What age to start kids in JiuJitsu?

[yetanother]

Bjj has been touted as a weak mans martial art, but nothing makes me as frustrated as parents that put their kids in bjj when they are weak or overweight. It really makes it hard on them getting the techniques down.

Don't they sign them up to get some exercise?

 

[Uchi Mata]

A lot of it depends on how your school structures kids classes. At my gym, it's about half playing games, so I'll probably start my son around age 5 because I know he won't get bored. If the kids classes were structured like little adult classes, I'd wait longer because his attention span wouldn't be sufficient for a normal style class.

 

[Quebec Nick]

To me it's not an age issue, but a development issue. Both physically and mentally.

Bjj has been touted as a weak mans martial art, but nothing makes me as frustrated as parents that put their kids in bjj when they are weak or overweight. It really makes it hard on them getting the techniques down.

I think it's important for kids to get a base level of physical fitness before starting bjj as most bjj programs do not include any conditioning.

This is something that I will be incorporating into my kids program when I start my own school.

The big problem with kids is more how they behave than what they can or can't do. I'm talking about kids under 8 years old here. The biggest issue is if they can listen, they will catch up someday. I don't see a lot of kids under 8 so fat or out of shape that they can't do techniques. I know that there's a lot more fat kids in the USA, so I won't judge.

My 5 years old twins have been doing gymnastics since they were 2 years old, so they can easily fill the BJJ physical and coordination requirements.

We went to the pediatrician this week and she made them do some basic coordination test (standing on one foot, jumping on one foot, walking in straight lines) and she told me that there's a lot of under stimulated kids that struggle doing these tests at 5 years old.

But my friends who teach the kids classes would take a kid that can behave over a kid with great physical skills but can't listen.

 

[FightGuyOpenMind]

I'm not paying jiu jitsu money until I know they're committed. They can do rec programs or wrestle for next to nothing when compared to academy costs. For me to invest and they determine they aren't committed or interested is not a chance I'm willing to take for the price tag.

 

[MaxMMA]

Don't they sign them up to get some exercise?

Yes, and they will break a sweat doing Jiu-Jitsu but some kids come to Jiu-jitsu and it's the first sport or physical activity they've ever done and it makes it really difficult for them.

Lots of these kids look like they have spent little if anytime playing outside/on playgrounds.

Lots of children running around that are either overweight or completely uncoordinated/weak.

 

[MaxMMA]

The big problem with kids is more how they behave than what they can or can't do. I'm talking about kids under 8 years old here. The biggest issue is if they can listen, they will catch up someday. I don't see a lot of kids under 8 so fat or out of shape that they can't do techniques. I know that there's a lot more fat kids in the USA, so I won't judge.

My 5 years old twins have been doing gymnastics since they were 2 years old, so they can easily fill the BJJ physical and coordination requirements.

We went to the pediatrician this week and she made them do some basic coordination test (standing on one foot, jumping on one foot, walking in straight lines) and she told me that there's a lot of under stimulated kids that struggle doing these tests at 5 years old.

But my friends who teach the kids classes would take a kid that can behave over a kid with great physical skills but can't listen.

This can easily be circumvented by instilling strict discipline in your kid ranks. Some parents won't like it and leave, but at the end of the day most parents are under the impression that martial arts will instill discipline as well as physicality.

Which is obviously a little contradictory to bjjs "laid back" approach, but we are talking about kids, not adults who are participating in class because they have a genuine interest in Jiu-Jitsu.

 

[yetanother]

This can easily be circumvented by instilling strict discipline in your kid ranks. Some parents won't like it and leave, but at the end of the day most parents are under the impression that martial arts will instill discipline as well as physicality.

They kids still need to enjoy it so there is a limit to the amount of discipline. Jiu jitsu is a skill of little value (as is fighting in general) so if it's run like some fascist exercise program/bootcamp and the kids don't want to do it the parents won't force them.

 

[MaxMMA]

They kids still need to enjoy it so there is a limit to the amount of discipline. Jiu jitsu is a skill of little value (as is fighting in general) so if it's run like some fascist exercise program/bootcamp and the kids don't want to do it the parents won't force them.

You can make the class fun while still disciplining them for disruptions.

I disagree that Jiu-jitsu and martial arts in general are skills of little value. The skill itself maybe be used little if ever in a real world application, but I guarantee you that if you ever have to use Jiu-Jitsu in a real world application you won't call it a skill of little value.

A fire extinguisher may sit in your house never to be used but you wouldn't say it's a tool of little value.

Second Jiu-Jitsu has many benefits besides self defense including increased confidence, problem solving skills, learning to deal with and overcome extreme discomfort and adversity, social skills, discipline, respect, and probably the most important lesson of Jiu-Jitsu, checking your own ego and learning humility.

Humility is something that many people don't know anything about and Jiu-JiJiu is a great teacher of that.

Obviously you can learn these things doing other activities as well, but the personal nature of the sport really hammers a lot of these lessons home.

 

[Stoic1]

Considering putting my kid into gymnastics first. Then maybe 7 or 8 if he wants too. If not - whatever.

