What Is the Best Martial Art for Kids To Learn? (BJJ, Here’s Why)

Are you wondering what the best martial art for kids to learn is?

In this article, we’ll look at the best martial art for kids to learn and give many reasons why.

What Is the Best Martial Art for Kids To Learn?

The best martial art for kids to learn is Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In short, this is because they’re not taking strikes to the head and possibly getting concussions, there’s a clear path of achievement and progression because of the Bjj belt system, and they learn self-defense, humility, focus, social skills, and skills for a potential career.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a martial art focused on self-defense via ground grappling and chokehold and joint lock submissions. 

These are performed through positioning, technique, timing, distance control, and leverage. It’s knowing when and how to apply the correct type and amount of force and technique in different situations to get the best result.

Let’s take a closer look at the following ten reasons why Brazilian jiu-jitsu is the best martial art for kids to learn.

1. Much Less Risk of Head Injury

Unlike striking martial arts such as boxing, kickboxing, muay Thai, and MMA which have head strikes and practitioners wear headgear for protection, Bjj has nearly no risk of head injury as there isn’t any striking involved.

There’s still a small chance of head injury when grappling on the ground or fighting for takedowns on the feet, but it’s highly unlikely as Bjj is performed on soft mats and surrounded by padded walls. Kids also wear appropriate attire such as a gi to avoid injury.

This makes Bjj the best martial art for kids to learn as they don’t have to worry about head injuries while still participating in very physical martial art. Not only head injuries, but strikes can also cause bruises, breaks, and other niggling injuries to the whole body, which Brazilian jiu-jitsu avoids altogether.

Potential injury in Bjj as a result of submissions is minimized because a simple tap means your opponent must stop and release a chokehold or joint lock submission. If they don’t, they’ll be kicked out of class.

Also important but obvious, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a martial art that doesn’t incorporate weapons, again making it one of the safest martial arts for kids.

2. Clear Path of Achievement and Progression

Brazilian jiu-jitsu has a belt system for adults (16+) and kids (4-15). It starts with a white belt and goes up to a black belt and even beyond for hugely experienced and dedicated practitioners. On average, it takes around 10 years for a beginner to earn a black belt.

This makes Bjj a great martial art for kids to learn as they’ll learn how to set personal goals and how hard work and consistency lead to achievement and progress. In kids who start Bjj early, this mentality is instilled in them and they carry this into their school education and daily life.

Also, Bjj takes so long to achieve a black belt because there’s so much to learn. Compared to other martial arts which don’t have belt systems or are much quicker to progress in, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a more valued skill. 

3. BJJ Is Exceptional for Self-defense

Not only is Bjj a great martial art for women’s self-defense and self-defense in general, but it’s also great for kids. 

Unfortunately, bullying is common in schools from the ages of 10 to 16, so having your kids learn Bjj ensures they can look after themself and their friends in and out of school.

It effectively stops bullying as a problem for your kids and teenagers as they can grapple in the standing position, take an aggressor to the ground, grapple on the ground, control an aggressor on the ground via advantageous positioning, or nullify them via chokehold and joint lock submissions.

Kids who can defend themself are confident and this again transfers into their education and everyday life. It also gives parents peace of mind.

4. BJJ Works for Kids of All Sizes

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is well known to work for adults and kids of all shapes, sizes, and weights, which is one of the reasons it’s so good for self-defense – it can be used by much lighter people to defend against heavier aggressors because it mostly relies on technique, strategy, and timing.

If a kid is concerned about being smaller and weaker than other kids, Brazilian jiu-jitsu makes it clear that technique, knowledge, and fight intelligence can be used to overcome size and weight differences. Therefore, Bjj is the best martial art for kids to learn as there can be no excuse for being undersized.

5. Competition & Sparring

Bjj is the best martial art for kids to learn as it involves a lot of healthy competition and sparring, whereas many martial arts don’t.

