Gracie Jiu-Jitsu for Kids

Gracie Bullyproof, Aurora's Jiu-Jitsu for Kids 5 - 12

Every month in the United States, three million children miss school due to fear of bullies. In the Gracie Bullyproof program, our goal is to instill your child with unshakable confidence so they can overcome bullies without violence. Due to the non-violent nature of the techniques, CNN, ABC, NBC, and Oprah have featured the Gracie Bullyproof program as one of the few effective counter-measures to bullying for children between the ages of 5 and 12. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Aurora is currently offering the Jr. Grapplers, 8 to 12 year old, section of the Bullyproof program — the Denver area’s best Jiu-Jitsu for kids.

Overview

Every Child Needs Jr. Grapplers^®

Jr. Grapplers is for kids between 8 and 12 years old. We will teach your child to use verbal assertiveness to deter bullies and several non-violent self-defense techniques to stay safe if physically assaulted. Importantly, we don’t teach how to punch or kick, since this often does more harm than good. Instead, we use leverage-based control holds to neutralize threats without violence — think kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, not mixed martial arts for kids. Numerous school districts have embraced the defensive nature of the Gracie Jr. Grapplers techniques as a reasonable, nonviolent response to bullying and some even host Jr. Grapplers classes on campus! The bottom line is: we will prepare your child to defend themselves against bullies without turning them into one. If you’re interested in instilling your child with unshakable confidence while reinforcing positive values and good character, the Jr. Grapplers program is for you!

Little Champs (5 to 7 years old)

Jr. Grapplers (8 to 12 years old)

In the Jr. Grapplers program, we focus on 33 non-violent self-defense techniques that teach children to “neutralize and negotiate” with the bullies. Verbal assertiveness strategies are a major portion of this curriculum. A child needs absolutely no experience to start, and we guarantee a noticeable increase in your child’s confidence within a few weeks!

Critical Confidence

Studies suggest that bullying may be the leading cause of low self-esteem in children, and according to some surveys, less than 15% of kids actually report acts of bullying. Children’s inability to stand up to a bully is rooted in profound fear for their personal safety. Ironically, the victims know that they must confront the bully and would like nothing more than to stand up to them. But, they simply can’t follow through for fear of the physical harm that backs the bully’s every action. And, therein lies the challenge – how do you instill in a victim of bullying the confidence to face the tormentor, look them in the eye, and back them down? The answer is simple – teach the victims to defend themselves against physical attack, and the rest will follow. Jr. Grapplers is Jiu-Jitsu for kids.

Fighting Fire with Water

Most martial arts programs rely on striking the attacker with violent punches, kicks, knees, and elbows (kids kickboxing or mma for kids), but in the Gracie Bullyproof program we take a different approach. All the techniques are purely defensive and utilize no strikes — think Gracie Jiu Jitsu for kids. Furthermore, we teach children how to defuse confrontations with words and never to initiate physical aggression. If attacked, we offer techniques to non-violently neutralize the threat and gain control until help arrives. In the Jr. Grapplers program, we teach the children how to fight fire with water so that you never have to worry about your child becoming a bully under our guidance.

Skills Taught in Jr. Grapplers

Increased Awareness

Harassment comes in many forms. Sometimes, a victim doesn’t take a stand because they can’t differentiate between “joking” and “bullying.” We teach your child to differentiate between harmless play and harmful harassment so they know precisely when and how to act in each circumstance.

Unshakable Confidence

A confident child is a Bullyproof child. Bullies seek “easy targets” – those who will tolerate their abuse. We arm your child with the tools needed to overcome physical, verbal, and psychological harassment, so they are so confident in themselves that no bully will try to harass them.

Character Development Program

At Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Aurora, we have found that our instructors develop powerful bonds with every student at the Academy, but especially with our youth practitioners. We leverage this connection to help you develop your child’s character for success in all aspects of life. The Gracie Character Development Program consists of six chapters: Responsibility, Health, Respect, Citizenship, Manners, and Caring. We spend two months on each chapter. In every class, we discuss the featured character trait for 10-15 minutes, emphasizing the simple things your child can do to make it a part of their life. The secret to success lies in our use of a unique point-based reward system that we tie to attendance at Gracie Game Day, a special two-hour party where they get to play tons of games with all the instructors and kids. Only kids who score enough points during the two-month period qualify to attend Gracie Game Day, so it’s a powerful incentive for kids and a useful tool for parents to develop positive behavior at home and school. Gracie Game Day is so much fun that parents will often put on a uniform just so they can join the party!

Rules of Engagement

Sometimes, a child will not confront a bully even when armed with the Gracie Bullyproof self-defense techniques. Fear of punishment from school administrators and from parents can override fear of a bully. The Rules of Engagement provide your child with a step-by-step plan for dealing with a bully.

Rule 1: Avoid the fight at all costs.
Rule 2: If physically attacked, defend yourself.
Rule 3: If verbally attacked, follow the Three T-steps (talk, tell, tackle).
Rule 4: Never punch or kick the bully, establish control and negotiate.
Rule 5: When applying submissions use minimal force and negotiate.

We discuss the Rules of Engagement in every Gracie Bullyproof class. We encourage you to discuss the rules at home to assure your child that they have your support.

Total Responsibility

We prepare your child to deal with bullies without turning them into one. We emphasize discipline, responsibility, and respect throughout the course, and teach five “Rules of Engagement” to ensure they never abuse their power.