BJJ for 13 year old girls?

[Pyrock]

My son has been training in BJJ for almost a year and now my 13 year old daughter wants to start training. I've seen some young girls training but not usually early teens simply because my son's class is for 12 and under. Are there a lot of teenaged girls training? For tournaments, is there a division for women?

My son's head instructor's niece is Kyra Gracie and apparently she started when she was 13.

My daughter is very athletic with a lean muscular build (ex-cheerleader) and is somewhat of a tom-boy. She is built like a young Kyra Gracie.

Is there anything I should be concern with?

Any comments or advice?

 

[MJS]

My son has been training in BJJ for almost a year and now my 13 year old daughter wants to start training. I've seen some young girls training but not usually early teens simply because my son's class is for 12 and under. Are there a lot of teenaged girls training? For tournaments, is there a division for women?

My son's head instructor's niece is Kyra Gracie and apparently she started when she was 13.

My daughter is very athletic with a lean muscular build (ex-cheerleader) and is somewhat of a tom-boy. She is built like a young Kyra Gracie.

Is there anything I should be concern with?

Any comments or advice?

Most classes and tournaments do have seperate divisions/classes, so I wouldn't worry about that. Personally, I think that BJJ is an art that all women should study. It provides an excellent foundation, in the event someone finds themselves on the ground.

Letting her try a class or two certainly couldn't hurt.

Mike

 

[Steve]

She'll do great. We have several young women train at my school. She'll have challenges, that's for sure, but if the school is good, she'll be fine.

 

[Pyrock]

She mentioned once or twice that she wanted to start training but I dismissed it until I caught her rolling on the grass with some of her guy friends. (wrestling/BJJ rolling) Before I could stop them, the boy was tapping out to a guillotine...a sloppy guillotine but a guillotine non the less! I guess she learned something from watching her 7 year old brother train.

Anyway, if she was going to roll, I may as well have her do it under supervision and do it properly!

 

[arnisador]

I started my daughter at 14. No problems.

 

[Pyrock]

I started my daughter at 14. No problems.

Were there other girls her age? How old is she now and what belt?

 

[arnisador]

No others that stayed more than a couple of lessons. She is still a white belt at 15.

 

[lklawson]

Why are you so worried that there be other girls?

When she is choking the crap out of boys (and potential boyfriends) and yanking their arms out of their sockets, that's a GOOD thing.

As soon as my daughter is old enough I'm stuffing her in Judo, provided she will do it of course. After that I'm seriously considering shipping her off to train under James Loriega in some navaja (I think the "lady's knife" is called "sevilianna" or similar).

If your daughter wants to train, let her train. Please.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[Carol]

Don't worry if she is the only girl in the class. If she has to use her skills, chances are it will be against a teenage or adult male...the more practice she has, the better. If there is another girl in class, the instructor may fall in to the trap of always pairing the two girls together.

I think grappling, both stand up and ground, is possibly the best self-defense skill a female can learn. Personally, I wish I did more of it. Women typically tend to be smaller than men, and learning the the way to leverage out of a rotten situation with a bigger BG can be a good thing. :asian:

 

[Pyrock]

All very good points. I had many of the same thoughts but just needed a little reassuring. I went an bought her an el-cheapo gi from the local martial arts store. I didn't want to spend a boat load of $$ just in case she decided it wasn't for her. If she sticks to it, then I will invest in a nice gi like I did with my son.

 

[jks9199]

Why are you so worried that there be other girls?

When she is choking the crap out of boys (and potential boyfriends) and yanking their arms out of their sockets, that's a GOOD thing.

As soon as my daughter is old enough I'm stuffing her in Judo, provided she will do it of course. After that I'm seriously considering shipping her off to train under James Loriega in some navaja (I think the "lady's knife" is called "sevilianna" or similar).

If your daughter wants to train, let her train. Please.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

My concern with a grappling class and a early to mid teenage girl is the early to mid teenage boys...

I'm going to assume that adults in the class would be mature enough to handle it. But teen boys? Not so good... without good instruction & coaching.

That's where I'd put the emphasis first: finding the right coach/instructor.

(And, yes, I would have the same concern with girls competing in wrestling.)

