Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: A Fantastic Secondary Sport for Kids
It seems weird to me to say that the sports I have devoted a lot of my life to are a great secondary sport.
In reality, not all kids see Martial arts (in our case, Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) as a primary sport. At our club, I would say 15-20% of the children Judo or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is their “main” sport.
As coaches, I feel it’s not our job to change this but to support it. Often, we would use this to our advantage. They have a passion for football, rugby, or gymnastics, let’s use it by using dialect which will cross with their sports.
From personal experience, rugby and Judo were my sports from a young age. This taught me a fantastic balance of qualities I would need in life and developed my physical and mental attributes.
o why is it a fantastic secondary sport?
Both Judo and BJJ emphasise technique over brute strength. Children learn to use leverage, balance, and timing to overcome opponents. On the rugby pitch, this benefitted me massively as a 100kg 12-year-old came running down my channel when I weighed 30kg soaking wet.
This focus on skill development and core skills fosters critical thinking and problem-solving, which is extremely beneficial in identifying effective strategies in both sports and life.
So yes, it is a fantastic way to develop physical attributes. But how about the mind? Typically, having a balance between a team-oriented sport and an individual sport is a great balance for a child. Not to say martial arts can’t be team-oriented, but quite simply, it’s one-on-one, only you can change the outcome of what happens.
This creates a sort of independence, allowing you to control what you can and can’t do. But it also brings an element of teamwork. For example, if someone may not be as advanced as you, rather than trying to “beat” them, we look to support and help develop their skills, which creates a sense of humility.
At PGS, we try to ensure we are not too pushy on our kids. Instead, we let them focus on learning and enjoying the sport. If Judo or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was a child’s main sport, how we coach wouldn’t change; we may just change the words chosen to put our points across.
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