Jiu Jitsu Built for How Kids Grow

GENTLE HUMAN IS A YOUTH DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAM THAT OFFERS AGE-APPROPRIATE JIU-JITSU CLASSES DESIGNED TO DEVELOP CAPABLE BODIES, CONFIDENT MINDS, AND STRONG CHARACTER. EACH CLASS COMBINES ESSENTIAL MOVEMENT, JIU JITSU, DEEP PLAY, SOCIAL SKILLS, AND COACHING TO HELP CHILDREN BUILD REAL PHYSICAL SKILLS WHILE LEARNING HOW TO SOLVE PROBLEMS, MANAGE PRESSURE, WORK WITH OTHERS, AND DO DIFFICULT THINGS.

STUDENTS PROGRESS THROUGH A STRUCTURED CURRICULUM DESIGNED FOR THEIR AGE, EXPERIENCE, AND STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT. OUR PROGRAM OFFERS:

AGE APPROPRIATE CLASSES

STRUCTURED PROGRESSION

REAL SELF-DEFENSE SKILLS

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION

PHYSICAL LITERACY/ GYMNASTICS

WHOLE CHILD DEVELOPMENT

  • Where confidence begins.
    Through games, movement, and age-appropriate jiu-jitsu, 3-5 develop physical literacy, body awareness, listening skills, mat etiquette, and the ability to learn, lose, and try again, all while having fun.

  • Building strong foundations.
    6-8 begin learning fundamental Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in a structured environment while continuing to develop athleticism, teamwork, and confidence. Students learn to train safely with partners, solve problems through movement, and experience healthy competition.

  • Developing skill and responsibility.
    9-13 refine the fundamentals with greater precision, discipline, and independence. Students are held to higher expectations in their technique, decision-making, and training habits while continuing to build resilience, sportsmanship, and competitive confidence.

MAKE FRIENDS: JIU JITSU IS LEARNED TOGETHER. KIDS PRACTICE COMMUNICATING, COOPERATING, COMPETING, HELPING THEIR PARTNERS, AND BECOMING PART OF A TEAM.

MAKE MISTAKES: LEARNING REQUIRES GETTING THINGS WRONG. KIDS HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO STRUGGLE, LOSE, GET CONFUSED, TRY AGAIN, AND DISCOVER THAT MISTAKES ARE PART OF BECOMING CAPABLE.

LEARN HARD THINGS: STUDENTS DEVELOP REAL PHYSICAL AND TECHNICAL SKILLS THROUGH CHALLENGES THAT REQUIRE ATTENTION, PATIENCE, COURAGE, EFFORT, AND PROBLEM SOLVING.

MAKE FRIENDS. MAKE MISTAKES. LEARN HARD THINGS.

EVERY CLASS GIVES CHILDREN OPPORTUNITIES TO MOVE, THINK, STRUGGLE, ADAPT, AND GROW.

CLASS OVERVIEW

  • Every class begins with students learning how to enter the room with intention.

  • Before we ask kids to perform, we teach them how to become ready to learn.

  • Through climbing, balancing, crawling, jumping, tumbling, carrying, roughhousing, and obstacle challenges, students develop coordination, body awareness, and physical confidence.

  • Students learn the essential movements, positions, escapes, controls, and submissions that make jiu-jitsu work.

  • Students are given specific problems to solve through games, partner challenges, and positional work, helping them turn technique into understanding.

  • Deep Play is where students get to practice their jiu jitsu in the context of live sparring. They lean to make decisions, manage emotions, adapt to resistance, and apply what they know when the outcome is uncertain.

  • We close class by helping students notice how they showed up, not just what techniques they learned.

Every 50–60 minute class follows a deliberate progression designed to prepare children to learn, build physical and technical skill, test those skills under pressure, and reflect on how they performed.