BJJ Builds Confident Kids

Confidence Built on Training and Teamwork

There are many reported benefits from doing a martial art that extend beyond the physical. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), in this sense, is a holistic martial art in that promotes confidence, discipline, respect, and friendship while building strength, coordination, flexibility, and balance. In this article, we will share some of the benefits of BJJ for children and share some of our team’s stories. We hear from Stefi, Pep and Luka from our St George, Liverpool and Warringah Mall gyms.

Stefi Angelevski

Full name, age and belt ranking
Stefi Angelevski. 15 years old. Green belt.
 
How long have you been doing BJJ for?
I’ve been training since I was 5 years old, so 11 years altogether.
 
Comp results?
I’ve competed in over 30 comps at the state, national and Australasian levels. My record is 28 wins from 31 comps. For those that are interested, you can watch my previous comp wins on my YouYube channel: https://m.youtube.com/user/ZAKIANDSTEFIBJJ
 
What do you like about training BJJ?
The BJJ community as a whole is a large influence on my passion for the sport. I like being able to see myself and those around me better ourselves over time, both in technique and as individuals. BJJ is something I’ve come to love more and more over the years.
 
What’s your favourite BJJ move and why?
Bow and arrow. If taught correctly, it’s a move that can be utilised time and time again, as there many ways to tweak and alter it to your own build.

Confidence

BJJ helps children to develop confidence. Some children are naturally outgoing, but others may be shy or not as social as others. Training BJJ will provide children with an opportunity to develop both the confidence they need to grow into confident teenagers and adults. Whether they are athletic or not, BJJ is a place where children can develop mastery of technical skills and receive positive reinforcement from their teachers and peers. BJJ focuses on building confidence through hard training.

Self-Defence

BJJ teaches children many of life’s lessons, and one of these lessons is how to defend yourself.  BJJ, primarily, teaches children self-defence rather than how to fight. In training, children learn how to defend themselves, they learn how to gain control of a situation, and they learn how to keep themselves safe. BJJ is not about encouraging children to fight, it is about giving them the skills to defend themselves and to find a way out of a difficult situation. Also, because BJJ is hands-on, the confidence in their BJJ skills and ability to defend themselves that they gain from training will be based in a real understanding of their strengths. Some martial arts may incorporate flashy moves and fancy kicks, and while these techniques may be fun, they are not going to carry over into real life scenarios, which could give your child a false sense of confidence.

Pep Archer Brown

Name and Belt Ranking?
Pep Archer Brown and Yellow belt

Time Training?
2 years and 3 months

Comp Results?
1st Place, 8 yrs under 30kg Gi - Grappling Industries

What do you like about training BJJ?
Pep does BJJ because he wants to learn self defence, and it’s fun!

Favourite Move?
Favourite move is the arm bar

Physical strength and coordination

Another noted benefit of BJJ is the physical strength and coordination that comes from persistent training. Today’s society is relatively sessile in that children may spend hours playing video games, watching television, or staying inside. BJJ provides an opportunity for children to learn how to live a healthy lifestyle, and teaching them healthy habits at a young age will set up the foundations for a healthy life. Perhaps the Gracie Diet is not for everyone, but children will burn off energy, increase their flexibility, improve their balance and coordination, and will build cardio endurance.

Discipline, resilience, and Friendship

BJJ teaches children discipline and can support the development of the often overlooked quality of resilience.  The physical benefits are impressive, but the mental benefits are just as important. Through training, children can develop a sense of discipline which results from the “never give up” attitude that BJJ instils in people. It can take years of training and competing to attain a Black Belt, and this develops resilience along the way. A child will not win every fight, it may take years for them to master a technique to the point of effortlessness, but the persistence builds resilience. BJJ is also a martial art in that a good teacher will be strict on children, they will make them wear their gi neatly, to bow when they enter and leave the mat, to have good hygiene, they will make them show respect to their teachers and peers, they will guide them through the history of jiu-jitsu and BJJ, and they will teach them about the spirit of the samurai and to have loyalty, respect and honour.

Friendship, this is an enduring benefit of BJJ for both children and adults. BJJ is a community, and your training partners will become your family. 

Luka Dargeyko

Name and Belt Ranking?
Luka Dargeyko and grey-black belt

Time Training?
Luka has been training for one year.

Comp Results?
Gold Medal at 2018 NSW State Championships and current State Champion for mixed white-to-grey-black belt 6 year old 26kg 

What do you like about training BJJ?
It’s fun! I like doing forward and backward rolls and fighting.

Favourite Move?
Favourite move is the Ippon Seoinage (one are shoulder throw)