But My Child Isn’t A Fighter, Why Do They Need Jiu-Jitsu?
Jiu-Jitsu Is The “Super-Food” Of Activities
But my child isn’t a fighter, why do they need Jiu-Jitsu?
This is a question we get a lot from parents. They like the benefits that Jiu-Jitsu has to offer, such as increased focus, discipline, physical strength, and reduced screen time. But why do they need to enroll their child in a martial art? Can't they just play soccer or throw a football around? While traditional sports have some benefit attached to them, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is like the superfood of activities. There is so much benefit to be extracted from every single class, it's like combining the benefits of four different activities into one.
A few of the major benefits that parents see within the first month of Jiu-Jitsu, (though this is not an exhaustive list) are as follows:
Discipline
It's important when looking for a Jiu-Jitsu academy that the classes are appropriately staffed and structured. A teacher to student ratio of at least 8:1 is ideal. After all, if you wanted your child to have recess, you could take them to a playground.
Getting in Shape, Like REAL Good Shape
Now every sport has it’s benefit:
Soccer = Endurance
Football = Agility and Strength (With an added bonus of concussions)
Swimming = Cardio
Basketball = Coordination
With Jiu-Jitsu, your child will get ALL of these physical benefits at every single class. Don’t be surprised if their pants start to get a little baggy and you see more definition in their arms and jawline, Jiu-Jitsu is a full-body workout from head-to-toe.
Mental Health
The duration of childhood is rapidly shrinking. With kids hitting puberty at the youngest age in history they are not only dealing with physical changes, but they are facing social pressures and adult decisions at incredibly young ages. As an alternative (or in addition) to counseling, many parents are turning to Jiu-Jitsu as a physical outlet to deal with the anxiety, rage, and frustration that many kids battle with.
Routine / Structure
Kids look forward to coming to Jiu-Jitsu and seeing the friends that they make there. While it might take a moment to get in groove of swapping Fortnite for Jiu-Jitsu, your kid will LOVE it!
After the first month, we have countless parents telling us how their little warrior is rushing to get ready and get out the door to Jiu-Jitsu all by themselves.
Social Skills.
This is where you'll start to see the difference between Jiu-Jitsu and other activities. At Metro Jiu-Jitsu specifically, we focus heavily on character development. We still value the morals and social habits that we were raised with and we enforce them in our academy.
These could be simple things such as:
Eye Contact
Befriending The New Kid
Asking Good Questions, (And Not Simply Making Random Statements Of Fact)
Proper Posture
Cleaning Your Room
Being Silent When Adults Are Speaking
To larger concepts like:
Honesty
Integrity
Mutual Respect
Teamwork
Obedience
Work Ethic
Summary
Rather than trying to enroll your child in “everything” to help them develop physically, mentally, and socially. Give them the “Superfood” of activities that will not only serve them as children, but far into adulthood as well.
Author
David Fox
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt (Under Danny Alvarez)
Coach/Co-Owner Of Metro Jiu-Jitsu
Metrojj.com
