Twelve-year-old Olivia Awde is learning how to do a flying arm bar.
Essentially, it’s the same as a regular arm bar, but you get in position while airborne so when you reach the ground you’re ready to go. An arm bar is a submission hold that Olivia already knows how to do.
There are actually three ways to do an arm bar, Olivia explains. And although it took time to learn the proper techniques initially, once she got the hang of it, it became one of her favourite moves.
Olivia is a student at Roll Jiu Jitsu Academy in North Vancouver. It’s a sport her uncle introduced her to about a year ago.
Although she didn’t know anything about jiu jitsu before starting, she now attends two or three classes a week.
“I just went into it and now it’s awesome. I love it,” she says.
Jiu jitsu is a form of martial art that uses grappling techniques rather than punching and kicking.
Olivia jokes it’s like when your parents tell you not to wrestle with your siblings at home, “you can do that on the mat but in a safe form.”
Students wear a thick gi (or uniform) so they can grab the fabric and use it to leverage for position. On Fridays, Olivia also participates in a no-gi class in which students wear a thinner “rashy” (or rash guard) shirt to practise the techniques without being able to use the uniforms.
When you don’t have a gi to hold onto, you have to scoop the neck or wrap around legs and arms to gain position, notes Olivia.
“It’s just so fun,” she says of the training.
For kids who have never been to a martial arts class, Olivia describes what it’s like. Students start with a special creed: “We tell ourselves that we are strong, we are kind, we are respectful, we always do our best and we never give up, and we’re humble. We start with that,” she says.
From there they go into some light conditioning, including push-ups and sit-ups and jogging around the mat. Instructors (sometimes called coaches or professors) then break down techniques step-by-step so kids can practise in smaller chunks with an aim to flow all the moves together.
Another fun part of the class is getting “stripes,” notes Olivia. She was recently promoted to a grey belt (the third belt for kids), and explains that although it takes time to reach new belt levels, kids can earn “stripes” at any time.
“You can get a stripe at any class if you show you’re respectful and paying attention and kind to everyone and having fun,’ explains Olivia. “You don’t have to be in super-ninja mode.”
Earning a stripe means you get called to the front of class, the instructor adds a stripe to your belt, everyone applauds, and you get to high-five all the instructors.
It must feel pretty good to earn a stripe? “Oh yea, it’s awesome,” Olivia reports.
Competition is also an option for participants, and Olivia has been a part of two competitions, one in Seattle and one in North Vancouver.
“It’s fun when you’re doing it, but before it’s kind of nerve-racking,” she says.
During a competition it’s important to have respect for your opponent, Olivia explains. The event is not about fighting but rather using and practising techniques learned in class.
Although it helps to be healthy and fit for class, Olivia says you don’t have to be super strong to
do martial arts.
Size is not as important as technique.
“I think any kid can try out jiu jitsu because jiu jitsu will shape that kid into a confident, courageous, strong, athletic child,” says Olivia.
