Every child should be put into some type of developmental activity when they are young, whether it is dance, gymnastics, or martial arts etc. I feel as though Jiu Jitsu would quite possibly be the best sport you could start a child in though. It promotes confidence, discipline, respect, and many other developmental qualities.
Children are like sponges. When they are young and as they grow they absorb everything they see and listen to. It is important to surround them in a positive atmosphere so that they grow as an individual in a positive sense. Jiu jitsu allows them to do so. Not only does it teach them a form of self-defense, it also teaches many life lessons as well that a child can carry with them. Jiu Jitsu is one of the most practical martial arts you can put your child in. When you think about other martial arts, many involve striking. Do you really want your child throwing up their fists? Today especially we see a lot of bullying in schools. BJJ allows the child to work from the ground and gain control. We certainly do not want to encourage children to fight if they have the option to defend and find a way out of the situation.
As far as confidence goes, many children are shy or maybe not as social as others. Putting them in BJJ will allow that confidence to grow. Whether they are athletic or not, working with our children and receiving positive reinforcement will guarantee that their confidence will improve. Also, because of the practicality of the sport the confidence they gain will not be a false one. Many martial arts such as karate, incorporate flashy moves or board breaking. While these aspects may be fun, they are not going to carry over into real life scenarios, which In return could give your child a false sense of confidence.
Another huge benefit for kids in relation to BJJ is the physical benefits that come along with it. Today’s society is made up of video games and social media. Kids will spend hours on the couch or on their computers playing video games and being inactive. BJJ will teach your child how to live a healthy lifestyle which is so important to learn at a young age. We all know bad habits are hard to break once they’re established. Teaching them healthy habits at a young age will result in a manifestation of a positive life. They will burn calories, increase flexibility, improve balance and coordination and so much more. Jiu jitsu teaches self-defense but also teaches you how to take care of your body.
Jiu Jitsu will also give your child mental clarity and improve on their mental mind state. The physical part plays a big role, but the mental aspect is just as important. Your child will develop a sense of discipline which results from the “never give up” attitude that Jiu Jitsu instills in people. Due to the complexity of the art, it can take a very long time to reach Black Belt. This is good however, because it develops character along the way. Your child will become mentally strong because of how challenging this sport can be at times and they will learn not to put limits on themselves and to work towards becoming the best they possibly can be.
Finally, FRIENDS! Jiu jitsu is amazing for kids (and adults) because they will develop bonds with their training partners. Eventually your training partners turn to family, and I can’t think of anything much more positive than that.
I totally agree.
The same can be said about any quality martial arts program not just BJJ. As a practitioner and instructor of several martial arts styles including BJJ. I can sadly say that BJJ is one of the worst arts for self defense. The last thing you want to do is be on the ground in a fight, it leaves you open to attack from a third party. I do think a graping art should be blended into a striking art and the focus should be on getting back to your feet if you are taken down. A submission is great in competition but useless in a street fight and the last thing you want is a kid breaking a limb or choking another child unconscious. A good quick bunch or kick to the gut can usually turn the tides without causing damage that will result in permanent injury or a law suit from an angry patent.
Daniel “thunder”, lol at BJJ not being good self defense. Apparently, you’ve lived under a rock the past 20 years.
I have had many students use Bjj to neutralize aggression and, when necessary, use it to finish fights. You are an idiot. Dumbass.
The statement from Daniel is the farthest thing from the truth. Jiu Jitsu works to negate size and strength without having to hurt your opponent or attacker. Standup arts lack real life practice. How can one be fully prepared for a real life fight when only practicing fighting the air or breaking boards. Boards don’t hit back. And as for the comment about grappling not working because it’s on the ground, well, 95% of all confrontations end up on the ground. Daniel, walk into a legit BJJ school and offer up a challenge to a Blue Belt student (still a baby in the BJJ belt system) and then realize that you’ve wasted 20 years practicing an art or arts that have no practical applications to real life combat fighting. And if you really trained BJJ, you wouldn’t have made that silly, nonsensical statement.
BJJ not self defense?? I hope the Gracies don’t read this. I want to know how anyone who teaches and learns BJJ not be taught that it is from self defense. The ground game is part of it but that became more of the sport aspect of BJJ. BJJ is the best form of self defense. BJJ is one of the only true forms of MMA. It incorporates such arts as Judo, Akido(sp), wrestling and ground fighting. Any fool can punch and kick. It has been proven over and over again that BJJ is the best art and the best form of self defense. That is also a reason why the Gracies came to the US and started the UFC. It was to prove that if you have a tournament with the best in their respective arts. BJJ would be the best where size does not matter.