 

[Teila_Tuli]

Start them at 3 weeks old , maybe earlier if the baby is gifted

 

[Quebec Nick]

You can make the class fun while still disciplining them for disruptions.

I disagree that Jiu-jitsu and martial arts in general are skills of little value. The skill itself maybe be used little if ever in a real world application, but I guarantee you that if you ever have to use Jiu-Jitsu in a real world application you won't call it a skill of little value.

A fire extinguisher may sit in your house never to be used but you wouldn't say it's a tool of little value.

Second Jiu-Jitsu has many benefits besides self defense including increased confidence, problem solving skills, learning to deal with and overcome extreme discomfort and adversity, social skills, discipline, respect, and probably the most important lesson of Jiu-Jitsu, checking your own ego and learning humility.

Humility is something that many people don't know anything about and Jiu-JiJiu is a great teacher of that.

Obviously you can learn these things doing other activities as well, but the personal nature of the sport really hammers a lot of these lessons home.

Maybe the biggest technical skill that you will give the kids are breakfalls, backrolls and front rolls. Those will be useful in every sport activity they will do for the rest of their lives. Learning to fall the right way wil save them concussions and broken wrists and arms.

Also you will roughen them up a bit. My son plays hockey and soccer, he's 8 and it's getting rougher and rougher every year. But he's not the whiney little boy who's outraged everytime he gets hit. He's used to it, doing takedown drills and rolling a couple times a week puts everything into perspective.

it doesn't impress him that a kid is aggressive towards him, he just continues to do his stuff. This weekend at the hockey game he got checked in the board, not a dirty hit but it's not allowed at his level, he got right back up to get the puck back and was surprised that there was a penality for this. Other kids are whining on their ass everytime they get pushed a little begging for penalities. And I don't want to start what's going on in soccer games...

I also like that my little girls can scrap it up a little, not being the girls crying every time a little boy pushes them.

 

[Quebec Nick]

Considering putting my kid into gymnastics first. Then maybe 7 or 8 if he wants too. If not - whatever.

Gymnastics is great and it will help them for every other activities they do afterward. They learn to listen, to execute, to wait their turn and they get very good coordination.

 

[RealSteel]

I've had my two girls, ages 5 and 4, in bjj for five months. My wife wants to take them out. Mainly because the older one can't consistently pay attention. Also, they lose almost every time they roll. Even to boys who started after them. I think there may be something innate in boys that they understand fighting and competing as a concept earlier than girls do.

Should I take them out and re-up in a few years? What age? What should they be doing in the meantime to prepare them for bjj before then?

 

[JinKazama]

My oldest started at 4, he had started TKD a year before at age 3

He’s 7 now and loving it, he’s been going 3-4 times a week since he started

 

[migeru29]

Start with Judo, no need to understand submissions now or to risk joints in development.
Judo will give them a good grappling basis, balance, good understanding of leverage, good pinning techniques, grips techniques and strength.

Believe me they will start BJJ in beast mode after that, I think 10 to 12 is a very good age and 5 to 7 for Judo.

 

[TheGiantSlayer]

I'd say about 5-6.

 

[lechien]

A lot of it depends on how your school structures kids classes. At my gym, it's about half playing games, so I'll probably start my son around age 5 because I know he won't get bored. If the kids classes were structured like little adult classes, I'd wait longer because his attention span wouldn't be sufficient for a normal style class.

Same feeling as well.
My affiliate club only teach kids from 5 to 12 year old and it is like an adult class.
Really boring and no games at all.

 

[shunyata]

A lot of it depends on how your school structures kids classes. At my gym, it's about half playing games, so I'll probably start my son around age 5 because I know he won't get bored. If the kids classes were structured like little adult classes, I'd wait longer because his attention span wouldn't be sufficient for a normal style class.

Oddly enough, my son is 5, started him up a bit over a month ago...

Our last kids class was 20 minutes of warm up and conditioning and 40 minutes of drilling the same technique with a water break and partner switch after 20 min before 20 more min of the same technique being drilled. In his size and age grouping it was americana from mount.

His reaction?

"WHAT? Class is over all ready?"

Yeah it's been an hour dude.

Later at home, "Mom, class was short this week."

Oh yeah, what did you learn?

* with confidence* "I learned an armlock."

 

[kenetics]

I know some people start kids very young and they burn out ? Then others are complete savages because they start as a kid so it's second nature ? Any advice or experiences?

Girls can start around 3 yrs old . Boys usually 4 and older due to attention span.

I teach pee wee bjj at my gym.

 

[GoodbyeBlueSky82]

It is hard to fathom average 3 and even 4 year olds doing BJJ. Easily distracted, lack of coordination, trouble following instruction, etc. Maybe I am biased because my daughter is nearly 5 years old and pretty hyper and hard to manage. She had a hard time doing dance or gymnastics this year without it being a shit show and torture for the teacher, with us wondering what the point was.

My own BJJ coach seems good with the kids program but he is kind of no-nonsense, kind of expects for kids to already be "with it" if they are there. The idea of putting my kid into that makes me nervous. For some reason, starting Judo at 4 or 5 seems to make more sense. More formal, and more focus on following rules / protocol, more "yes sensei" etc but that is probably a good thing.