Self-Defence For Kids? Mum and Kids Review Evolve Mixed Martial Arts

What’s involved in a kid’s self-defence class? We tried out Evolve Mixed Martial Arts’s Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu programmes which teach kids self-defence moves. Here’s what one mum and two kids aged 9 and 12 thought.

Singapore is super safe—it’s one of the things I absolutely love about it. No looking over your shoulder as you walk home at night. You can run with AirPods blaring without worry that you’ll be jumped. You can ‘chope’ a table at a busy food centre with your phone (okay, not advisable but you could). But it’s still good to have some street smarts, which is why I looked into martial arts classes for my kids. We had the opportunity to try out Evolve Mixed Martial Arts Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu programmes which are taught by instructors who are all World Champions and BJJ black belts. There are different programmes according to the age of your kids: 4-6, 7-9 and 10-13. The Muay Thai programme teaches striking (defending yourself on your feet by hitting, punching and kicking), and the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu programme focuses on grappling (defending yourself once you are on the ground).

We tried both classes to see what was in store. I was interested in choosing one all-encompassing self-defence class for kids, but we heard that most kids actually do both Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes back to back (1.5 hours) for a rounded experience.

Evolve Mixed Martial Arts kids’ Muay Thai programme

We arrived at the Star Vista Evolve Mixed Martial Arts. There was a huge light-filled room with floor-to-ceiling windows and padded floors. My daughter (almost 10) was nervous about the experience and was hesitant to join, but once the class started she, along with my 12-year-old son, got into the swing of it (helped by a friendly face in the crowd of kids).

The kids started with stretches and then an ice-breaker warm-up game—a relay competition between four teams. There was laughing and cheering (the losing team did some push-ups). Then came some Muay Thai lessons on jabs and kicks using boxing gloves and punching bags. There were 19 kids in the class, so the instructors divided the class up and the kids took turns at the different stations to practice different movements.

The class was 45 minutes long and ended with a fun game of last-person-standing dodgeball.

Evolve Mixed Martial Arts’ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Next up was the Evolve Mixed Martial Arts’ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class. The kids donned white martial arts outfits called ‘Gi’ and waited for their instructor to start. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a highly technical martial art that has been compared to chess. Evolve MMA’s BJJ Kids Program focuses on teaching kids to control their opponent while remaining in an advantageous position. The kids mainly learned ground control techniques such as holding on to the collars of their opponent’s outfit as they tried to resist, in an exchange typically known as grappling.

Sassy Mama Review:

My 9-year-old daughter said, “I thought the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu looked like wrestling, and I wasn’t sure if I would like that, but it was actually really fun because you could do it with a partner. The Muay Thai was a bit harder, as we had to hit a punching bag, but I liked knowing what to do and being able to practise the moves in case I need them in real life (fingers crossed I don’t).”

My 12-year-old son said, “I enjoyed the Muay Thai class as I enjoyed learning how to be more agile and how to execute different self-defence moves like kicks and jabs. The class was fun with games and 45 minutes flew by. I think I’d become really strong if I went regularly.”

I had a trial class for Muay Thai myself and found it a real workout. Learning to strike with both fists and using different jabs and kicks took coordination and strength, so I can see how Muay Thai builds agility through its cardiovascular conditioning, as well as self-confidence. I’m not sure if I would enjoy the physical intimacy of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, however, given you need to grapple on the floor with a partner you may or may not know (although for the kids they paired them up in same-sex groups and according to size). Would I go again? For sure—I really enjoyed the light-filled clean space, the bustling energy of the groups and the professionalism of the instructors. I also really like the idea that Evolve MMA’s programmes train you to be physically tough, but also nurture your mental strength through perseverance, resilience and persistence—all great qualities that you’re never too old to learn.

Ready to sign your child up for their first mixed martial arts class? Book in for a free introductory class! Evolve Mixed Martial Arts has four locations across the island and multiple martial arts classes a week, so you can find a time that suits you and your child’s schedule.

Evolve Mixed Martial Arts (Evolve MMA), four locations in Singapore including Star Vista (Buona Vista), Far East Square (China Street/Telok Ayer), Orchard Central (Orchard Road/Somerset), and KINEX (Tanjong Katong Road/Paya Lebar), [email protected], Tel: (+65) 6539 9590 (Star Vista branch), evolve-mma.com