Help your child learn self-reliance and discipline through kids' classes from Andrew Pardee Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy.

Martial arts is something parents commonly place their children in for many reasons.

Some are put in to learn self-defense and in some cases it is just a way for the parents to get a short break.

Regardless the benefits children can gain by training are endless.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu provides many benefits to children that can follow them for life and create better individuals as a whole. Here’s 5 reasons why your kids should be training Jiu-Jitsu.

• Problem Solving Skills

Children who are placed into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu learn vital problem solving skills. Every time anyone trains they are always faced with new problems and situations that must be tackled. This is a great way to sharpen young developing minds.

Think of the times you were put into a new position. You had to follow the instructions to complete the move, then have the move completed on you. You had to connect this move to your current understanding. In order to use new moves, you need to connect them to things you already know. This type of learning is very important for young children.

• Discipline

Children learn discipline in BJJ. Having the structure, respect, and discipline that BJJ provides can be transferred into many other aspects of life. They learn the following things:

•     Dedication: coming to class every time

•     Attention: being quiet when the instructor is talking

•     Respect: being humble around upper belts and the instructor.

 Children who are normally a bit rowdy can become calm and focused (which is always a great attribute).

• Exercise

Another benefit to children who train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that is often overlooked is the physical exercise aspect. From the warm up to the rolling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is sure to get your sweat on. The Center for Disease Control shows some fascinating and scary details on how important exercise is for kids:

    The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.

More and more, exercise is fundamental for children to get.

• Friends

One more reason your kids should train is because of the social environment. When we walk into the academy we are all equal no matter what. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brings in people from all walks of life and kids can meet new friends they may never have in any other way. We see each other all the time and this creates a very strong bond. We trust each other and depend on each other in order to learn.

• Self Defense

Lastly if all this wasn’t enough to convince you that your child should be training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a great self-defense system to learn. It has been shown that at some point most physical altercations end up on the ground where Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is most useful. But also, martial arts in general teach you to be a calm and collected person and you become better at avoiding and preventing such altercations in the first place.

• Final thoughts

As shown Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Is beneficial to children for many reasons. Children can learn great problem solving skills while also becoming more disciplined individuals. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can also help Counteract childhood obesity. Children can meet lifelong friends while also learning to defend themselves and prevent altercations all together.