What Jiu-Jitsu Does for Your Child at 3-4, 5-8 and 9-13

Will jiu-jitsu do anything for a child of three, of seven or of eleven? Yes, probably, but the proof is thin at the youngest ages and strongest from about 6 up. Almost none of it used jiu-jitsu itself, so we say which sport every study used. Judo, its closest relative, is the best guide. Our first kids essay covers 12 studies on confidence and self-control; this one splits the evidence by the academy's three age groups.

What the studies found

What can jiu-jitsu do for a child aged 3 to 4?

Maybe, but we cannot promise much, because almost nobody has studied this age. The closest study is encouraging. Researchers followed 182 children aged 4 to 7 in three countries for six months. The ones who did judo matured faster on early movement-reflex checks than the ones who did not train.^[1] The authors think judo could help a young nervous system mature, and they suggest it for early childhood programs.

So read it gently. The children were not picked by chance, the checks measure early movement rather than school skills, and the sport was judo, not jiu-jitsu. We found no study of three-year-olds, and none of jiu-jitsu at 3 to 4.

Here is what we see in class, and it is our view, not a study result: at this age the work is simple movement, taking turns and learning to listen to a coach.

What does it do for a child aged 5 to 8?

Yes, probably, and this is where the research gets solid: self-control, movement and falling safely. In one school trial, children from kindergarten to grade 5 took taekwondo or regular gym class for about three months. The taekwondo children improved more in self-regulation, kind behaviour, classroom conduct and a mental math test.^[2] It was one school, grouped by class, so treat it as a strong hint.

Your child's body gains too. A review of 22 judo studies of children and teenagers up to age 15 linked regular training with better strength, endurance, speed, coordination, flexibility, balance and posture.^[3] Most of those studies only observed children, so judo may not be the whole reason.

Falling is a skill too, and your child can learn it. In a randomized trial, 457 children aged 6 to 12 practised safe falls in gym class for six weeks. Before, about 9 in 10 fell backward in a risky way; afterward, fewer than 1 in 5 did.^[4] Learning to fall safely is part of judo and jiu-jitsu training, so this is the closest evidence for a skill your child will practise on our mats.

One honest limit. In a small pilot, 60 boys aged 5 to 6 were compared, and the football players scored higher than the martial arts boys on one spatial memory skill.^[9] It was a single skill in a small study, and the martial art was not named.

What does it do for a child aged 9 to 13?

Yes, it seems to help attention and behaviour, in boys who started out struggling. In a randomized trial, 76 boys in grades 4 to 6 with behaviour problems did twelve sessions of karate kata, forms practised alone. Their attention and concentration improved, and their aggression, defiance and social difficulties fell.^[5]

The mind benefits seem to reach past one sport. Children aged 8 to 12 with ADHD did two hours of judo a week for three months. Their working memory improved compared with a waiting list, and brain recordings showed it too.^[6] In a pilot comparing two schools, children given a martial-arts-based program felt less stressed over the year, and most were still using its techniques five months later.^[11]

Now the caution. In a study of 120 boys aged 8 to 12, those who played soccer or did taekwondo made fewer self-control errors than non-athletes, but the two sports did not differ.^[10] That points to the value of coached, structured sport in general, not to martial arts alone. For ADHD, our kids and ADHD article goes deeper.

Does it build stronger bodies and bones?

Yes for stamina and strength, and there are hopeful but limited signs for bones. A review of 17 studies of elementary students found that taekwondo built heart-lung endurance, muscle endurance and power, but did less for other parts of fitness.^[12]

For bones, two studies of growing children point the same way. Over nine months, boys in judo gained more spine bone than boys who did no sport, but no difference was seen in girls.^[13] Among boys of about 10, those with two or more years of judo had more bone across the body than boys who did not train.^[14] Both studies observed children rather than assigning them, so judo may not be the whole reason.

Is it safe for young children?

A regular class carries less risk than sparring and competition. The American Academy of Pediatrics says basic technique is low risk, while sparring and competition raise the risk of injury, especially head blows and chokes.^[7]

Emergency-room visits are uncommon. A study of emergency rooms found that about 1 to 2 children in 10,000 a year, aged 3 to 17, were treated for a martial arts injury. The risk of a head or neck injury was 2.56 times higher in competition than in other settings, including a formal class.^[8] At Gracie Laval, kids classes have no striking.

What the research does not show

Almost no study followed children in jiu-jitsu. Judo is the closest relative, so we read the karate, taekwondo and general "martial arts" studies as a guide, not a promise.

