Should both primary and secondary schools have Brazilian Jujitsu as part of their sport curriculum?

Brazilian Jujitsu (known as bjj amongst practitioners) is martial art which focuses solely on grappling (especially on the ground) and controlling an opponent and doesn’t involve any forms of strikes. It originates from Brazil, from a man called Helio Gracie. But bjj is more of a adaptation of judo, specifically newaza (the ground game). Bjj has been around since the early 1900s, and had been “tested” at several vale tudo competitions (no hold bars competitions), which proved it as arguably the most effective martial art. This was because firstly at the time no one really knew about the techniques involved in bjj so it took many opponents by surprise. But mainly the effectiveness of bjj comes from the philosophy of Helio Gracie where a smaller man is able (though correct technique and patience) to beat a bigger man.
A perfect example of this was at UFC 3 where a 176 lbs Royce Gracie beat a 240 lbs Kimo. This shows how it’s not all about size... but technique also.
Now that you understand what bjj is and how it works, you’ll see why your son/daughter should be training it.

Firstly, what most parents will be concerned with is injury. Outside of combat sports, basketball and football have the highest injury rates. And this negates the fact the bjj doesn’t have any striking. Therefore the only reasons for a injury to occur will be due to an accident which if happened would not be as severe as falling on a basketball court or breaking a leg on the pitch

Secondly, the benefits which will come from it. Not only will your child be able to defend themselves and others, but their confidence will rise as well as their respect and humility. This is because, especially with the older students, your child will be rolling against other students trying to ”tap” each other which if one loses there ego will be damaged and in a sense will be ‘humbled’ as they understand that they can’t win and need to improve... or quit. 

Also any bjj gym projects a positive environment. Anyone you will meet in a bjj gym will be extremely friendly and keen to help, it’s part of the nature of bjj where we constantly fight each other with good intentions. This allows your child, especially at a young age, to absorb this healthy environment and in turn create healthy habits. As well as the mental benefits your child will pick up, there is of course the physical benefits. Your child will learn how to take care of their body by learning how to stretch to prevent injury, and body weight exercise to improve strength as well as improve their coordination and balance. Bjj will also be perfect to heighten their problem solving skills as bjj can strongly be compared to chess as it’s one opponent vs another and are each trying to outsmart the other and be one step ahead.