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.

This is why Jiu-Jitsu training is beneficial for them. Here are the main reasons why:

1. Builds their balance and coordination

2. Builds confidence and self-esteem

3. Allows for socializing and bonding

4. Teaches focus and discipline

5. Keeps them occupied with something positive

Now the question is, how do I get my kids into Jiu-Jitsu?

Ex Navy Seal Commander Jocko Willink who also happens to be a black belt belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under 3x ADCC champion Dean Lister, recently promoted his daughter to blue belt. Jocko explains how she found her own path in Jiu-Jitsu, training at another academy (not his) and how she had started much younger but that he pushed her too hard to train bjj when she was just a small child.

It’s a rare sight to see Jocko crying.