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5 Things BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu)

Will Teach Your Child 

1.)Self-Confidence 

At Spearfish Martial Arts, “Can’t” is an outlawed-swear-word. We don’t believe in impossible, and help drill that in the minds of every one of our students. We don’t give out participation awards, we give kids the tools to find their highest potential. We teach them that it’s not easy, but if they focus on the lessons, and apply it with an active mind, they have the possibility to conquer any challenge or obstacle. Brazilian Jiujitsu (Pronounced: Joo-Jit-Soo) is unique because it is not about size advantage or strength. This allows a much smaller child to defeat a larger and stronger opponent or partner. Although it’s completely physical, it’s really a mental exercise and sport. It’s been called by many people “Kinetic Chess” in reference to how Brazilian Jiujitsu turns into a game of who has more technical knowledge or capabilities. BJJ builds confidence in kids because they are taught how to do a technique, and then we allow them to learn how to execute it against an opponent who is not cooperating in a live grappling scenario. As the child develops a deeper understanding of the technique, they will have more success with it, and that will make them more confident in their abilities to learn. 

2.)How to Focus 

In this day and age kids are prone to screen exposure from a young age. With all the moving pictures and quickly changing screens, attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. Kids are so used to mindlessly watching screens that it handicaps their ability to interact with their physical environment. Jiujitsu is stimulating, engaging, fun, and challenging; The perfect mix for development of youth. It usually takes some time in the beginning, but after kids realize how critical it is to pay attention, they start to really try and focus in on the moves. It has been said that discipline and focus are like muscles that need to be trained. Learning Jiujitsu is fun, but the techniques can be very detailed and complicated to learn. This forces kids to pay attention in order to become better and be successful. By being in an environment full of other young minds that are trying to learn, your child will adopt these practices as well. We recognize that each child has their own unique approach to understanding, and we find ways to get through to each and every one of them.  

3.)Respect 

Respect is something that all martial arts are known for teaching, but let me tell you why it’s different in Brazilian Jiujitsu. BJJ is much different than other martial arts. In most traditional martial arts, you don’t actually get to practice what you’ve learned against someone 100% unless they are aware of a preplanned routine you are exercising. However in Bjj, your child will use what they’ve learned against other students in the class, this is called “rolling live”. Under careful supervision and with thoughtful instructions, they get to use what they learn against each other at the end of class each day. We teach them how to use caution and care for each other and one of our motto’s is- “Tap early and tap often”. The reason this teaches your child respect, is because they will go with kids more experienced than them, and they will lose from time to time. Life isn’t always winning and we teach kids from a young age that in order to win they have to put in the work to becoming better. This humbling experience is so great for  young developing minds. It teaches them to have respect for others and the time they have put in, and it eventually leads to respect in themselves. True Jiujitsu practitioners carry a deep reverence for one another because we are aware of how hard it is to go through the process of learning this art. We never said it was easy. It’s the perfect blend of fun and challenge to engage your child’s mind and define their core excellence. 

4.)To Deal With Uncomfortable Situations   

Now we all know how life sometimes gets the best of us. Whether it be a small situation like spilling coffee all over your shirt on the way to work, or a really inconvenient situation like having a car break down, we all go through situations that are very uncomfortable. At Spearfish Martial Arts we prepare young mind for the adversity’s they are sure to face as they grow. We have a motto in Jiujitsu that applies very closely with life “Always turn in and face your problem”. Facing your opponent or partner is a KEY theme in escaping from bad positions in Jiujitsu. We teach kids to remain calm, breathe, face their problem, and do what they can. Although this is a technical aspect of Jiujitsu, we teach this analogy and make it a core principle of their lives. We embed in their minds that it won’t always be easy, but as long as they face their problem they will someday be out of the bad situations they may encounter. We help them learn how to persevere through the hard times which will then translate itself into their future lives. 

5.) Self-Defense

Some might wonder why we put self-defense last when most would consider that to be the most important thing people come to learn in BJJ. The truth is, by teaching a child respect for others and confidence in themselves, kids who do BJJ are much less likely to get bullied. Bully’s don’t want to pick on a confident kid, they want the easy prey. Now with that being said, Jiujitsu is the best martial art for self-defense, and that’s been proven. As we talked about before, BJJ allows the participants to go 100% in a safe environment against each other. This simulates real life combat situations by having kids grapple their way into a dominant position or out of an uncomfortable position. This gives them the opportunity to really test their abilities with real resistance and helps them build confidence in themselves by experiencing measurable progress (Ex. A kid that used to beat them they are able to defend against and eventually beat them too). This REAL experience is something no one can every take from them. It helpsthem to realize how much innate power they really have. We do focus some classes solely on self-defense situations as well and teach your child how to stand up for themself and prevent incidences before they even start. 

Every class is different, we like to mix it up with new games, drills, and activities to keep your child involved. No two classes are ever the same. From outdoor classes, to engaging games and drills, all kids can and will benefit from Jiujitsu.

Learn more- Schedule a time for your child to come and try us out today! FREE week, NO obligation. Your child will thank you later in life for giving them this prime opportunity for growth and development.