Little's Jiu-Jitsu

Little’s Jiu-Jitsu- What is too young?

I’ve been teaching kids Jiu-Jitsu since I was 17 and I’m over double that now and the one thing that is consistent is that no two children are the same. That being said we give ages for the classes, but there are always children older or younger that may fit into a different age category more appropriately. We typically start children at 4 years and up, but I have had children start at age 3 and 3.5 and I’ve also had children well beyond that age that were not ready yet.

Our 4-6 year old Jiu-Jitsu class is a great start for a lot of kids because it gives them the opportunity to be in the class, learn the warm-up drills, the basic positions and “ positional sparring with other kids their age and size. This really helps to curb the nerves when it’s time to move into the older Youth Jiu-Jitsu class. This class is not the time to put the pressure on with yelling and super strict discipline, it’s the time to make a fun relationship with learning Jiu-Jitsu and Martial Arts in general. We work on the basics of respect, discipline, self-control, and teamwork. It’s to cultivate a sense of pride in what you and your body is capable of and how to take wins and losses. In this age group we expect children to be shy or hyper, overly emotional or unimpressed, hard working or tired from a long day. We know that we may be showing a mount escape while listening to a story of dinosaur chicken nuggets eating broccoli trees for lunch and we are here for it. That age group is one of the most fun and interesting because there are so many variances.

If you are considering signing your young child up for Jiu-Jitsu I recommend keeping it low pressure and fun for them. Give them grace and allow them the time to develop their minds and bodies in a way that they are able to understand how to use their body efficiently and effectively when needed.