Li’l Ones is a program teaching martial arts for little kids (ages 3.5 to 6). This is a parent-and-child class, so an adult must participate with their child(ren). You can have up to three children per parent/guardian. There is NO additional charge for participation of the parent/guardian, nor is there a charge for younger children that just want to take part in the open play time afterwards. See below for the days and times of these classes. See our FAQ page for general questions about Solarte.
MARTIAL ARTS FOR LITTLE KIDS!
YEAR-ROUND PROGRAM
Li’l Ones runs year-round, even during the winter, spring and summer breaks.
BONDING TOGETHER!
Parents/Grandparents and children learn martial arts together. This allows families to bring the training games home to continue the learning process and the fun!
KIDS LOVE IT
Kids love these classes because they’re full of fun and play. They can take breaks whenever they want. The Open Play time is often the highlight of the session!
A Family-Friendly Club (and a Safety Note!)
It’s very common for parents to have a much younger sibling/infant handing out on the mats or clinging to momma. That is absolutely fine. There’s no charge for younger siblings. We just ask that they be minded well enough that they’re not underfoot when adults and kids are falling down or wrestling together on the mats. IMPORTANT: Anyone on the mats including parents/guardians must add their name to the liability waiver in advance!
Keeping Your Spot in the Program
NOTE: Three consecutive missed classes without notifying the instructor means your child(ren) will be removed from the active class list.
Once a Week, Either Tuesday or Wednesday, BUT…
Parents choose either Tuesday or Wednesday 3:30–4:15pm. The structured lesson is 3:30–4pm followed by 10–15 minutes of Open Play time. If something unexpected comes up on your usual day, you are welcome to go to the other class day. In general, though, you should stick with your chosen day. Please respect these policies since they allow children on the Wait List to join the class.
Li’l Ones Program FAQs
For general questions, please visit our FAQ Page.
No, you need zero previous martial arts experience to participate with your child. You do not have to be especially athletic either. However, parents/guardians should have the ability to squat, kneel and get up off the ground. You do not have to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. Feel free to ask the instructor for help with any movements or games! Just keep in mind that she must also give the other children her time and attention.
Yes! It’s very normal for kids to be very shy for the first few sessions. At young ages, a new environment with new people can seem overwhelming. There’s no hurry. Children can do as much or as little as they want. They’re welcome to sit in the comfy chair and watch to get used the sights and sounds. When we see that a child is shutting down, we encourage a break and/or movements that are easy to do: a drink of water, high fives, hanging off your arms, etc.
IMPORTANT NOTE: At the instructor’s discretion, children may be invited to move up to the BJJ Kids (ages 6–8) depending on attention span and size. Around age 7 or 8 we often see very differing levels of attention span—our experienced instructor is always assessing the children to ensure they’re in the proper class for their level of development. Finishing to the tap only happens for kids that choose to compete or who move into the Youth Program.
For Li’l Ones, students DO NOT need to wear a uniform. Any active wear is fine. Many students wear leggings with shorts over the leggings plus a compression shirt (called a “rash guard”), but a t-shirt and board shorts are fine, too. Try not to wear anything with buttons or zippers—they can scratch the mat.
Either way, we highly recommend bringing flip flops, slides or crocs to wear when not on the mats! This type of footwear is easy for kids to slip on and off their feet as they go on and off the mats.
We do provide water, but many parents like to bring their child’s favorite water bottle.
CLEANLINESS: Please make sure your child is clean and wearing fresh clothing for class. They should NOT go barefoot when off the green training mats—wear flip flops/crocs/slides. This is important for preventing skin infections! Immediately before and after training, they should use the wipes provided matside to clean hands and feet. They should also wear a clean cover-up layer before getting into your vehicle to go home. It’s also important for them to shower and wash clothing after every training session.
Children SHOULD NOT come to class with any respiratory/viral/skin infections. Sometimes it’s better to NOT SHARE!!!!
FOR ALL AGES, COMMUNICATION IS KEY! We encourage children to communicate with each other and with coaching staff. It can be difficult and scary, but it’s an important life skill—better to learn sooner than later!
FOR CHILDREN’S SAFETY & HAPPINESS: During class, kids are allowed to take breaks at any time (but can’t leave the building unless accompanied by their parent/guardian.) All kids learn to tap on their training partner (or say, “tap-tap-tap”) whenever they want their training partner to immediately stop whatever they’re doing. Tapping is NOT just for submissions. Students do NOT have to train with anyone they feel uncomfortable training with. We do encourage them to make new friends, but only when the child chooses to do so.
Keep in mind, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a full contact combat martial art. Little injuries are to be expected during any type of sport. However, our style of training + open communication means injuries are rare at our club. We do have supplies such as bandages, alcohol wipes, athletic tape, etc. and are happy to provide them to children whenever needed.
We have a very informal training environment. We do have circle up and “bow in” and “bow out” as a way of clearly marking the beginning and end of class. Before and after class, kids are welcome to play and socialize together on the mats. They should be dressed appropriately for training and ready to go right at the start of class time.
The total class time is 45 minutes (30 minutes of structured lesson time and about 10–15 minutes of Open Play). We begin with a short warm up of falling backwards safely and standing up strong.
After that, we usually teach a series of games and skill-building exercises that focus on:
- standing (both people standing—parents can also kneel if they’re a LOT bigger)
- escapes and attacks from the ground (versus a kneeling or standing person)
- movement, pinning and attacks from the top/back control positions
ATTACKS include sweeps (going from bottom to top position) and taking the back (controlling from behind). At this age, we don’t teach kids to finish submissions such as joint locks and chokes. However, they do learn the basic submissions as controls. Finishing to the tap only happens for kids that choose to compete or who move into the Youth Program.
To blow off steam, the class always ends with animal walks. Then we make a circle to bow out and close the lesson.
Afterwards, the kids get to have Open Play Time. This is an important opportunity for kids to invent their own games as they jump, run, climb and play with pool noodles. The socialization and communication skills alone are very important at this stage of child development! Children learn what is “too much” and “too little” and any little conflicts are carefully moderated by the instructor to ensure children learn to express themselves effectively.
The instructors at the club are NOT gods, Yoda or secret wisdom keepers. It doesn’t matter if they’re wearing a black belt. They’re just human beings who love jiu jitsu and want to share this sport with others. It’s fine if kids call the instructor “Coach” or “Teacher”, but calling them by name is perfectly fine and usually preferred.
At Solarte, the children in the Li’l Ones and BJJ Kids Programs are NOT eligible for the optional “belting and striping” program. At this age, it is especially important to help kids develop internal motivation to learn and train. Once children are in the Youth Program classes, they can ask for an evaluation. Please visit the Youth Program page for details on belt promotions and stripes.