You needn’t be a parent or coach to know that some children are natural born athletes and other children are not so much. From the time, we are born we are faced with the struggle of learning to crawl, to walk, to feed ourselves with a spoon, learning to write, participating in a new sport, and so forth – learning to operate this complex machine called the human body is no simple task! This task of developing fitness in children is becoming more challenging with the indoctrination of gaming and school budget cuts minimizing Phys Ed courses. How can we prevent a generation of obese couch potatoes?!
GRAPPLING !
One of the best things about a child training a grappling are such as; Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, or Judo – beyond the obvious reason of self-defense – is they become acutely more in tuned with the way their body works. In learning to execute the techniques of grappling– all of which have several ‘moving parts’ – a child develops fine motor skills as well as a great understanding of base and balance. This increased coordination and body awareness stems from the consistent challenges that grappling places upon a child’s neuromuscular connections! The more they grapple the more fluid they become on the mats with the bonus that these skills then spill over to other sports and activities of their daily lives!
About the author:
Jeff Reese, Gracie Jiu-jitsu black belt, has had the honor of learning from two generations of Gracie family members including Royce, Royler, Rodrigo, Rolker, Ralek, Rener, and Ryron; he teaches daily at Gracie NEPA locations in Exeter and Scranton, PA. Jeff is a father of three and recently became a grandfather. He studied secondary education in college and has been instructing children’s martial arts for over a decade.
