New

It's the biggest time of year for new beginners at the high-school Jiu-Jitsu club, and we've got quite a crop.

Yesterday there were eight of them present. They made up half of the entire group.

We haven't really advertised around the school very hard, but the word has certainly spread.

Outside of school it is very intimidating to start attending a martial arts class. They are usually held in an unfamiliar locale, and both the art and the instructor are unknown quantities. The new student wonders if they will get hurt or beat up?

At the high school we don't suffer from these hurdles. The kids know that they are physically safe at a school activity. The sessions are held within the school itself, in a room the kids visit often during PE classes.

The instructor is myself, and I am pretty well known within the school community. I worked there as a teacher as recently as last March. All of the club's old-timers are former students of mine, as are most of the beginners. I think I have a pretty non-threatening reputation.

So the kids show up, relatively comfortable, ready to give Jiu-Jitsu a whirl. What do they experience?

The instructor is wearing a Jiu-Jitsu uniform. He gathers the class on the mat and explains what Jiu-Jitsu is, and explains how things will go. He then demonstrates using one of the experienced students. He shows how dangerous it is to end up underneath an attacker in a real fight. He then escapes from the situation. He then shows in step-by-step detail how he got out, and repeats this several times from different angles. The kids then partner up, and try to make it work. The instructor walks around helping anybody who is having difficulty.

The student is flat on their back, with somebody sitting on their chest. They follow the steps slowly and with care, roll their partner off and end up on top. They have reversed the situation. This stuff works and they see it with their very first technique.

The class is gathered back in, and they are shown the next part, or next technique, or the next variation. They are sent back to work on the new part with a different partner. This is repeated several more times.

The hour ends. The class gathers for a last time, and the session is over.

It's no wonder they like it. They were interested enough in martial arts to come and give it a try. The teaching and learning is very precise. They are not forced to fight or spar with anybody. They leave knowing exactly what they'll be learning, and how long it will take. They've also experienced dramatic success several times already in their very first lesson.

Some seem very excited when they leave.