Your Job as a Jiu-Jitsu Parent!
Jiu-Jitsu will help to build your child into a disciplined, respectful, person who demonstrates courage and integrity. At least, that’s how the story goes, right?
But how does it do this?
Well… that’s where you, the parent, come in. You see, if you just slow down to 50mph, kick your kid out the door and tell em to have fun, you’ll get exactly what you put into it. Your child will come into class, probably have a good time, learn how to defend themselves, listen to a few stories about respect, then go home.
The problem with that scenario is that’s all they will do. You see, they won’t bring the lessons home with them. But isn’t that the point? You do want them to bring the lessons about respect and focus and commitment home, and to grandma’s, and to school, and on the playground, and to their sports. But that won’t happen without your help!
That’s why I created the “Jiu-Jitsu Values Program.”
Most of us just call it “Parent Stripes” for short.
You see, I understood that some of my biggest breakthroughs on the character were brought about through the work of my parents in conjunction with my mentors! And that’s what the program is all about.
We have 5 Values Stripes that your child must earn in order to go from one belt to the next. They are Commitment, Discipline, Integrity, Respect, and Personal Courage. And while we are the ones who put the stripes on their belts, it’s you who sets the goals for them.
But this only works if you set actual goals. Don’t just wait and say “Yeah…you can get em all.” And don’t just give them on a whim. Set a goal that your child must work toward over time. Make sure to tell one of the academy instructors what goals your child is attempting to achieve. We will help to reinforce those values and actions.
This is about building habits…and only practice can build new habits.
So the next time your kid does something awesome and you have the urge to give them a stripe for it, hold back. Tell them, “That was an awesome thing you did. If I see you do that 2 more times, I think you’ll be ready for a values stripe.”
Stay tuned for part 2 of this series…coming next week… where I’ll talk about using the Values program to assist with behavior modification and reinforcement!
See you on the mats,
Bill Jones, Owner
