Kids Martial Arts Classes in Toronto, ON at OpenMat

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.