BJJ 101

One of the biggest differences between Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and other martial arts is how the gradings work.

Unlike other martial arts, Jiu Jitsu is a living, constantly-evolving art that is practiced at full intensity in every session. There is relatively little in the way of rote learning, instead BJJ requires participants to be willing to problem solve in the moment. The grading structure reflects that.

Our gradings aren’t based on the kids being able to demonstrate a specific techniques or how long they’ve been at a belt.

Our junior BJJ students are grading based on their improvement measured against themselves. Getting the next belt is just a by-product of that improvement.

This helps develop intrinsic motivation or internal motivation and it’s has been shown to have a life long impact. Check out the video below to learn more about our grading structure and the how it develops positive habits in the children who attend our BJJ classes.

If you’d like to learn more about our classes and how they can benefit you or your child, click the button below and get your FREE trial at Escapology BJJ.

Did you know there are two types of motivation, but only one has been shown to have long term benefits?

Motivation is often portrayed as the carrot and a stick, but in reality, carrots and sticks are the weakest long-term motivators because they are external to the individual, or extrinsic. 

Extrinsic motivators are powerful in the moment, but their impact on the individual is short-lived: as soon as the motivator disappears, the motivation evaporates.

Our goal is to help our students of any age build intrinsic motivational systems. (That’s motivation that comes from inside of them).

It’s intrinsic motivation that has been shown to lead to achieve higher academic success, exhibit greater creativity, and demonstrate more persistence in challenging tasks.

We want them to enjoy the work and the effort; we want them to place value on their effort, competitiveness, and attitude.

To give you an example of how we do this in our BJJ classes, check out the video.

In the video, Escapology BJJ head coach, Tom Barlow discusses how we interact with our students to encourage intrinsic motivations and remove the hidden negative pressures of extrinsic motivation.

If you’d like to learn more about our classes and how they can benefit you or your child, click the button below and get your FREE trial at Escapology BJJ.

Research consistently shows that fostering a strong work ethic and perseverance in children leads to a multitude of benefits that extend far beyond the classroom. Typically, kids who develop a strong work ethic and understand the importance of effort have a higher levels of self-esteem and life satisfaction, and are more likely to achieve their goals.

This is why we spend a lot of time in our Kids BJJ classes helping the students understand what it means to give effort and creating an environment where effort is rewarded over skill or winning. Jiu Jitsu lends itself to this way of learning.

One of the cool things about Jiu Jitsu is that it allows you to give maximum effort pretty safely while in a situation where you might be going against someone bigger, stronger, older or better. The result of your training then comes down to effort rather than skill or size.

To give you an example of how we do this in a class environment, check out the video.

In the video, Escapology BJJ head coach, Tom Barlow discusses some drills we’ve been using to promote effort and encourage kids to try their best in training.

If you’d like to learn more about our classes and how they can benefit you or your child, click the button below and get your FREE trial at Escapology BJJ.