Movement, One Way or Another
Judo for children: safe falls, balance, respect and perseverance.
- When
- Thursdays, 15:00 – 16:00
- For
- Emese & Teo's Crew and Annamaria & Teo's Crew
- Led by
- Balazs Laszlo
About the club
For children, judo is a combination of movement, play, discipline and learning. Through games, partner exercises and age-appropriate techniques, they develop strength, coordination and balance, together with respect, self-control and the courage to keep trying.
Judo was created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano, who turned traditional jujutsu techniques into a system of physical and moral education for children and young people. The word can be translated as “the gentle way”. Two principles sit at its heart: Seiryoku-Zenyo, the efficient use of energy, and Jita-Kyoei, mutual benefit, where each person helps the other grow.
In every session, children discover
- how to fall safely;
- how to control their body;
- how to keep their balance;
- how to coordinate their movements;
- how to respect the rules;
- how to work with a partner;
- how to accept victory, and defeat too.
How judo helps children grow
- Physical development
- Strength, mobility and flexibility, coordination, balance, reaction speed, endurance and better posture.
- Coordination and body control
- Exercises for moving, balancing, falling and technique build spatial awareness and the ability to react quickly when a situation changes.
- Discipline and respect
- Children learn to respect the coach, their partners, their opponents and the rules. The bow, keeping to the schedule and behaviour on the mat all build discipline.
- Self-confidence
- Every new technique and every limit overcome brings a sense of achievement and a positive attitude towards challenges.
- Perseverance
- A mistake or a defeat is not an ending but a chance to learn. Judo builds patience and the ability to keep going after a setback.
- Social development
- Pair exercises, games and group activities teach children to cooperate, communicate, respect their peers, manage their emotions and accept shared rules.
- Safety
- Learning to fall correctly (ukemi) teaches children to protect their body when they lose their balance, a skill that is useful off the mat as well.
“Performance is built through work, discipline and perseverance, but true success is helping a child become a better version of themselves.” – Balazs Laszlo