Kids BJJ

Our kids martial arts classes are about more than just physical fitness. Every class has an intentional focus on promoting skill and character development which will translate into every area of your child’s life; sports, family and school.

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WHY OPENMAT MMA Toronto for KIDS MARTIAL ARTS?

Experienced Instructors

Our experienced instructors have been working and volunteering with children for years. Their experience with children, combined with their high skill level in BJJ, allows them to create developmentally friendly approaches to teaching your child martial arts.

For more information about our instructors, check out our instructors’ page.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

The core curriculum of our kids martial arts classes is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a life-changing art for all. For kids, BJJ brings out a focus, a determination and a poise that every parent wants to see from their child. Giving your child the tools to defend themselves builds their confidence so they feel strong enough to stand up for themselves verbally and, if necessary, protect themselves physically.

Community

At OpenMat, we value relationships and we believe in the importance of children feeling a sense of belonging. When your child steps on our mats for the first time, they become a part of our OpenMat family. In addition, our instructors are always going above and beyond to support them both on and off the mats.

Personalized Instruction

Our childrens martial arts classes offer a high instructor to child ratio which allows your child to receive more personalized attention and one on one instruction. As a result, they will get more out of every class!

Why not check it our for yourself with our Free Trial!

WHY BJJ?

The Gentle Art

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was designed for the smaller person, making it the perfect for children. By controlling an opponent’s movement rather than using force against an opponent (kicking or punching), BJJ teaches children the importance of deescalating situations that arise rather than escalating the aggression of their opponent. This skill could have profound effects on how your child deals with bullies at school and keep them safe in physical encounters.

Sport and Self-Defence

Jiu-Jitsu has two major, intertwining branches – self defence and sport, both which have immense value. Self defence training instils a physical reassurance, helping us feel safe – a state in which we can be our most creative and focused. For any child dealing with bullying, we provide the tools to put a stop to it. Meanwhile, sport training provides the same physical confidence with the added benefits of teaching the principles for success; goal setting, focus, determination, long-term thinking, hard work, plans, mentors, and so on.

10 REASONS TO ENROLL IN KIDS MARTIAL ARTS

Confidence

First and foremost, confidence. Learning Jiu-JItsu feels like discovering a superpower you never knew you had. The confidence gained applies beyond dealing with bullies – it bleeds into academics, social interactions and home-life.

Growth Mindset

Written by acclaimed professor of psychology at Stanford University, Carol Dweck, Mindset is a book based on decades of research into success and achievement. It is revolutionizing education and personal development theory. The key finding is the primary difference between the successful and the unsuccessful is whether they have an “fixed/entity mindset” – I am smart/not smart; strong/not strong; good/not good – vs a “growth mindset” – wherever I am now, I can improve; I can grow through hard work. Jiu-Jitsu naturally fosters a growth mindset as your child will see their skills and capabilities grow over time. Again, this mindset ripples out, everywhere.

Self-Defence

Attitude improvements are great, but not if they are not based on real-world skills, because that confidence will evaporate as soon as those skills are tested. Jiu-Jitsu has established itself as the most effective form of self defence when facing a bigger person. While we encourage students to use their words to diffuse conflict, knowing that you can hold your own is the antidote to the insecurity anyone unprepared would feel if confronted with bullying.

Non-violent

Unique among martial arts, Jiu-Jitsu “fights fire with water”. Rather than punch and kick, which can hurt the other person as well as ourselves, and land us in trouble with school, Jiu-Jitsu teaches us to control and negotiate. This not only means your child is more safe than in an art where they are getting punched and kicked, but they learn the larger lesson that there are peaceful ways to end conflict.

Body-Positivity

In a culture where we are told what normal is supposed to look like, many kids grow up feeling bad about their bodies. Through Jiu-Jitsu, every child learns to appreciate their unique body – short limbs are harder to control, while long limbs offer greater leverage. Being heavier allows us greater control over others while being small can make us fast. Learning to love our bodies is a crucial step in learning to love ourselves and Jiu-Jitsu offers that to everyone.

Healthy Competition

In sports it is often easy to fall into the trap of making it all about winning. Fighting to win is important and healthy, so long as it is done in a spirit of play, knowing that we are loved and valued by our coaches, our parents and ourselves – win or lose. In Jiu-JItsu, one is always both winning and losing – how we process that is vital to healthy development. At OpenMat, we teach that tapping out is not giving up, it is giving props – congratulating the opponent on good work. At the same time, we teach to treat losses as feedback that we can learn from, making our growth and development a long-term game we play with ourselves.

Assertiveness and Adaptability

Stress Relief

We often think of adults as needing stress relief and forget that kids experience stress just as much as we do. Being in the midst of (playful) battle on the mats also gets us out of our head, gets our blood pumping, and fills us with endorphins – “the feel-good hormone”. Coming in to class after a long day of school, gives your child a mental, physical and emotional reset that all of us can benefit from.

Healthy Lifestyle

Childhood obesity is an epidemic in our society and iPads, television and video games all contribute to a sedentary lifestyle. The healthy lifestyle Jiu-Jitsu teaches goes beyond making fitness part of your life – it includes learning and practicing healthy nutrition, healthy sleep habits and a healthy mindset. Getting your child used to being active, healthy and positive early in life lays the foundation for later success.

Goal Setting

In Jiu-Jitsu you are constantly setting and achieving goals. From being able to apply a certain move, to winning a match to earning a belt. Whether in school, academics or even just maintaining a clean room, success starts with having a goal. Telling your child this may have an impact, but having them experience it through their own efforts instills it as a lesson for life.

WHAT OUR PARENTS SAY

“We really appreciate all that you have done for my son, Raine. He loves being at the gym. Learning, interacting and just being among the Openmat family. It’s been such a positive influence for Raine. He’s developed a great work ethic, focus and drive. Even his school teacher has noticed a change. At his parent-teacher meeting, his teacher asked what type of Martial Arts he was studying. She could see how it’s helped Raine as he’s become more assertive and developed a leadership role in class. Thank you again for everything!”

“My son joined OpenMat’s Kids program almost a year ago and the transformation in confidence was immediate. The importance of control while training so as not to injure himself or his partners gives him an awareness of his own strength and teaches him to respect the strength and weakness of others. The program’s teachers inspire focus and success on the mat and in life. Many thanks to the OpenMat Team and its professional and gracious staff”