For those of you whom may not know what Brazilian jujitsu is, I will give you my version, and then I will give you the Google version. I describe jujitsu as the martial arts form of wrestling. They have the discipline and structure of the martial arts background, but most of what they do is groundwork similar to wrestling. According to Wikipedia, jujitsu is a Japanese martial arts system of close combat that individuals can use for defense or offense. I gave you both definitions because I feel mine is a little more understanding!
Our son has always loved to wrestle around the house. He is small and feisty, so I knew wrestling would be a great sport for him, being on the smaller scale of height and weight. We found out about jujitsu through a friend that recommended it as an optional sport for my son at his age. We started Jack at the age of 3 1/2. Usually wrestling as a sport doesn’t start until a later age, I believe, around the age of eight, give and take. The things we have learned and taken away as parents, individuals, and what my child has learned from the last six months of being in jujitsu has blown my mind.
I will start with the discipline. The kids are required to stand and listen to the professor when talking; no fidgeting, no talking, and not much going off focus. They learned to respond by saying “Yes Professor” after he asks a question. It’s a lot for a little kid to grasp and to focus and it’s a great steppingstone for school-aged children to learn to focus and pay attention to their teachers. They always remind the kids how important it is to listen and have good behavior at home. Parenting win! They always listen a little better to their coaches than parents, so I am glad they mention that often.
They also teach about teamwork and how important it is to work as a team. The team does water breaks as a team. They leave and enter the mat as a team. They will even get rewarded or disciplined as a team. If a few kids are having a rough day, then the coach will not reward the team with a fun game at the end. They also emphasize that hard work and doing your best will always bring rewards. Life skills that they will carry into their adult lives.
The number one thing that we love about jujitsu and something that our entire family has taken away is the self-defense they learn. We go twice a week. The first class of the week teaches bully prevention. Something EVERY kid should learn. Especially with all that goes on in this world today. They teach different scenarios of how a bully could be attacking you or pushing you around. They teach students how to escape from a possible hold, or what actions to take if they are pushed down. They even teach how to get away from possible adult strangers. The other day, they learned what to do if a stranger tried grabbing you at the store. Something that caught my eye and knew how important that is to learn as a child AND as an adult.
Even if you are not interested in the sport of jujitsu or even wrestling, I would still highly recommend you consider trying this class simply to teach your kids everything they need to know about Bully prevention and escaping from a possible “bad guy”. All life lessons that schools do not teach.
If you need any suggestion of local Scottsdale places that offer Jujitsu, I will list a few below!
They also offer women’s self-defense classes, parents’ night out, and Parent/kid classes!
Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (several Gracie Barra locations in Scottsdale)
16033 N. 77th St.
Suite B
Scottsdale Jujitsu
16585 N. 92nd St
