For parents exploring youth sports or activities to help their kids burn off excess energy, safety is typically a concern. And with an activity like Brazilian jiu-jitsu, it’s normal to wonder about safety, especially when you’re talking about kids. Well, good news. BJJ is indeed safe for kids, and we have four excellent reasons why.
Kids are Comfortable on the Ground
Think about it — it’s where they learned all those fundamentals for movement, where they play, where they tend to crash to watch TV. Kids have a habit of spending a lot of time on the ground, and in many cases, they’re already practicing variations of core movements in BJJ. And they don’t even know it! In a class setting, their competency on the ground can be channeled so they become good “movers,” which means a reduced likelihood of injury on and off the mat.
It’s High Intensity but Low Impact
In BJJ, ground training is important for a number of reasons. For kids, it’s about safety and a controlled class environment. The risk of injury increases with high-impact scenarios, and that’s not common in BJJ classes for kids.
If we’re making an apples-to-apples comparison with, say, youth football, both can be considered intense activities. But BJJ for kids, especially at a school like Guerrilla with experienced and knowledgeable instructors, lacks the high impact aspect, especially compared to football. No mabtter how much padding you throw on those kids, they don’t have the motor skills or experience for some of the scenarios common to the sport. That’s not the case in BJJ, even in live rolls. There’s always the option of tapping if a kid gets in over his or her head.
It’s a Safe Environment
Safety is a top priority at Guerrilla, as it should be at any BJJ school. Instructors are in control, respect is modeled and expected, and even the mat area itself is contained. There are eyes on the students at all times, from watchful parents and instructors alike. Movements are demonstrated and then practiced, so if your concern is that kids are set loose to wrestle indiscriminately, you can breathe easy!
It’s All (Supervised) Fun and Games
Kids and adults alike learn best when they’re having fun. And for kids, that usually means some kind of game. Watch two kids grapple, and a game is exactly what it looks like. In Guerrilla classes, games are often part of the process, whether to burn off excess energy to make it easier for kids to focus, or because it reinforces a movement or pattern. Either way, the fun and games are safe, supervised, and an important part of development.
The Bottom Line
There are all kinds of excellent reasons for children to practice BJJ. And if safety is a reason you’re holding back from enrolling your kids, we hope this has clarified a few things. The truth is, BJJ is a very safe activity, even for young children. They’ll develop new skills and have fun. We invite you to sit in on any of our kids’ classes, meet our instructors, and learn more about our program. Contact us today, and let’s set up a time.