Should I Sign My Kids Up for Jiu-Jitsu?

One of many decisions you will make as a parent is what sport or activity to sign your child up for. It can be a big commitment and there is a seemingly endless amount of options available.

It’s likely that you want them doing something that builds skill, that is good for their mental and physical well being, and is hopefully something that they enjoy.  Those searches have now brought you to martial arts, and more specifically, Jiu-Jitsu.  And in learning a bit about it, you may be wondering if you should sign your kids up for jiu-jitsu.

You might be here because of concern.  Is Jiu-Jitsu dangerous?  Could it make my child/children more violent?  Is it really what I want my child doing?  If you are, then I’ll ease a bit of your concern with some data that is available.

If you’re here to get more information regarding jiu-jitsu for kids, then you have come to the right place as well.

Regardless of the reason, we will go into all of it and more below!

 

What is Jiu-Jitsu?

Jiu-Jitsu, very simply put, is a martial art that involves wrestling, controlling, and submitting an opponent.  It does not involve strikes or weapons and is touted by many as being the best martial art for self-defense. Check out my other post if you would like to dive in deeper into the world of Jiu-Jitsu.

 

Is Jiu-Jitsu Dangerous?

Let’s take a step back before answering this one.  Any and all sports, especially contact sports, have a non-zero chance of injury.  As a matter of fact, almost one-third of all injuries incurred in childhood are sports-related.

In looking into kids in sports, you can find data showing that playing football and riding bicycles have the highest hospitalization rates among other common sports and activities. Unfortunately though, jiu-jitsu doesn’t have much data to compare injury rates, especially among kids.

With that being said, jiu-jitsu falls into a “contact sport” category and there is certainly a chance of injury in it.  In looking in adult studies though, jiu-jitsu actually has the lowest rate of hospitalization among other martial arts.

Jiu-jitsu ultimately takes place on a soft mat, does not involve hitting or striking, and allows the kids to “tap” if they find themselves in an uncomfortable position.  Not only that, but they are working under the supervision of trained adults as they practice.

So is there a chance of injury in jiu-jitsu? Yes. Is jiu-jitsu dangerous for kids?  I would have to say no.

 

Will Jiu-Jitsu Make My Child Violent?

Parents have long thought that contact and roughhousing would potentially make kids more aggressive.  They are learning a form of aggression in doing so after all.  What the data has found about roughhousing though is actually exactly the opposite.

Not only is there no research showing an increase in violence from martial arts, there is actually promising research showing that martial arts can help reduce the aggression of 6-18 year olds. Researchers have found that in “acting out” aggressive behavior, children learn the limits of themselves and those who are around them.  It’s exactly this “testing” of physical contact that allows them to become more aware and able to regulate their emotions.

One other guiding principal is that of respect.  Regardless of what happens on the mat with your partner, you always end with a handshake and no ill will is held in leaving the mat.

So despite performing the act of what can seem “violent”, it is actually the understanding and control of these acts that can prove to be especially good for your children’s developing brain.

 

What Will My Kids Gain From Jiu-Jitsu?

We’ve addressed some of the biggest concerns and laid out what Jiu-Jitsu is.  Now we find ourselves looking at the other side of the coin.  What will my kids gain from practicing jiu-jitsu?

 

It Teaches Empathy

Roughhousing or rough and tumble play are incredibly beneficial for your child’s development.  As a matter of fact, a lack of rough and tumble play is correlated with a host of physical, emotional, and developmental problems.  The most intriguing of them found that a lack of play was a primary factor in predicting criminal behavior.

You can read more about it also in the book Play – How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul.  So exposing your children to this voluntarily can have an incredibly positive impact on your child’s metal well being.

 

It Gives Them Discipline

Jiu-jitsu is not easy.  It takes focus, dedication, and practice to become good at it.  And to learn and grow effectively within it takes, you guessed it, discipline.

You naturally get punished in jiu-jitsu for not performing moves or escapes correctly.  Getting up the wrong way or escaping poorly can lead to an uncomfortable position or lead you to tap to a lock or otherwise.  Conversely, learning effectively and applying that allows your child to get naturally rewarded through points (if in competition) and by remaining in a more favorable and comfortable position.

And because the reward and punishment is physical, it helps them to immediately learn that their attention and effort (otherwise known as discipline) was worth it.

 

It Gives them Confidence

A friend of mine put his reserved and quiet kid into jiu-jitsu and wasn’t sure what to think at first.  After a few weeks and months though, he saw his child’s confidence grow on the mat, in school, and in other areas of his life. And it turns out this is an incredibly common occurrence.

Wondering why that may be? Think about it.  A child gets put into a place where they are trying to learn a new skill.  In learning this skill, they get sat on and squished.  They get pinned and pulled on. And they have to learn to effectively defend and control themself through all of it.

And what happens as they practice?  They become better.  They can not only get themselves out of those bad positions, but they can start getting to favorable ones.  Then that ultimately turns to them being able to control their opponents instead. So all of that stress and effort and challenge gets overcome because of the work that they have put in.  And all of that converts over to their confidence both on and off the mat.

 

It Let’s Them Work to Accomplish Goals

One of my favorite parts of martial arts is the ranking system.  No matter how good you get at basketball or soccer or other sports, most people don’t get recognized in any meaningful way.  In Jiu-Jitsu as in most martial arts, you progress and earn ranks in the form of stripes for your belts and new belts to show off your accomplishments and how far you’ve come.

For a child, these rewards teach them one of life’s greatest lessons.  If I show up consistently, work hard, and apply myself, I can make myself better.  I can earn something that I hadn’t earned before.  And I can get some pretty sweet belts in the meantime.

 

Closing Thoughts

There are a lot of options out there for sports and activities.  And something is always better than nothing in that category as far as I am concerned.  That being said, this has hopefully given you more information and guidance on if Jiu-Jitsu is right for your child.

If there is anything I missed, leave me a message in the contact form below!