 

[Tez3]

My son has been training in BJJ for almost a year and now my 13 year old daughter wants to start training. I've seen some young girls training but not usually early teens simply because my son's class is for 12 and under. Are there a lot of teenaged girls training? For tournaments, is there a division for women?

My son's head instructor's niece is Kyra Gracie and apparently she started when she was 13.

My daughter is very athletic with a lean muscular build (ex-cheerleader) and is somewhat of a tom-boy. She is built like a young Kyra Gracie.

Is there anything I should be concern with?

Any comments or advice?

Well if you are going to namedrop do it big lol!
Who is your son's head instructor? is the school a Gracie one?

 

[terryl965]

Let her train and enjoy it with her. Being in a art is just not for boys you know.

 

[Steve]

Well if you are going to namedrop do it big lol!
Who is your son's head instructor? is the school a Gracie one?

I'm assuming he's out in NY training at one of Renzo Gracie's schools. Am I right?

 

[PictonMA]

I have a half dozen or so teenage girls that train in my grappling classes, they are all doing well - one of them has been coming about a year, the others 3-6mos respectively.

My daughters are 4 and 5 1/2 and they are already taking karate and ju jutsu classes, I don't teach anyone under 12 submissions but they do learn how to fall, roll, hold-downs / pins as well as basic judo throws (ogoshi, osoto geri, etc).

 

[Pyrock]

Well if you are going to namedrop do it big lol!
Who is your son's head instructor? is the school a Gracie one?

Oh...sorry. This is Ralph Gracie. He was ok with it and actually encouraged her but I dont see much of the teen class because I'm either in the adult class or the kids class. I'm not too concerned with the academy because I KNOW they are great with kids...(my son loves it there and loves Ralph and the others). It's just girls in BJJ in general and how they interact with boys.

 

[Pyrock]

I'm assuming he's out in NY training at one of Renzo Gracie's schools. Am I right?

Sorry, wrong brother. N. California with Ralph. The kids all LOVE Ralph. I believe he has the largest kids program in the west coast or is it the U.S.? Not sure where I read it but I take it for granted because I see it 3 days per week at around 20+ kids per class sometimes. That's just one academy.

 

[Pyrock]

My concern with a grappling class and a early to mid teenage girl is the early to mid teenage boys...

I'm going to assume that adults in the class would be mature enough to handle it. But teen boys? Not so good... without good instruction & coaching.

That's where I'd put the emphasis first: finding the right coach/instructor.

(And, yes, I would have the same concern with girls competing in wrestling.)

That's my concern. I DO know that for the kids class, its not an issue. For the teen class, I would think that they dont dare do anything that the instructor wouldn't approve....they are pretty strict, especially Ralph and the other black belts. I should just go and watch to see if the other parents stay and watch because that has a lot to do with the kids' behavior as well.

 

[Pyrock]

I have a half dozen or so teenage girls that train in my grappling classes, they are all doing well - one of them has been coming about a year, the others 3-6mos respectively.

My daughters are 4 and 5 1/2 and they are already taking karate and ju jutsu classes, I don't teach anyone under 12 submissions but they do learn how to fall, roll, hold-downs / pins as well as basic judo throws (ogoshi, osoto geri, etc).

Technically, they dont emphasize submission moves and teach very few except for the bery basic ones. The interesting part is that most of the older kids (8+) already know them (YouTube!)...go figure.

 

[lklawson]

My concern with a grappling class and a early to mid teenage girl is the early to mid teenage boys...

I'm going to assume that adults in the class would be mature enough to handle it. But teen boys? Not so good... without good instruction & coaching.

That's where I'd put the emphasis first: finding the right coach/instructor.

(And, yes, I would have the same concern with girls competing in wrestling.)

I suppose it could be a problem if the instructor supported or allowed an environment which would encourage that sort of misbehavior. However, it would be just as much a problem in any other sort of martial art, or even non-martial club.

Further, there's the added advantage that it's a lot harder to be thinking about sex when the other person is trying to choke the ever luv'n snot out of you and hyper-extend your elbows.

Put the two of them together, competent (not even "good") instruction and an environment in which the activity discourages sexual considerations and it's a lot easier to feel comfortable.

However, as I've mentioned in my Martial Arts Newbie's Guide, go with your kids and either join class yourself or watch from the side. That puts the kibosh on almost all of these sort of shenanigans and gives you early knowledge in case it doesn't.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk