The other morning my much anticipated order for Gracie Bullyproofing finally came to my door. You’re probably wondering why I mentioned the Episcopal Church and Gracie Bullyproofing without tying them together.
When I was young my father was heavily involved in the Episcopal Church and we all went to church regularly. Eventually this declined and, being a kid, I never wondered why. Several years ago, my father and I talked about that. His reason for our withdrawal was, among other reasons, because there was nothing for the youth! If the youth have nothing to engage or challenge them, they will fall by the wayside and the group’s growth will falter.
Now what does that have to do with judo or the Gracies?
When was the last time, coaches, that you lost a promising student to soccer, football, wrestling, or (dare I say it? DARE DARE) karate or tae kwon do? They came to your class looking for something like Karate Kid or UFC and they tried it for a week or two, maybe a month, and then disappeared. If you got the chance to ask them why they left, they said they didn’t have any fun.
Guess what coaches, if you’re teaching kids you better have FUN as your overarching goal. I know it’s judo o and it’s a “traditional” martial art which requires discipline and such, BUT that doesn’t mean you have to be stodgy!
That’s where DVD’s like the Gracie Bullyproofing and 101 Judo Games come in. They emphasize making learning fun! 101 Judo games is a great DVD that has a lot of games and training methodologies designed to help coaches and judo students have fun in judo classes. Unfortunately it is judo not complete. We judo instructors need more, especially in the United States.
Now, the Gracie Bullyproofing DVD set may be anathema to traditional judo schools and teachers because it’s (GASP) Brazilian JiuJitsu and has joint locks. BUT! And that’s a very big but, they tell parents how to teach, correct, and emphasize the fun when training. No matter your perspective on armlocks for kids (they eschew chokes for safety reasons); this program provides valuable insights applicable to any martial arts instructor who teaches children.
How can all this change judo in the United States? I believe too many judo teachers put tradition and ritualism in front of fun. Don’t get me wrong, the rituals and tradition have their (very important) place, but why can’t we teacher these rituals and traditions with fun in mind? To put it simply why can’t USJA, USJF, USA Judo, USMAA, Yawara JA, or the host of other judo organizations in the US develop a full curriculum and training program where the goal of students learning judo is achieved using 100% fun training?
Here’s my advice, go watch the Gracie Bullyproofing series. Your kids and/or students will love it, especially if you incorporate it into your judo teaching!
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2 comments:
I couldn't agree with you more! One reason we often bring the group from the West Coast Judo Training Center to camps AS A GROUP is that it's fun when you are young to go somewhere with your friends, stay in a hotel and hey, do judo! We also do a lot of judo games that develop skills and physical abilities for judo and are fun. I was at a club once where the head instructor yelled at the kids, "You're not here to have fun!"
I'm just the opposite of that coach! I ask my kids every day two questions: 1) Did you learn something? 2) Did you have fun?
I'm hoping this semester will be great because I have 8 new kids so far, and I know LC Grappling in Carlsbad will host a learning tournament around March or April so I can take them all down to learn what a tournament is like.
I hope that I can get enough to justify bringing someone like you down next academic year! But I want to have enough people!
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