Athlas Training Team Ft. Lauderdale Back to School Programs Are a Great Option for Your Child!
Summer is coming to an end, school is starting back up and parents are looking for after school activities for their children. Instead of allowing them to go home and play video games or watch TV we highly recommend getting your child involved in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. What is “BJJ”? Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a grappling-based martial art that stresses the ability to control and or disable an opponent using a variety of holds, chokes and joint locks. BJJ practitioners pride themselves on being able to defeat bigger, stronger opponents through the use of technique and leverage as opposed to strength and power. The fact that there is no striking involved means it can be practiced safely in a supervised environment with minimal risk of injury.
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Here are a few reasons BJJ is the perfect after school activity for Ft. Lauderdale back to school:
A HEALTHY OUTLET FOR EXCESS ENERGY
As you well know, children are bursting with energy. Your child spends all day sitting quietly in a chair and needs a healthy outlet at the end of the day for all that stored up energy. Jiu Jitsu class is a place where your child can release that energy in a safe, supervised environment while learning a new skill. This also has the added benefit of helping them focus more on their homework when they get home as well as being able to fall asleep earlier, which helps a lot at school the following day.
CREATING FRIENDSHIPS AND SOCIAL SKILLS
During school hours your child is surrounded by other kids, but most of the work they do is on their own. They’re also instructed to not talk and focus on that day’s lesson, so socializing outside of lunch hours is generally discouraged. In jiu jitsu pretty much all of the techniques they learn and the training they do is with at least one partner. This means they have to work together in order to learn. This practice promotes teamwork and forces your child into interacting with new people: this is how friendships develop and suddenly your kid’s jiu jitsu teammate is also their friend outside the gym, making BJJ the perfect Ft. Lauderdale back to school activity.
SELF-DEFENSE
Bullying is unfortunately a big part of school life and while we hope your child never experiences it, it’s comforting to know that they can defend themselves should the need ever arise. Not being a victim starts long before the actual conflict occurs. Bullies often go after kids they perceive as easy targets; kids that are lacking in confidence and self-esteem. When you know you have the ability to defend yourself you carry yourself in a more confident manner that bullies pick up on and make you less likely to become a target.
Lastly for those kids who started BJJ during the summer, it’s important to not stop training during the Ft. Lauderdale back to school months, because of the many ways listed above that BJJ can help your child not only after school, but also at school. We hope to see you at the gym!
