Vetting a BJJ gym

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I'm looking to put my 4 year old into BJJ when she turns 6. How does one go about vetting the quality of a BJJ gym? I don't want to send her to a gym that hands out belt colors to "improve self-esteem". I want her to learn and earn her belt colors
 
At 6 years old it’s more about having fun and building movement patterns than it is about techniques. Most 6 year olds don’t have the attention or memory to learn the way adults do. The kid’s belt system is different from adults so even if she gets promoted a few times, she can’t be a blue belt until 16. The extra kids belts are a way to keep them moving forward and motivated but still never put them on the same level as adults. Generally speaking though, I don’t see many gyms rushing people through ranks because tournaments expose that kind of thing. I’ve travelled all over the country for work and always try to train at new gyms when I do. I can only think of one place where I was truly disappointed in the training. If a gym has a competition class on their schedule then that’s a good clue that they are squared away.

Keep in mind that Bjj black belts are very rare unless you are in a big city. Most of the time I train there is not a black belt on the mats. At a very big gym you might see 5-7 at a class. Kids class is almost never going to be taught by a black belt. Usually it’s going to be a purple or brown who has their own kid in class or just enjoys teaching.

If a 6 year old can have fun, work hard, learn how to control their limbs, and build confidence then you’ve done everything right. Try as many different places as you can before signing up. Most will let you do 2-4 classes for free. Don’t take a single class and assume it’s a good representation of the place because attendance varies from class to class. It can change the whole vibe if only a couple troublemakers show up to your trial class. Ideally you would want at least one more little kid to be training so she can make a friend and have a training partner who isn’t twice her size. Don’t write off gyms that do mma/wrestling/no gi too. A lot of the kids (my son included) really love striking more than grappling and you would never find that out in a strict Bjj gym.

Some things that would make me suspicious are: long membership terms (1 year+), no trial classes without paying, requiring you to buy a gi from them with their logos all over it, requiring payment for belt promotions, kids going to the bathroom without shoes on, no live rolling/sparring (at least for the kids who are regular students, they may not let a trial class kid roll on the first day).

All this to say that there’s not a ton of bad gyms out there. If she vibes with the coach and other kids then that’s the most important thing at 6 years old. This is JMO as someone who coaches the kids Bjj and mma class at my gym.

Bonus if you start training now so that you will have a couple years experience when she is ready to start.
 
That seems like a good approach. I'm also not firm fixed on no striking, because my whole reasoning is for her to be able to defend herself. Sometimes the best defense is offense. Ultimately I also agree it needs to be fun for her, but as a father, I'd like her to do it for 10+ years
 
I would meet with the instructors and get a feel for them personally and spend sometime watching a class or two. Do they have a good attitude? IS the gym full of thugs or is it a diverse mix of ages and experience that want to get better. Are they respectful? Does it have a fairly large group of kids already? Talk to a couple of the parents . If its not a good gym for Kids, you will not have a large group of kids.
 
My daughter just started jiu jitsu / MMA / karate. She's 7. Absolutely loves it. Its more of a "fun time" than learning a lot at that age, but its definitely worth it.

Just go watch a kids class and make sure all the kids are having fun. If they are, its a good class for kids.

Ken
 
That seems like a good approach. I'm also not firm fixed on no striking, because my whole reasoning is for her to be able to defend herself. Sometimes the best defense is offense. Ultimately I also agree it needs to be fun for her, but as a father, I'd like her to do it for 10+ years
For a self defense perspective, a good gym should explore both sides of BJJ. Traditional and an introduction to Street/MMA is needed to understand the limitations of BJJ in a self defense situation. Going to the ground in an alley, should not be the first choice to defend yourself :-) When we train BJJ we make sure to show what happens if the other party is striking. Often one night is/was used to train "other martial arts" boxing, MMA, etc
 
Fwiw at that age most programs are basically light gymnastics/BJJ oriented games from what I’ve seen. You can always find a more serious/competitive gym as she gets older if she seems genuinely interested
 
That seems like a good approach. I'm also not firm fixed on no striking, because my whole reasoning is for her to be able to defend herself. Sometimes the best defense is offense. Ultimately I also agree it needs to be fun for her, but as a father, I'd like her to do it for 10+ years
My SiL did Taekwondo and it was very offense oriented. Step in and kick em in the nose kind of mentality.
 
Can't agree more with the hygiene comment!

Having trained in MMA, tae kwon do and BJJ, my daugther is in bjj. Most women aren't going out and getting into barfights. When a woman needs to defend herself, it is more likely to be an attack from a man. Not many women walk the earth that can trade strikes with a dude. The attack would most likely be or get to the ground, hence the BJJ recommendation. Technique can level the playing field of strength and striking.
 
2x on the hygiene deal. sounds basic, but some places it is an issue. i like the smell of bleach. With adults it's a thing, kids it's a big deal.

ive done jiu jitsu for 8-9 years. For better or worse, due to a lifestyle of living several places throughout the year, I have had my kids in many different gyms. For a 4yr old it isn't going to matter much but once they get to 6-8+, the best schools are structured ones. set curriculum that the kids are building on as they improve and an atmosphere that encourages competition (actually going to compete at events). This does run some kids/parents off but the alternative is useless. Too many kids programs are playing dodge ball the entire time and parents using jiu jitsu as a day care. For the kids that are potentially going to love it for a long time, that environment is a disservice.
 
Going through the same process right now, for myself and my daughter in the future. Hygiene and personalities are what I will likely key in on. Fortunately we have several choices within a reasonable radius of us
 
Engagement comes before learning and competitiveness in that age group. Don’t commit too early if you have options, do more than one trial.

There are several attributes to consider. Do the kids compete? Do the adults? Which program does the gym focus on between kids or adults? Do they have striking? What ages have access to skill level specific classes? What style of takedowns is the gym good at (wresting, judo, etc)?
 
Also, do a few classes there and see if bad behavior is punished. I've been injured a few times doing MMA, some of them were honest accidents, others were people being reckless and going too hard. The trainer's reaction to such situations can tell you a lot about whether the gym is worth joining or not. I wouldn't want my kids training at a place where people can crank arm bars like they're in the octagon fighting for $50K and go unpunished.
 
In my opinion for youth bjj, the coach is going to be first and foremost. What kind of teacher are they? Are they reliable, do they have a good demeanor around kids, does the curriculum progress, is it designed to be fun and engaging, etc.?

Being around MMA gyms, fighters, and trainers; you can certainly run into your fair share of unprofessional (Or at least not child friendly) people, so child friendly and professional is huge to me.

Id second the above messages on cleanliness and especially avoiding BS charges. Generally speaking, startup fees and long term commitments are nonsense unless you are heavily incentivized by price (i.e. pay up front for the year but get 12 months for the price of 9)
 
A simple question of who did they get their belt from or the head instructor who did he get his belt from and what lineage if any do they represent. A quick internet search of that info is one way to vet an academy. Depending on where you live you can still get some high level training and knowledge out of a small unknown gym.
 
A simple question of who did they get their belt from or the head instructor who did he get his belt from and what lineage if any do they represent. A quick internet search of that info is one way to vet an academy. Depending on where you live you can still get some high level training and knowledge out of a small unknown gym.

Like Islam Makhachev famously said:

"Who give him black belt? We have to check this"
 
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