It’s no secret that training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a great activity for young children. In short, it offers a healthy lifestyle, develops balance and athleticism, encourages socialization and also develops confidence. As a result, many parents are rushing to get their kids signed up to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes as quickly as possible. The question is, how quick is too quick though? We shall answer this question and similar queries below.
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What age can my kid start Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?
Ultimately, this is completely down to each individual gym and their own practices. Certain countries may have certain legal laws too which stop kids from training too young. As a general rule though, the earliest age to begin training is around 3 years old. Even still, if your kid is the youngest in the class by some way, then even 3 may be far too soon in terms of physicality and size.
As a result, most gyms will begin their kids classes at 4 years old and upwards. Again, this isn’t written in stone and really depends on the teacher. Usually though, kids younger than 3 years old aren’t allowed to train. As a generalization though, most parents believe that around 4-5 years old is the ideal starting point for kids to begin training.
Are kids classes separated by age?
Again, this is at the discretion of the school. However, as a general rule – yes they are divided by age. Usually, any gym that is worthwhile will have kids classes split into three sections. The first section goes up to 6 years old. Sometimes, these will have names like ‘little cubs’ or something similar. Then, the next class will be from 7-11 years of age.
Lastly, you may also have a teen class, aging from 12-16. From 16 years onwards, most people are encouraged to train with adults. Here’s where it can get a little complex. If you have a 3 year old training with a 6 year old, then there’s a clear difference in physicality. This is why some suggest starting at age 4 or 5 instead.
Similarly, if you have a 12 year old training with a 15 year old then yet again there can be a huge physical gap. This is amplified if the 15 year old has started puberty and is far stronger than the 12 year old. Whilst these training circumstances aren’t ideal, that is part of BJJ.
Often in adult classes, you will get people weighing 60KG training with people at 90KG. Of course, these kids classes should always be taught in a safe environment. Often, a teacher will sometimes have an assistant who can look at what’s going on and make sure all of the kids are training in a safe, fair manner.
Is Jiu Jitsu good for toddlers?
The answer to this question is a resounding yes. As long as they genuinely enjoy training and you’re not pushing them too hard like some parents do, then it is ideal. As mentioned in the intro, there’s a myriad of benefits for toddlers to begin training and these involve physical and social benefits.
As well as this, there’s also something quite unique about young kids training. The reason for this is that they tend to be naturally athletic and can pick up moves quicker. Like learning to talk, kids are like sponges that can quickly understand movements.
An example of this could be getting an adult to do a rolling back take. Maybe the adult lacks flexibility and there’s an element of subconscious fear of rolling over their head. A kid however, will not be phased and will learn the technique quicker without as much hesitation. Therefore, teaching kids BJJ early on can be really helpful and provide them with the moves later on in life.
Even if the child quits, they should have at least some level of baseline from early training that will give them muscle memory later on in life if they decide to start training again.
Conclusion
Overall, most places will begin their kid’s classes at around age 4 years old. Of course, it’s probably best to call ahead to make sure these classes accept younger kids before trying to enroll. Alternatively, google searching “jiu jitsu for 4 year olds near me” should yield similar results. Not only this, but the most important part of kid’s BJJ is that they enjoy it.
Too often, too much pressure is put on from a young age by pushy parents. This isn’t fair and BJJ should always be done in an enjoyable environment. As a parent, it’s your responsibility to help develop your kids and remember to communicate with them, and respect their wishes and needs.
Lastly, if you’re looking for a good kids gi then Vector have some good quality children’s gis at low prices.
