The Toddler Chronicles, No. 14
Lyla started jiu-jitsu about two months ago…
The jiu-jitsu academy I go to is the best one around—objectively speaking. One of the reasons it’s the best is because they start their kids’ program at four years old.
Four. Years. Old.
Gabby and I enrolled Lyla in classes legitimately as soon as the guests left her birthday party. Technically, it was a couple of weeks after she turned four, but you get my point.
Anyway, in her class they learn basic things like forward and backward rolls, bear crawls, how to escape from bottom, how to maintain a dominant position, how to be a good training partner, respect for others, etc. All the typical building blocks of being a good person who also happens to be able to demolish their opponent in a setting where controlled violence is encouraged.
They’ve also been learning takedowns—specifically collar drags, the ole’ bear-hug-and-trip, and apparently, double leg takedowns.
They also spar with each other in class. It’s not as involved as the sparring in the adult classes, but they’ll slap hands, try to take each other down, and then attempt to maintain a dominant position.
Side note: If you’re one of those parents who enjoys the inherent catharsis of watching your kids play dodgeball because they occasionally get smoked in the face, kids’ jiu-jitsu takes things to a whole new level. But I digress.
We were home the other day. Gabby was either out grocery shopping or napping, and the girls and I were in the living room. Lyla had built two towers with blocks, both taller than her, and Charlotte spotted them from about four feet away.
Charlotte looked at them, pointed, and said something in toddler-speak that clearly meant, “I’m going to knock those down.”
Lyla, standing protectively in front of the towers, said, “No, Charlotte, don’t knock down my towers!”
Charlotte squared up and charged full speed like a bull going after a ginger rodeo clown.
I saw the rest unfold in slow motion:
When Charlotte got close, Lyla dropped her level, put her shoulder in Charlotte’s gut, and executed a beautiful double leg takedown. She dropped Charlotte to the floor, shoved her legs out of the way, mounted her, and then pointed finger guns and said, “Ha! I mounted you!”
It was glorious. I wish I had caught it on video.
I also didn’t realize they had already covered double leg takedowns in class.
And I definitely didn’t teach her finger guns—that’s a classic Gabby gesture.
These jiu-jitsu classes have been worth every penny.