You can teach a martial art with The Great Flip

You can teach a martial art to your children using my online resources from The Great Flip!

Adding a martial art unit to your homeschool schedule and/or afterschool enrichment will fulfill your child’s physical education requirements and add a ton of value to your child’s character development. Instead of going out to a big box martial arts academy, bring the martial arts experience home. Here are a few reasons why:

It’s a fun and healthy outlet to release energy
It will improve focus on schoolwork
It will boost your child’s confidence
It will develop strength and flexibility
It will empower your child to overcome fear of bullies
You control the schedule and expense
It offers real-life application to self-defense
It’s a fun activity the whole family can enjoy
It puts you in control of the experience

Let’s begin with the last point, first:

“Mom & Dad, you are in control of the experience.”

This was the most important benefit to me. Let me preface this with the fact that I have daughters. I was ultra-sensitive to the messaging at a particular martial arts academy. The environment was male-dominate, built for disciplining boys, and lacked emotional intelligence for motivating different personalities.

I wasn’t looking for a participation trophy for my girls, but I was looking for a place where girls could thrive safely. Depending on your child, he or she may not be ready for a co-ed training experience. As a homeschool parent and coach, you get to control the situation and the talking points. You know how to motivate and discipline your child. When you bring the martial arts experience home, you can teach the skills and motivate your child as you see fit. And of course, you get to control the cleanliness factor too; just saying.

Four tips to begin your online martial arts experience:

#1. Choose a martial art.

I was seeking a martial arts experience that would have a strong self-defense application for my daughters. I picked the martial art called Brazilian jiu-jitsu (Bjj). Bjj is a grappling sport which means there is a lot of ground movement, much like wrestling.

The overall strategy of Bjj is to control your opponent. It focuses on skills to take an opponent to the ground, controlling one’s opponent, gaining a dominant position, and using a number of techniques to force them into submission.

Studies show that 95 percent of street fights end on the ground. The techniques learned in Bjj enable participants to escape, attack or get into a more dominant position.

Bjj is also a martial art designed for a smaller, weaker practitioner to subdue much larger and stronger opponents. Participants use techniques and leveraging skills instead of relying on brute force. All martial arts provide confidence and courage, but only Bjj connects the sport to self-defense in a way that everyone, of all ages, can learn.

#2. Create a training space.

You don’t need a large amount of space to train at home, but to protect the lamp and china, you might want to create a training/fitness space. I purchased interlocking mats. You can also find inexpensive three-fold gymnastic mats. If you want to get fancy and go all out, you can purchase professional Bjj mats. I spent $40 on two sets of interlocking mats. I have a basement/lower level in my house for my exercise space. Some people use their garage or a spare bedroom. Many homeschool families get together in their co-op and/or church to purchase mats and find a communal space to train together. Here’s a glimpse of my little training space at home: https://vimeo.com/289726478

#3 Get a training partner.

You can begin with a few “no-contact” movements and warm-ups, but in order to get the most benefit from the experience, you need a training buddy. Learning a martial art with your child can be a fun and rewarding experience. Inviting your child’s best friend and a group of friends enhances the experience.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is referred to as the gentle martial art. You and your child can simulate real techniques in real-time with a low risk for injury. Of course, there’s always a risk, but Bjj lends itself to learning real self-defense skills with low risks. In my instructional videos, I focus on escaping, controlling and submitting techniques inspired by Bjj movements. Click here to request a free video.

#4. Subscribe to a professional online self-defense/martial arts curriculum.

My husband and daughters inspired me to develop an online martial arts experience inspired by Bjj. After seven years of training Bjj and earning my purple belt, I took a leap of faith to bring martial arts to everyone with an online learning platform. My daughters appreciated the opportunity to train at home, train with trusted family and friends and feel empowered. Before launching The Great Flip, I did peek at YouTube, but all I found were sweaty guys filming from their garage. Most videos were designed for older boys and girls encouraging violent and aggressive self-defense tactics. I’m not opposed to aggressive behavior, but for my daughters, I wanted a level-headed approach to their training. Again, Bjj offered the best approach. Children as young as first grade through high school can benefit from my introductory approach. My teaching style is fun, playful and empowering. See you on the mat! – Coach Jody

Check out my streaming videos on Vimeo. Click here.

Contact me for a free lesson plan and videos. Click here.

Jody Token is the creator and coach of The Great Flip, online self-defense, safety and faith-filled empowerment for girls ages six and up. Request a free video at www.thegreatflip.com