Mixed age group classes needs to stop

[Tez3]

Couple of random thoughts. First, I don't see a specific problem with some adult interaction with kids. But trusting your instincts and protecting kids from predators is just good sense.

Unrelated (but relevant to the thread) there was a thread a long time ago where a kid was, I think, 15 and competing in a BJJ adult white belt division. He was grappling with another kid. technically an adult of something like 18. Anyway, there was an accident and he ended up breaking his neck. A lot of controversy at the time about whether or not he should have been competing as an adult. Point then and now is that we have age divisions for a reason, and as a general rule, those reasons make sense for most people. But exceptions occur, and I think that's a good thing, not a bad one.

For children's classes in sparring comps I'd like to see the age divisions also split into height/weight type sections after the age of 11. Up to 11 children are roughly similar, boys and girls. After, it can look quite bad seeing the disparities that can happen 😏

 

[Steve]

For children's classes in sparring comps I'd like to see the age divisions also split into height/weight type sections after the age of 11. Up to 11 children are roughly similar, boys and girls. After, it can look quite bad seeing the disparities that can happen 😏

At the local BJJ competitions, kids brackets are coed, sometimes up to age 16. But the brackets are made based on belt rank, age, and weight... so you don't get a kid who is 15 and weighs 165 lbs competing against a 15 year old kid who weights 100lbs. You end up with a gazillion kids brackets, but it's more equitable.

I think (but would have to confirm) that high school wrestling and high school judo are both coed, too, so you'll see kids up to... well, I guess 17 or so, competing coed.

 

[OLD DOG NEW TRICKS]

I know a lot of schools have classes that are open to all students from their minimum age up to any aged adult who wants to join.

I was part of one of those dojos, and it took Cobra Kai and Stingray for me to really see how messed up it is to have children and adults in the same class.

1. Different age groups have different requirements for what they need to learn effectively. This means if you have a 5 yr old and a 15 yr old in the same class one or neither is not getting an effective education in the subject. Same for a 15 and a 30 yr old in the same class.

2. It’s simply inappropriate for children to be in close social interactions with adults who are complete strangers. On the mild side it results in children believing they’re more adult than they are causing them to make other decisions they aren’t mentally equipped to make yet. On the other end the most horrific end, a child is physically taken advantage of by a predatory adult.

Family classes where parents are attending the same classes as their kids I think is fine as the parents most likely are there just to spend time with their kids rather than actually trying to learn the martial art themselves, and the parents are able to watch over their kids directly.

Wow, that is a really paranoid way to think 🤔. As an instructor and training with dozens of instructors we are all constantly watching our students and any inappropriate behavior like that would be delt with on the spot. I believe most instructors do the same. Sometimes adults wanting to train and learn have no choice but to train with children in the class. An all adult class can be difficult to find in most area's. As a parent it would be your responsibility to watch them train and make sure the environment is safe.