Goshin Kids - General Information
Goshin-kidz is a class that has been running for over 25 years for children and young people aged from 8 to 15 yrs, who wish to learn and practice Ju Jitsu in a safe and non-threatening environment.
Parents are encouraged to come along and watch their children's progress and possibly get on the mat and participate in what the children are learning.
Firstly, it is a Martial art, not a sport. It lacks the instant gratification of many martial sports such as Karate & Judo, but instead JuJitsu instils over time a quite confidence in the students and their abilities both on the mat & socially. Your kids won't walk out of a class feeling they can punch and kick their way through life like a power ranger or some movie or video game character. On the flip side, they will learn to manage life's difficulties without resorting to conflict and violence.
JuJitsu has no competitions. 'Real fights' have no winner's only degrees of losing; which is not the message that is learned by engaging in competition. We encourage and train our students to be aware of potential conflict so that they can avoid or disarm the situation before it escalates out of control.
Because there isn't a winner and a loser, there isn't an opponent as such. So there's no one to beat. Instead you learn to manage your own aggression and that of the attacker, harmonise with an attackers energy, neutralise and control a situation, protecting yourself and (ideally) also the attacker
What JuJitsu can teach your kids is to remain calm and centred in conflict. JuJitsu provides an alternative to malice and violence as a means of self defence.
Because JuJitsu techniques really do utilise your partners strength, movement and energy, kids that perhaps aren't as big or fast as their peers can find opportunities in JuJitsu which they may generally feel are otherwise unavailable to them
On the lighter side, JuJitsu will constantly challenge your kids developing system, co-ordination, general and self awareness as they learn to move their body to effect techniques.
As well as learning techniques, kids learn falling and rolling. In order to learn to throw someone, someone else must be willing to be thrown, and everyone who throws, will have to be thrown.
Some people find this off frightening and off putting, like I said, it's not for everyone. But, those who do stay with the process often find this a most exhilarating and rewarding part of practice.
We have three main instructors, Gary Davis (Club Sensei) who has been training with Goshin JuJitsu Kan for over 30 years and Ken & Damian Bowers who have both been training for over 10 years. Other black belts from the club can been seen helping out under direct control of Sensei Gary at various times