Daniel, I can respectfully say you don’t train traditional BJJ if you think it’s not the most efficient self-defence, and furthermore, I can almost guarantee your an old “karate guy” that has some limited experience in your karate systems ground fighting. Do you realize that BJJ is widely recognized as the most efficient martial arts in the world? Not just by the BJJ community but by almost everyone and anyone – except old school karate guys and those no-touch psychos that think their Chi is going to help them.
If you are a bjj practitioner you should know that 90% of fights lead to the ground. Upon naturally fumbling over an untrained person and their lack of balance, the ground is the most likely place for a fight to be. It's also called 'grappling'. And Grandmaster Hello Gracie's vision was to one, evade or in the case that wasn't an option, two defend and evade. A good bjj practitioner teaches children not to stay on the ground but to keep your head and eyes alert and get up off the ground. Also. A good vast, quick kick to the gut can be hard. Even at an adult age. It focuses on strength, agility, quickness… follow? Some kids aren't naturally equipped with those abilities. Bjj focuses on leverage and mechanics. Now please understand that I post as respectfully as possible and I look forward to learning more about ALL martial arts, but you need to post facts to prevent deterring these parents on the Ole Google webbernet these days, from putting their child in an activity that would motivate and inspire 'un' athletic child into building the confidence to be something great.. if they fail continuously because they aren't fast enough, or strong enough, or agile enough, then what is that doing for their motivation and confidence. I appreciate and admire all martial arts, but BJJ is the place to be for self defense. If you are only teaching submissions and not a bully safe or street ready program, you're not teaching Gracie Jiu Jitsu. OSS!!!
WORD!!!
WORD OSSS!!
Dude you have no clue what you are talking about!!! I have been in many fights because of working security in some of the most notorious clubs on LI.BJJ is hands down the best art.Children are told to never choke a person thought it is very safe to do for adults I do not trust kids to know when enough is enough.These are things in case his life is in danger taking a person down and having knee on belly usually stops most fights I cannot tell you how many parents have thankied me because their child was finally confronted by the bus or school bully .I have been teaching Kids BJJ for since 2002 Never once a bad story >I am tried of people who know little telling me of third party as if we are going to pull guard or something stupid like that in fact the Jiu Jitsu practicioner would only be on his back in worst case scenario it is the attacker that winds up on his or her butt for not knowing jiu jitsu.BJJ what other style can help the Non Athletic child have a chance!!! What other style can help a 10 year old fend of a 12 or 13 year old???? I Grew up in a violent neighborhood and I learned Martial arts my whole life I would be damned to let someone like you take us backwards in time.Yeah you go telll a 10 year old to just punch the 12 year old in the gut when he gets rolled up on…YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER!
Wow Paul thank you you complete changed every fact and statistic for me. My years of training in BJJ as well as other arts and my years as an officer were wasted I could have listened to the opinion of this righter and you. Wow thank god you stepped in when you did now I can drink the kool aid too.
No one said BJJ wasn't good just not a complete art like most striking arts that's why you blend that's why the UFC went from style vs style to fighter vs fighter but hey you do your thing best of luck
Brazilian Dance fighting is the best in a street fight! You're opponent will be too busy laughing to kick your ***…
Daniel Thunder Semeraro Jr. Actually, you did kind of say Jiu Jitsu is no good when you stated "BJJ is one of the worst arts for self-defense". Yes, your remarks were more subtle, but still. Also, few would disagree with you that BJJ doesn't work so well against multiple attackers, but then, what martial art really does work well against multiple attackers? Few would disagree with you that BJJ combined with good striking skills is certainly better for self-defense than BJJ alone or striking alone. Oh, and no disrespect intended to you personally, an interesting conversation.
BJJ is not the worst self defense sport. I agree that different knowledge is useful, but for KIDS, I don't think you need to train them like MMA fighters. Kids already know how to punch or kick each other, but if they know how to evade a punch and take someone down and hold them in a position, they are in a much better place than standing toe to toe with a kid and getting hit. If they're getting punch or kicked by the bully more than likely the fight will go to the ground and the kid that knows BJJ will know what to do. If the BJJ kid was trained properly, they will probably just put the bully in a position where they can't move.
