Whether we wish to admit it or not, our kids especially in the urban areas are increasingly hooked on electronic devices. These kids are ‘connected’ to the internet with access to information and to their friends at the swipe of the screen of their devices.

Today’s children are growing up in a new reality, one where they are attuning more to machines and less to people. Digital engagement comes at a cost in face time with real people which is where we learn to “read” nonverbals. For kids, the problem of this lack of interaction with other kids denies or severely hampers the social and emotional circuitry of a child’s brain which learns from contact and conversation with everyone it encounters over the course of a day. These interactions mold brain circuitry; the fewer hours spent with people and the more spent staring at a digitized screen portends deficits. (1)

Your kids will reap the benefits through physical social engagements in a BJJ school through which they:
– will develop physically;
– will learn how to defend themselves;
– will learn respect and discipline; and
– will have better confidence in themselves

Most BJJ schools have rules and foster a culture of respect among students. Bullying and inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated by the coaches. Children will learn, drill moves and collaborate together. It may be an individual sport, but during classes they will have the opportunity to collaborate with other children to help each other learn and develop.

(1) see Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence by Daniel Goleman