Competition and sparring are great for kids as it keeps them progressing, having fun, and interested as they test their skills against their training partners and friends. It also makes them best prepared for real-life situations as they’ve tested their skills under pressure.

6. Increased Social Skills and Social Circle

Kids who attend Bjj classes improve their social skills and make many new friends. Many kids meet some of their best friends for life while learning a martial art like Bjj. Making friends keeps kids motivated and willing to consistently attend classes and make progress.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is one of the most popular martial arts for all ages, so even if your kid doesn’t much enjoy sports, seeing the many other kids having fun, learning, grabbing each other, and rolling around on the mats will naturally make them want to join in.

Also tied to the increased social circle is how they’ll meet and learn about people of different nationalities and cultures. They’ll also improve their teamwork.

7. Physical Development and Routine 

Learning and advancing in Bjj isn’t easy. Instead of playing video games, they’ll be getting regular exercise and learning the importance of routine, consistency, and discipline.

Kids will see physical improvements in their cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, coordination, agility, balance, and physical strength. Kids actually find it easier than adults to do well in Bjj and progress because of their natural flexibility and how grappling is a natural activity (more than striking) for them.

Kids also learn how to safely fall to the ground which is important as they’re still developing motor skills. Overall, Bjj is a fantastic full-body workout for kids.

8. Character and Mental Development

Bjj is often described as a human chess match, meaning kids improve their focus and problem-solving skills as they need to use their body and brain in sync, under pressure, and at very a fast pace to get better positioning and submit an opponent.

They’ll also develop unbelievable control as Bjj has no striking and there can be stalemates in many positions. Kids need to compose themself and think logically about the next best step. This is especially useful for kids with excess energy and anger.

In Bjj, kids also learn humility because no matter how talented they are, boys will lose to girls and all kids will lose to someone smaller in size who has better technique, knowledge, and experience.

From this, they’ll also learn failure is good because you learn from it and you move forward, instead of dwelling on the fear of failure and making zero progress.

Lastly, kids learning Bjj also develop and improve their self-esteem, determination, mindfulness, compassion, and listening skills, among other useful life skills.

9. BJJ Offers a Potential Career

As huge as Bjj is, it’s also a fundamental martial art in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA). Learning and becoming competent in Bjj means kids have a potential career down the line or even a side job to earn some extra income.

Bjj teachers and coaches are in demand and will become more so with the growing sport of MMA, as Bjj is an integral part of becoming a complete mixed martial artist.

There’s also the option to pursue a career as a Bjj competitor or MMA fighter, which can be very well paid at the highest levels.

10. BJJ Is More Easily Taught to Kids

As Bjj is one of the most popular combat sports and martial arts in the majority of countries around the world, it’s led Bjj to have many quality martial arts instructors, which means there are many schools having the experience and skill to simplify Bjj for kids.

Kids start with the simplest movements and techniques which are broken down step by step. They have fun as they learn more and more every session they attend.

By contrast, kids looking to learn less popular martial arts don’t have the same access to quality and affordable teachers, coaches, and schools.

Here’s a short video showing two kids rolling (sparring) with each other to test their skills.

Are There Any Negatives To Learning Bjj for Kids?

Of all the martial arts for kids, Bjj is the best martial art for kids to learn, but there may also be some negatives to consider.

1. Not a negative for kids, but Bjj is one of the most expensive martial arts because of how useful and popular it is. However, the small difference in price is far outweighed by the benefits so it’s hard to consider it a negative.

2. As Bjj doesn’t incorporate any striking, some may see this as a negative for kids as it can be useful in self-defense. However, Bjj is by far the superior self-defense martial art for kids and they can learn how to strike through some private classes or by striking a heavy bag.

The Bottom Line

So, ‘what is the best martial art for kids to learn?’

The best martial art for kids to learn is Brazilian jiu-jitsu by far. Self-defense, no head injuries, increased social skills, physical and mental development, new friends, a clear path of achievement and routine, and the accessibility of Bjj as a martial art are some of the many benefits of Bjj for kids.