Bla,bla bla…jujitsu is the best martial,art,bla,bla bla,karate has is weak spots,as jujitsu,judo ,mma,etc…all the same!If u train hard,every martial art is very dangerous!Jujitsu is not the most complete martial art,is just a martial,art,like others are…respect everyone if u want respect (U dont have to criticize other martial art to sell)
First MMA has statistically narrowed it down to 1 in 4 fights go to the ground. Second.. I just saw a video of your school promoting KIDS 4 to 5 putting an armbar on one another!!! Shame on you!! a child has no control to know that that levereage can break and permanently disable someone. Third your nascar suits are a joke. bjj is nothing more than a practical version of judokan or judoku. lady your dangerous to the community! Fourth royce couldnt defend himself against the fighters nowadays! yes he was the first with the gracie challenge but he dropped out as the spirt was evolving… Boooooo!! to you your propaganda and bringing kids into it!!
Paul Rodriguez Ok I couldn't read all your smart mouth remarks before but now that I see it all you are a typical BJJ guy all attitude and no one is allowed to express their opinion your beloved style. How am I take the martial arts back? first off I trained with the founders of the art long before the UFC brought it to the general public. you are saying that kids always listen in every situation so there is no chance that they will choke a bully or break his/her arm. So in your enlightened wisdom an 11 year old will be able to take down the 13 year old and hold him in position you Sir are delusional. BJJ is good when blended with another art like I stated before UFC was style vs style and evolved to fighter vs fighter you can say what you will but BJJ is not a complete art and much better for sport than self defense. you yourself said you studied striking arts so in reality you blend your styles. the article says that BJJ teaches respect and discipline, if you are an example of that then my point is already made. The Gracie family built there empire by challenging people and generally being bullies themselves because they had money to suppress other people that trained under Mitsuyo Maeda. any grappling art combined with a solid striking art is better than pure BJJ. fights start standing not on the ground as most BJJ schools start form their knees,that would mean the student would have to get knocked down before he was able to get knee on belly or what ever other technique you think would end a fight. you state that you grew up in a tough area, you honestly thing a fight will be over from knee on belly. if so then your area is not as tough as you think. I believe that a grappling art is needed but it should focus on getting up to a striking position, or a position to evade and leave the area. 30 years ago fights were fair, in today's world a fair fight is like finding a 4 leaf clover. But I digress you are the authority on self defense after all you are a bouncer.
Daniel go back to teaching at your mc dojo keep your fake karate to yourself.. Bjj is wrestling Judo and submissions nothing better than than combine that with little striking you got grade A self defense. you sound like Steven s with your b/s go teach your touch less knockouts you suck sir.. You’re no bjj teacher never heard anyone speak like that who teaches it… What mma school do your students show their skils at or which ibjjf tournament do you and your students take gold at.. You’re a karate fake. Kicking me in stomach gonna make everything stop. Nope.. How many mma fights have you won or this doesn’t count because ( on the street there could be more than one) this your excuse for not winning one ? Cause it doesn’t help when being jumped. Like the guy said way to take it back 10 years meaning thought we were past all the fake arts talking blah blah blah . Wrestling bjj Thai boxing nothing else compares
Hear hear! I don’t know what it is, but every BJJ person I talk to is like Trace with the brainwashed comments about BJJ being the “only effective self defense”! What is with that?
I find it so funny when I tell a BJJ person that I’ve studied martial arts. They (sometimes) ask if I studied karate, then all the sudden start ranting and raving about how ineffective Karate is! Even the ones who bother to ask if I studied karate don’t think to ask what form I studied. Nor do they stop to wonder if I studied more than karate (in fact, I have studied four forms of martial arts, inclusive of traditional Japanese jiu jitsu and judo!).
The other thing that strikes me is how I find BJJ folks that ONLY study BJJ, and really seem not to know anything about other martial arts forms. For example, they don’t realize there are multiple forms of karate, each very different from the other. Some are highly effective for self defense, others are much more suited to competition.
On the other hand, most serious martial arts practitioners I know have studied multiple forms, they also have taken time to learn about forms they don’t study. Thus a person like you and I are likely to have visited a BJJ gym at least once, read about and discussed many forms of martial arts, and respect most martial arts practitioners (regardless of form).
To point, just look at what Trace said — “keep your fake karate to yourself”. Even O Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, who was rumored to be unbeatable, would not make such a statement!
