Five Reasons to Enroll your Child in Kids BJJ Class

Brazilian jiu-jitsu has recently exploded in popularity among adults of all ages [hyperlink to FAQ section here] — but what about kids? 

Good news: as it turns out, jiu-jitsu is both an excellent family bonding activity and a healthy, productive energy outlet for children of all ages. A good kids’ BJJ program [Scott Dance BJJ | Kids BJJ in Arlington, VA] provides all the physical and social benefits of enrolling your child in a local youth sports league, while instilling them with valuable life skills such as respectful communication, firm boundary setting, and a realistic understanding of self-defense.

Here are just a few of the benefits your child can gain through a well-structured kids’ BJJ program:

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1. Learn self-defense skills that deescalate — rather than encourage — physical violence.

The scalability of Brazilian jiu-jitsu [hyperlink to FAQ section here] make this grappling-based martial art an ideal self-defense system. The use of controlled pins and takedowns instead of kicking or punching minimizes the potential for serious injury, and educates children on safe ways to deescalate physical altercations.

BJJ teaches children to protect themselves when necessary, while encouraging them to avoid answering violence with violence wherever possible. Kids learn how use basic grip breaks (instead of a punch to the face) to deal with an unwanted wrist grab from a bigger, more aggressive child ; they learn to pin a bully’s arms and wait for a teacher to intervene (instead of engaging in a schoolyard fistfight); if cornered and pushed to the ground, they learn to get up safely and run away from a dangerous situation (instead of sticking around and picking an unnecessary fight). 

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2.  Develop social skills and build new friendships.

The SDJJ kids’ BJJ program [Scott Dance BJJ | Kids BJJ in Arlington, VA] teaches children to work together through fun, accessible grappling-based exercises — cleverly disguised as entertaining “games” — that also slowly, sneakily improve their jiu-jitsu skills. In the process, they bond with their classmates, learn to play safely together, and develop key social skills such as teamwork, boundary setting, and communication.

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3.  Become comfortable with setting and respecting boundaries.

Healthy boundary setting is baked into the language of jiu-jitsu. As we sometimes tell our youngest students, the most powerful move in jiu-jitsu is the “tap” — if you signal to your training partner that you no longer feel safe engaging with them physically, your partner must immediately stop. This teaches children the simple but crucial concept of consent early in their social development — and informs their behavior thereafter. 

Furthermore, the self-defense component of our jiu-jitsu program teaches children how to safely enforce their own boundaries when others fail to respect them — first with words, and then, if absolutely necessary, with actions. 

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4.  Learn physical discipline and energy management through fun, stimulating engagement with other children.

We love seeing kids having fun on the mats, but we also recognize the importance of discipline in our sport. In addition to burning up their physical energy, jiu-jitsu also forces kids to think — after all, becoming a good grappler requires attention to detail, consistency in practice, and strategic thinking. 

Students in the SDJJ kids’ BJJ program [Scott Dance BJJ | Kids BJJ in Arlington, VA] quickly learn that listening politely to coaches, paying attention to instructions, and being a good partner to their classmates isn’t just a matter of “good manners” — it also improves their jiu-jitsu skills faster. 

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5. Establish a foundation of healthy, athletic habits for life.

Anyone who’s ever attended one of our jiu-jitsu classes [Scott Dance BJJ | BJJ and Grappling Studio in Arlington, VA] can tell you that this sport is a full body workout! In this respect, kids’ classes are no exception. Through warmups, drilling, sparring, and of course, games, children develop cardiovascular endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. The gamified nature of jiu-jitsu — which inherently encourages healthy competition — makes physical exercise fun, exciting, and rewarding for kids of all ages.

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Ready to sign your little one up for their first BJJ lesson? Learn more about the SDJJ kids’ program [Scott Dance BJJ | BJJ and Grappling Studio in Arlington, VA] and book a visit today.

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