Hear what the students (and parents) say about us!
Tan Yu Jay
Orange-Black
12 YO
I like that BJJ techniques are effective and can be used to subdue an aggressor without necessarily causing him/her serious injuries. One obvious benefit from BJJ is the improvement of fitness level. I believe I will have greater confidence in dealing with a bully should I encounter one too.
Coach Brendan is my favourite instructor because he comes across as being very passionate about BJJ and instructing the kids.
Oliver Wilson
Yellow
8 YO
What we like most about TGA are the capable and caring coaches, Kids with similar ages in the class that form really nice friendship outside the mat. The constructive curriculum which help parents understand what to talk to the kids about at home and be more involved in their training and learning.
For us, the greatest benefit we see is our son committing to something he really enjoys and giving it his all every time he is on the mat.
Emiliano Orozco
Yellow
8 YO
We like the emphasis placed on learning the techniques properly before looking for a submission, in addition the class is well structured so that the kids practice what they have learnt during the specific training sessions.
Emiliano also enjoys the friendship he has made with a couple of the students and the games that are played at the end of each class.
We also like the sportsman attitude that most kids already have, this was certainly something that the coaches have built over time! Well done.
Aiden &
Madison
White
7 & 5 YO
I feel that the TGA has a very structured program and it’s easier to understand scoring - I’m really getting into it! So I really appreciate that Prof Brendan and the coaches are taking time to train the parents to support their kids through the program.
For Aiden, he also does breakdancing and swimming. After he started with BJJ he actually improved on his swimming especially stamina and his attitude. In the past he would complain about doing extra laps, but since he started with TGA, the complaining has stopped altogether and he literally just “gets to work” that’s it!
For Madison, apart from also improving her stamina with swimming, she has just started gymnastics a couple of weeks ago and I can see that the strength and balance that she’s been training with BJJ definitely helped! She is the youngest in her 6-8yo age group (she’s not quite 6 yet) but she is keeping up with kids older and bigger than her and doing some amazing handstands!
I feel that the coaches genuinely care about the kids and the kids know it! Just watching how the coaches deal with the kids, especially during the internal comp just past is testament. It’s not easy getting kids from age 4 to early teens sit still and listen but they did great! It was an awesome event and I’m really looking forward to the next one.
Fong Mun Jit
White
6 YO
Mun Jit loves the warm up exercises and games. BJJ have definitely toughen Mun Jit, he has gain more confidence and is happy that we are playing an active involvement in his progress. After the recent refresh to the program, I saw a much more structured and progressive approach to the classes. This is a very positive change. The constant reminders on the scoring system is very useful
Charlie McCune
White
5 YO
Like many four-year olds, my son (now turned five) was desperately keen to become a “ninja” and he wanted to go to “ninja school”. I didn’t want him to train in something that involved striking or kicking and therefore as parents we settled on Brazilian Ju Jitsu.
We tried the complimentary introductory class at TGA and whilst my son liked it, from a parent’s point of view it was an instant hit. The gym space was bright and clean, the instructors were great communicating with the kids, and importantly we could sit on the side and watch the classes. It all felt very safe and professional.
I think like with anything new, my son was a little apprehensive the first few weeks, but we are now a few months further down the track and he is so glad he kept at it. He has made huge progress and it’s great to see how the games they play as part of training fit with the moves they use when sparing -which he really enjoys. Everything feels very well thought out and tailored so the kids learn in a way -effortlessly.
There’s a real camaraderie that has developed in his training group and because of the way the kids are taught their competitiveness never gets ahead of their friendship.
In terms of his personal development, I can see my son has gained confidence and discipline from participating in the classes. But maybe most interestingly he has learned patience, as progress on strips and belts is achieved over the course of months and years, not days and weeks.
It’s not all about the kids though, and for the parents who want to know more about the history and technical aspects of BJJ, excellent seminars are available where you can just turn up, ask questions and cure your knowledge gap.