What is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art and combat sport built around the idea that a smaller, weaker person can defend themselves against a bigger, stronger opponent using technique. It focuses on taking the fight to the ground and using leverage, body positioning, and submission holds such as chokes and joint locks to control and submit an opponent.

What is the difference between Gi and No-Gi BJJ?

Gi BJJ is practised in a traditional kimono (gi), which allows grip-based techniques and tends to develop a slower, more methodical game. No-Gi BJJ uses shorts and a rash guard with no fabric to grip, making the game faster and more dynamic. Most practitioners train both formats.

Is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu right for me?

BJJ is designed for people of all sizes, ages, and fitness levels. You don't need to be fit, strong, or athletic to start. BJJ attracts people who want a physical and mental challenge, a genuine self-defence skill, a community rather than just a workout, and a structured environment to build confidence and discipline.

Is BJJ safe for beginners?

In a well-run BJJ gym, the injury rate is low. Sparring is done with control, partners tap to signal submission, and experienced coaches manage intensity carefully, especially for beginners. The culture of a good BJJ gym is cooperative, not combative.

Where does Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu come from?

BJJ traces back to Japanese judo, brought to Brazil in the early 20th century by Mitsuyo Maeda. The Gracie family in Rio de Janeiro adapted and refined the techniques with a heavier emphasis on ground fighting and submissions. It gained global recognition when Royce Gracie won the inaugural UFC in 1993.

Why is Geneva a good place to train BJJ?

Geneva's international character creates a multicultural, technically diverse, and welcoming mat culture. The city has a large population of diplomats, NGO workers, and professionals who have trained elsewhere and arrive looking for a club. Regular local competitions and a growing Swiss BJJ community add momentum.

How do I get started with BJJ in Geneva?

The best way to start is to walk through the door. You don't need to be fit or have any gear. SOL Grappling offers a free trial class with no experience necessary, no commitment, and no pressure.

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BJJ for Kids in Geneva: A Parent's Guide

Most parents in Geneva looking at activities for their children are weighing the same things: something active, something that builds real skills, something the child will actually want to keep doing after the novelty wears off. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has quietly become one of the most popular answers to that question worldwide, and for reasons that hold up well once you understand how kids' classes actually work.

This guide covers what children learn in BJJ, why the art suits kids who are sporty and kids who are not, how classes stay safe, and the practical details of training at SOL Grappling in Geneva: ages, schedule, pricing, and how to try a class for free.

What BJJ teaches children

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling art. There is no punching and no kicking. Children learn to control a training partner using position, balance, and leverage, the same foundation adults learn, taught through games and age-appropriate drills.

The physical benefits are the obvious part: coordination, balance, flexibility, and general fitness develop quickly because BJJ uses the whole body in ways most sports do not. The less obvious benefits tend to be the ones parents notice most. Children learn to stay calm under pressure, because the sport constantly puts them in puzzles they have to think their way out of. They learn that progress comes from showing up repeatedly, not from talent on day one. And they learn to lose, reset, and try again, dozens of times per class, until losing stops being a crisis and starts being information.

That combination of physical confidence and emotional steadiness is why so many parents who put one child in BJJ end up enrolling the siblings too.

Is BJJ safe for children?

This is usually the first question, and it deserves a straight answer. BJJ is a contact sport, and like any contact sport it carries some risk of bumps and scrapes. But the structure of kids' BJJ is built around control. There is no striking of any kind. Techniques that are not appropriate for children, such as joint locks, are simply not part of the kids' curriculum. Coaches supervise every round, partners are matched by size and experience, and the first thing every child learns is how to fall safely and how to signal a stop.

In practice, a well-run kids' BJJ class looks less like fighting and more like supervised, highly structured wrestling games. The intensity is real enough to be engaging and controlled enough to be safe.

Who kids classes are for

Classes at SOL Grappling are for children and teens aged 6 to 14. No prior experience is needed, and there is no fitness requirement to start.

BJJ has a particular reputation for working well for children who have not clicked with team sports. There is no bench, no being picked last, and no single moment where the whole team is watching. Every child is on the mats, doing the same drills, progressing at their own pace. Quieter kids tend to come out of their shell on the mat, and high-energy kids get a structured outlet that channels the energy instead of fighting it.

Geneva being Geneva, classes are coached in both French and English, so the language your child is more comfortable in is never a barrier.

What a class looks like

Kids' sessions at SOL run Monday to Thursday in the late afternoon, timed so they slot in after school. Each session is 60 minutes, led by head coach Amanda Schurtz, and follows a consistent rhythm: a warm-up built on movement games, a technique of the day taught step by step, and supervised positional rounds where the children apply what they learned against a resisting partner of similar size.

Exact session times are on the schedule page. The curriculum repeats and builds, so a child who joins mid-term is not behind; they simply start their own progression from where they are.

Belts and progression for kids

Children have their own belt system in BJJ, separate from the adult one. The IBJJF kids' ranks run white, grey, yellow, orange, and green, with intermediate bars within each colour, so progress is visible and regular without being handed out for free. At 16, young practitioners transition into the adult belt system.

If you want the full picture of how BJJ ranks work for kids and adults, we cover the whole system in our guide to the BJJ belt system.

What it costs

Kids' membership at SOL Grappling is CHF 50 per month, or CHF 500 per year if you prefer to pay annually and save CHF 100. That includes access to the kids' classes running Monday to Thursday. Full details are on the pricing page.

How to get started

SOL Grappling is in the Jonction district of Geneva. The simplest way to find out whether your child will enjoy BJJ is to let them try a class: trials are free, no experience or equipment is needed, and there is no obligation to continue. Comfortable sports clothing is enough for day one.

Book a free trial class for your child, or get in touch if you have questions about ages, the schedule, or whether BJJ is the right fit. We are happy to talk it through.