Kelly Slater said it… Listen to Kelly… To quote the many, many, memes all over the internet featuring the surfer great hims. The 11X surfing world champion who’s also a BJJ blue belt famously said: “Put your kids in Jiu-Jitsu before any other sport.” With the 2017 IBJJF Pan Kids scheduled for this Saturday, February 18, we take the opportunity to look into what the gentle art brings to the kids in terms of a better life on and off the mats.
Learning with setbacks… And learning with victories
Life is full of good moments and also with not so good moments. On the mats, you lose sometimes and you win sometimes. That’s why kids who train learn faster to accept and learn from defeat and also to be humble in victory, not letting the joy of triumph get to their heads.
They learn what happens when you make a mistake…
During a championship match or during a friendly roll, if you make a mistake you pay the price immediately. The other thing that happens if you are smart is that you learn a lesson and hopefully do not commit the same mistake again. Isn’t the same in life?
The joy of moving around
Let’s be honest. Kids have a lot of reasons to stay inside today. Video games, smart phones, social media, lack of public spaces to play are just some of them. Fortunately, Jiu-Jitsu exists to feel the gap. A good class gives kids that joy of a great physical activity and an even better opportunity to make friends.
Stand your ground
Bullying is a real problem today all over the world. The effects of a hostile environment can be really serious as we frequently see on the news. Jiu-Jitsu is not the cure for bullying, but it is a very powerful tool for kids to learn how to stand up for themselves. Most times, it takes only a straight look into a bully’s eyes to make them back off.
Value what matters
Jiu-Jitsu will teach kids that their value does not depend of race, gender, age or any other personal characteristic. The true value of someone lies on how hard they work on the mat and how they treat others.