Daniel thunder semeraro….90% of all fights end on the ground…..you said you were a coo
P…dodnt they teach you to put the suspect on the ground? Or gain arm control? Bjj teachs you to subdue and eliminate the target from the ground….a peraon who isnt trained in anything which is 100% of all jackass criminals are gonna go to the ground….now…as a combat veteran of 9 years retired this came in very good hand when i got into a bar fight with 6 other people in seattle ……ya i got my *** beat…but 3 of them had broken arms and couldnt fighre out what to do in the first 5 mins….needless to say i didnt goto the hospital…..before you rant on about how bad bjj just remeber…you were trained in it at the acadamy just like i was in basic….they called it combatives…..knucklhead.
And on more remark…this goes to the website guys……i am reading that bjj is used to "hold people in positions" i would just like to clarify that if intended to use bjj it is highly effective in neutralizing the threat since its about rendering the attacker useless….and the fact people in ufc tap out is because they are not there to completely render the opponent worthless…..how far off am i?
Best Martial is one that utilises a firearm of some sort, not so practical for children these days..
Perhaps Brazilian jiu jitsu is different in my part of the country, but I have to strongly disagree with this article.
I have studied multiple martial arts forms, including traditional Japanese jiu jitsu. When applied to the traditional forms I studied, I am 100% in agreement with this article. Traditional martial arts, in fact, teach a lot of self-control, respect, and tolerance.
My experience with Brazilian jiu jitsu is markedly different. In fact, I was recently challenged to a parking log brawl by a practitioner of Brazilian jiu jitsu. I declined, even though he kept trying to push me into it.
I would like to put this off to an isolated whacky person. But on multiple occasions I have visited Brazilian jiu jitsu gyms (they seem to have dropped the traditional “dojo” as well as all of the signs of respect shown in a dojo), or engaged in discussion with BJJ practitioners to better understand the form. I have on every occasion found them to be more akin to street fighters than martial arts practitioners.
I would gladly take my child to any of the traditional martial arts I’ve studied — jiu jitsu, aikido, judo, or karate.
Having just said “karate”, every time I’ve told a BJJ person that I’ve studied martial arts, they automatically assume I’m a “karate guy” and immediately start showing their lack of respect as they tell me how worthless karate is. They never have bothered to even ask what martial arts I’ve taken before jumping into this! As it happens, I studied shotokan in the traditional manner. History has proven this form to be quite effective. But frankly, self defense is more about avoiding the need to use force than knowing how to use force.
Point in case, the BJJ person who challenged me to a brawl in the parking lot. I could have chosen to show him what a lifetime of mixed martial arts study has prepared me for when force is required. Instead, I avoided the need to use force. That is real self-defense. That is also what traditional martial arts has prepared me for. That is what I want my kids to learn…
…and that is why I would gladly send my child to traditional jiu jitsu, but never to Brazilian jiu jitsu (at least not anywhere near where I live).
Statistics have shown that BJJ is the best form of self defense. No matter what anyones personal preference is. The Gracies came with the self defense aspect of BJJ. It has turned more into a sport where you do things such as 50/50 guards and pulling guard. Basically where you work from the ground but that is for show
The best martial art is the Internet Pissing Contest. That’s when all of these people who are taught in their respective dojos about respect start pissing on people and art forms they know nothing about. It’s the best martial art because everybody feels like a winner and nobody gets bruised or has to tap. I have trained various martial arts, as well as having been involved in various other activities. I would say the number one thing that makes the difference for kids and adults in terms of being a positive experience is the instructor. If the instructor is legit, and is not a perv, and shows respect to the art, the students, and himself, then kids and adults are going to have a positive experience. Basically the instructor has to be, not necessarily a perfect person, but a grown-up. But yeah, it helps when they are an amazing martial artist with years of experience in the actual art and not some cheap American knock-off of the art. The more these martial arts come to the US and get watered down, the fewer grown ups you are going to find. When I was training Muay Thai in California there was a Korean guy who started training with us, and he was talking about TKD. He said, “You Americans think Tae Kwon Do is a game for children. In Korea, we use it to kill people.” Anything is one of a million paths. Open your minds. Bruce Lee said “The truth is outside all fixed patterns.” The idea behind Jeet Kun Do was to break away from separate forms. Then Jeet became a form. Jiu-jitsu Times is a blog. That’s all it is, it’s opinion, masquerading as news. Unfortunately it reflects a general trend in our society. People think feelings are opinion and opinions are facts. They’re not.
Well said!
Just read some comments and now I feel sad. How can people seriously practice a martial arts if they demonstrate that little restraint and so little respect?