UFC President Dana White is a huge proponent of kids learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from an early age. In a recent interview, White enthusiastically recommended putting kids as young as 4 or 6 years old into BJJ classes.
“Put your kids into jiu-jitsu. Jiu-jitsu will change your kids’ lives and give them a level of confidence,” White stated on a podcast. He explained that while traditional sports like soccer and basketball are fun and teach teamwork, BJJ provides skills that last a lifetime. “They’ll have that jiu-jitsu in their back pocket till the day they die,” he said.
White highlighted how the grappling art of BJJ is based on technique rather than size and strength. “A little girl, I could bring in a 16-year-old girl, that’ll wrap you up into f***ing pretzels,” he emphasized. The ability to neutralize larger opponents makes BJJ an empowering activity, especially for young girls.
The 54-year-old UFC boss discovered BJJ himself at age 28, crediting it as a life-changing experience akin to taking the “red pill” in The Matrix. “It’s like you wanna take the red pill and find out what life is really all about,” White said of his first BJJ class. Learning how much control a skilled grappler can have was “completely eye-opening.”
White believes BJJ also instills discipline in kids. He suggested that for children who are “a little off the wall or maybe disruptive,” starting BJJ can help correct those behaviors.
While he started BJJ later in life, White recommended adults give it a try as well, saying “at least go in and take a class and just check it out and feel it. It’ll blow your mind.”
With its mix of technical mastery, confidence-building, and disciplined structure, it’s no wonder the head of the UFC avidly endorses getting kids into the gentle art from an early age.