Treat the age bands as rough, because each study used its own ages. Many studies were small, and many watched children who chose their own sport, so those children may have been different to begin with. Four studies included only boys, so we know less about girls. Three results did not go the martial arts way: no bone gain in girls, football ahead on one memory skill, and taekwondo no better than soccer for self-control.^[13][9][10]

Finally, no study here shows that training prevents bullying or guarantees a calmer child. The studies found gains on average, and every child is different.

Keep reading

• Jiu-Jitsu for Kids with ADHD: How Martial Arts Help
• The Apprentice program for ages 3 to 4
• The Junior program for ages 5 to 8

When Are Classes?

Every class starts right after school, and every group also trains on Saturday morning. Classes are taught in French and English. We can lend your child a gi for the first 2 weeks, so you can try a few classes before buying one. First time? Here is what to expect at a first kids class, and how to tell if your child is ready.

Ready to join? Register online in a few minutes. Thinking of training too? Read what the research says for adults.

References

We chose randomized trials and reviews first, and we kept the results that do not go our way. Each link opens the study's official summary in its journal or in PubMed.

1. Krizalkovicova Z, Szabo P, Kumli K, Stefanovsky M, Makai A, Szentpeteri J (2024). Neurodevelopmental benefits of judo training in preschool children: a multinational, mixed methods follow-up study. Front Psychol 15:1457515. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1457515
2. Lakes KD, Hoyt WT (2004). Promoting self-regulation through school-based martial arts training. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 25(3):283-302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2004.04.002
3. Kowalczyk M, Zgorzalewicz-Stachowiak M, Blach W, Kostrzewa M (2025). Does Judo Training Contribute to the Motor Development of Children and Adolescents? A Systematic Review. Journal of Clinical Medicine 14(7):2439. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14072439
4. DelCastillo-Andres O, Toronjo-Hornillo L, Toronjo-Urquiza L (2019). Effects of Fall Training Program on Automatization of Safe Motor Responses During Backwards Falls in School-Age Children. Int J Environ Res Public Health 16(21):E4078. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16214078
5. Parsamajd F, Teymori S (2024). Karate Kata training: A promising intervention for behavioral problems in elementary school children. J Exp Child Psychol 248:106058. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2024.106058
6. Ludyga S, Mucke M, Leuenberger R, Bruggisser F, Puhse U, Gerber M, Capone-Mori A, Keutler C, Brotzmann M, Weber P (2022). Behavioral and neurocognitive effects of judo training on working memory capacity in children with ADHD: A randomized controlled trial. Neuroimage Clin 36:103156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103156
7. Demorest RA, Koutures C, AAP Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness (2016). Youth Participation and Injury Risk in Martial Arts. Pediatrics 138(6):e20163022. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-3022
8. Madireddy SS, McAdams RJ, Roberts KJ, McKenzie LB (2023). Pediatric Martial Arts-Related Injuries Treated in Emergency Departments in the United States From 2004 to 2021. Am J Sports Med 51(10):2723-2731. https://doi.org/10.1177/03635465231181086
9. Yakushina A, Rudnova N, Dmitrieva M, Pashenko A, Chichinina E (2025). Football training vs. martial arts training: How are they related to executive function skills in 5-6-year-old boys?. Front Psychol 16:1668266. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1668266
10. Kaddouri H, Zerouali S, Bouayad M, Tkhirfah H, El-Kamia A, ElAlaoui ElAmrani A (2026). Structured sport and executive functions in Moroccan children: a seven-indicator analysis comparing soccer, taekwondo, and non-athletes. Child Neuropsychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049.2026.2703820
11. Marusak HA, Borg B, Morales A, et al. (2022). Martial arts-based curriculum reduces stress, emotional, and behavioral problems in elementary schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pilot study. Mind Brain Educ 16(1):5-12. https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12307
12. Nam SS, Lim K (2019). Effects of Taekwondo training on physical fitness factors in Korean elementary students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Exerc Nutrition Biochem 23(1):36-47. https://doi.org/10.20463/jenb.2019.0006
13. Ito IH, Kemper HCG, Agostinete RR, Lynch KR, Christofaro DGD, Ronque ER, Fernandes RA (2017). Impact of Martial Arts (Judo, Karate, and Kung Fu) on Bone Mineral Density Gains in Adolescents of Both Genders: 9-Month Follow-Up. Pediatr Exerc Sci 29(4):496-503. https://doi.org/10.1123/pes.2017-0019
14. Missawi K, Zouch M, Chaari H, Chakroun Y, Tabka Z, Bouajina E (2018). Judo Practice in Early Age Promotes High Level of Bone Mass Acquisition of Growing Boys' Skeleton. J Clin Densitom 21(3):420-428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocd.2017.06.004