KIDS
BAD DOG BJJ Kids Club offers Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes in a safe and friendly environment. Kids learn the gentle art through fun games and drills, and develop self defence and ground grappling skills in a logical, controlled manner.
After consistent and regular training, improvements in the following areas are often noticed by the children's parents and school teachers :
COMMUNICATION, DISCIPLINE & RESPECT
During the classes the children learn to communicate with other kids of all ages and varying backgrounds and nationalities, as well as authority figures such as the Professor and assistant instructors. While not as military-like as some Japanese martial arts, BJJ does put an emphasis on order, such as when to listen, when to speak and how to ask questions. Through regular training, kids learn punctuality, accountability and sportsmanship. Children often work in pairs as they learn the new moves whilst drilling, playing games, and live rolling. They learn to help each other. They learn to trust each other. And, most importantly, they learn to respect each other.
FOCUS
It's said that focus is just a muscle that needs to be trained. Learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is fun but the techniques are very detailed and can be complicated to learn and execute. Kids enjoy the challenge, and are forced to pay attention to instructors to be able to be successful. The practice of focussing on the mats often transfers into other sports, into better concentration at school, and carrying out chores at home.
COORDINATION & BODY AWARENESS
Not all children are naturally gifted with athletic grace, but BJJ can help everyone develop and maintain coordination skills through regular training. Learning Jiu Jitsu requires a child to execute techniques that contain many small details. Learning to perform and remember these techniques develops strong neuromuscular connections and increases coordination, base and balance. All BJJ practitioners develop advanced body awareness for themselves and their training partners. It becomes instinctive to control limbs in space, to understand how the joints can be manipulated and therefore decreases the chance of injury.
CONFIDENCE
Unlike Karate, you will not see a child in BJJ screaming and breaking boards, instead they will be engaged in a real life combat situation trying to grapple their way into a dominant position or escaping an uncomfortable and compromising position. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gives the child a real confidence and way to defend themselves without having to punch or kick. In true martial arts spirit, they’ll know how to deal with potential conflict situations without resorting to violence. It’s an unfortunate reality that bullying is extremely common in the playground. BJJ teaches kids that physical violence is only to be used as a last resort: only when they are attacked and there is no other option. They will learn to mobilize their energy to protect themselves and control their opponents safely.
RESPONSIBILITY
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu teaches children that hard work and persistence matters far more than physical ability. And, as a result, children learn how their actions produce certain outcomes. They become responsible for the results of their training.
When a child loses in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu sparring match, they learn to take responsibility for the result. They can’t blame teammates or coaches, they can only reflect on the actions that gave them the result. A child who learns to take individual responsibility for their results will become a responsible adult.
HUMILITY
Your child will inevitably experience failure during training, but they will learn that it is not the end of their journey. They will understand that failing is a part of the work. Students become empowered by failure, motivated to do better and improve their skills. We want them to achieve great success, and a healthy relationship with failure is essential to real growth. One of the critical components of any martial art is learning how to be humble in both victory and defeat. As part of a community of students, your child will learn how everyone works toward the betterment of the whole team.
HEALTHY BJJ LIFESTYLE
BJJ provides a fun and demanding cardiovascular workout for your child and they will LOVE doing it. Through BJJ they will gain core strength, and have more energy and stamina for demanding activities. The term "Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle" describes the way many practitioners learn to live. BJJ can be demanding physically, therefore living a healthy life becomes a necessity. Eating healthy foods, sleeping correctly, drinking plenty of water and stretching daily is vital.
FRIENDSHIP
Friendship is a natural progression in training. While it may seem strange that students who are pitted against one another in sparring sessions would be friends, the mutual struggle and practice lead to commonality and community. BJJ also teaches children to face the unknown with confidence, which means they are often more willing to introduce themselves to other students.
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ OUR SAFETY & CONDUCT GUIDELINES HERE >>
