Teaching Jiu Jitsu to Kids

I have had the unique pleasure of helping out with teaching Jiu-Jitsu to kids, some with short tension spans, and a teenager with asberger's syndrome. Working with these types of students has really helped me grow as an individual. I think they teach me more about myself than I teach them about grappling. When I first started working with them my tension span was short and I would become a frustrated. As time goes by my patience continues to grow and I continue to look for ways to address them without sounding like an army squad leader dictating instructions to his soldiers.

Kids need to have fun, no matter what their learning capabilities. If we treat them like undisciplined adults then they aren't going to have any fun and their learning capability is going to decrease. However, there is a fine line between letting the kids have fun while effectively learning Jiu-Jitsu and letting them get carried away like at a playground with their friends. So there within lies the challenge - how to let them have fun but still learn effectively so they can reap the benefits that come with learning BJJ.

So if you find yourself working with kids or someone who requires more attention than you're used to, don't get frustrated and be patient. Try to remember that they need to have fun and that they learn differently than you do.

Submission Master Grappling Dummy in My Future



My New Best Friend!



It's been a while since I've posted. Life took a unique spin the last couple of months and now it is time to get back on track with my blog.

Since my last blog I have made the decision to move about 2 hrs away from where I live now in order to be with family. The major drawback to this is that there are NO Jiu-Jitsu schools anywhere close to where I am moving to. So this means driving long distances to train. Instead of training 4-5 times a week I hope I'll be able to train at least once a week. Since I won't have people to practice on, I'll be using the Submission Master Grappling Dummy on a regular basis.

I haven't been using the grappling dummy lately (within the last several months) because I've been so busy training multiple times a week with real Jiu-Jitsu practitioners - which is great. Sadly, that will come to an end once my house sells and I make the big move. So hello Submission Master Grappling Dummy, you and I are going to get to know each other very well!