Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

First of all, because it is quite fun! Also, because everybody should know how to defend themselves and loved ones. 

From a self-defense perspective, because it is as realistic as it gets. BJJ puts its fighters in real situations of high pressure and little space, where only body leverage, chokes and joint locks will help a smaller person prevail over a bigger attacker. Real techniques, with real practice. No pretend play, assuming outcomes from "fatal" techniques that simply can't be practiced. (Unless, of course, you find someone willing to repetitively get poked in the eyes, bitten, or kicked in the genitals. Not an everyday find, that's for sure). If it can't be fully practiced, it can't be fully effective. 

Punching a bag is fun and great for fitness. Punching someone else is even more fun! As long as your hands are protected by gloves, avoiding your wrists, knuckles, and fingers from breaking. Otherwise, they most likely will. Ever heard of the expression "hard head"? Yeah, as it turns out, most heads are pretty hard indeed. And most people do not walk around in protective gear. Punching woods, bricks, and concrete, well... let's not even go there.

[Nevertheless, striking sports are still very fun, really good for fitness, and essential for MMA fighters as part of a broader skillset]. 

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the most realistic method of self-defense one can learn and practice. Fighting in a football field must be an incredible experience. However, in real life (most of the times), there's a lot less space available. Especially if you are being pushed against a wall, pinned to the ground, or held against your will. When there is no space left, when your opponent is overwhelmingly bigger and physically stronger than you, when breathing becomes almost impossible, and panic takes over. That is when and where Jiu-Jitsu will thrive, turning panic into strategy, and conditioning into action. 

That is what makes BJJ an essential tool for MMA fighters, bullyproofing kids, women's self-defense, or anyone who would like to feel physically capable of defending themselves, and loved ones. As it is commonly said among BJJ practitioners, "it is better to know Jiu-Jitsu and never have to use it, then to not know it and need it one single time".      

Our kids program is a blend between Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo, designed to "bullyproof" children through martial arts. While playing fun and creative games based on real bullying/self-defense scenarios, the initial idea is to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. 

We build it up backwards. For example, proximity with the attacker. How to escape a situation where a child pins or holds another child on the ground? Many times, the scariest thing about such situations isn't even the aggression itself, but the unfamiliar feeling of being so close to another person (another child, in this case), especially against one's will. Panic kicks in, breathing becomes harder, and, consequently, so does escaping. It doesn't take much for a child to feel humiliated in front of their friends, as we all probably remember. The perfect combo to create a trauma that could have been avoided.  

But what if proximity wasn't such a scary thing? What if the child was so used to sparring in BJJ class that, even if caught by surprise by a bully, he/she could automatically reverse and control the situation without panicking? And without having to hurt the other child, which avoids another trauma. The same principle applies to grown ups too, of course. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu allows its practitioners to fully control their opponents without having to seriously harm them, other then as a last resource. 

So we start by, playfully, learning how to handle proximity. Take out the anxiety element of it, replace it by fun. We condition body and mind to react on autopilot against typical bullying situations. Slowly, we transition from games to light sparring, and so on. What was once fear of the unknown becomes awareness.By going through this process of learning and overcoming their fears together, BJJ kids develop a great sense of team spirit, discipline, humility, and respect for each other. Values that they take along for life.    

Another important aspect of our kids program is focused on mobility and "breakfall" skills, great allies in the daily routine of these little monkeys. Learning how to fall backwards and forward, without injuring the spine, the face or the head.  

[At the moment, all kids classes are taught in English.]