better. To get stronger. All while sharing common goals and equally as important….laughs!
9. Goal Setting / Accomplishment
The moment your child learns to tie their white belt around their waste they will start learning the fundamentals and developing their Jiu-Jitsu skills from the ground up (pun fully intended). Each belt serves as a sense of accomplishment for your child and reason to celebrate their hard work and dedication. And best of all, builds a direct link between hard work and reward. If you want to advance in Jiu-Jitsu you need to earn it. What better lesson in life can a child receive than this?
10. Additional Value Structure
We have all heard the saying, “it takes a village to raise a child.” For my wife and I, this is almost certainly the one that we personally value the most. To have another voice in the ears of our children communicating the values and skills required for them to live healthy and happy lives makes us feel so incredibly thankful.
These are just some of the values and benefits that Jiu-Jitsu has provided our children. If you are entertaining putting your child in Jiu-Jitsu, wait no longer. If your child has half the experience ours have since enrolling them at Odyssey Martial Arts Academy, it will be one of the best decisions you too have made as a parent.
Michael Young
Jiu-Jitsu Parent and Student
