Martial Arts World News Magazine - Volume 22 | Special Edition
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MASTERING MODERN BJJ<br />
7 Important Skills Taught In Kids<br />
Jiu Jitsu, Part 1<br />
by Master Carlos Machado<br />
The 7 Important Skills Taught In Kids Jui Jitsu<br />
1. Discipline and Focus<br />
2. Coordination and Body Awareness<br />
3. Goal Setting<br />
4. Confidence<br />
5. Self-Defense<br />
6. Socialization<br />
7. Fitness and the “Jiu Jitsu Lifestyle”<br />
Kids today have to endure many obstacles: distractions, bullies,<br />
poor fitness, depression, and much more. Parents want to<br />
give children every opportunity to excel in life. One of the hardest<br />
things to develop within our children is a combination of a healthy<br />
mindset, focus, and fitness. This obstacle is why learning Brazilian<br />
Jiu Jitsu is good for kids. These are the seven important<br />
skills taught in kids Jiu Jitsu.<br />
#1 Discipline and Focus<br />
The most difficult enemies for kids to<br />
overcome are distractions. We live in a world<br />
full of stimulation. Teaching kids to tune out<br />
the distractions and focus on the task at hand<br />
is, for any parent or teacher, a monumental<br />
task. What may get confused as<br />
A.D.D. may be over-stimulation.<br />
Focus is not an innate trait that<br />
we are all born with. It is a<br />
muscle that kids must train<br />
consistently. Learning Jiu<br />
Jitsu is fun, but the techniques<br />
require focus,<br />
discipline, and practice<br />
for kids to learn. Jiu Jitsu<br />
is fun to learn while<br />
training complicated<br />
techniques. This type<br />
of training makes kids enjoy paying attention to instructors while<br />
strengthening their focus. Jiu Jitsu will strengthen and improve<br />
kids’ discipline and focus. This improved discipline and focus will<br />
translate into better school work, better relationships, and overall<br />
quality of life.<br />
#2 Coordination and Body Awareness<br />
Learning Jiu Jitsu requires a child to execute techniques that<br />
contain many small details. Learning to perform these techniques<br />
develops the child’s fine motor skills and teaches them a good<br />
understanding of base and balance. These techniques then create<br />
strong neuromuscular connections in the child and increase coordination<br />
and balance. The intent of this is not to just make them good<br />
at Jiu Jitsu. With these new neuromuscular connections, they will<br />
quickly adapt to other sports and activities throughout their lives.<br />
#3 Goal Setting<br />
Jiu Jitsu provides many opportunities to test children and measure<br />
improvement; competition, receiving your next belt, executing<br />
a new technique during live rolling, or an old one against a new<br />
opponent. Through the learning process in Jiu Jitsu, kids learn to<br />
reach a little farther and work a little bit harder each day. The goal<br />
is to improve little by little while doing the same with confidence<br />
every day.<br />
MASTER CARLOS MACHADO is one of the pioneers of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the United<br />
States of America. Currently a Coral Belt, and promoted to Black Belt by Carlos Gracie Junior, Carlos<br />
Machado came to the USA in the early 1990’s with his brothers where they formed the RCJ Machado<br />
Jiu Jitsu Association, one of the strongest & growing BJJ organizations in the world today.<br />
72 MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME <strong>22</strong> | SPECIAL EDITION<br />
Photograph by rbv (top right)
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