Why Parents Choose 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Scottsdale's ESA Approved Kids Program
- Steeyle Levine
- Aug 20
- 7 min read
A kids’ activity should do more than keep a child busy for 45 minutes. Parents are looking for something with structure, safety, real teaching, and progress they can actually see.
That is why our 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Scottsdale ESA approved program is built like a class, not open gym time. Students are grouped by age, taught with a clear plan, and coached through real Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills in a way that fits their stage of development.
We are proud to be an ESA vendor because it helps more families access training that supports discipline, focus, confidence, problem solving, physical fitness, and respect. But ESA approval is only part of the story. What matters most is what happens on the mat.
Our goal is simple: kids should leave class better than when they walked in.
We are an ESA vendor for families who want real enrichment
ESA programs are designed to give eligible families more choice in education and enrichment. For many students, martial arts fits that purpose well because it teaches lessons that carry into school, home, and daily life.
Jiu Jitsu is not just exercise. It teaches students how to stay calm when something is hard, how to listen to instruction, how to work with a partner, and how to keep trying after a mistake.
Those skills matter.
A child who learns how to stay composed during a tough drill is practicing emotional control. A student who learns how to tap, reset, and try again is learning resilience. A student who helps a newer classmate is practicing leadership.
Being an ESA vendor allows us to offer those benefits to families using approved education funds where applicable. Families should always check their ESA program rules and account requirements, but our role is to make the training side simple, organized, and worth the investment.
We take that responsibility seriously.
This is not a place where students run around until class ends. This is not a padded room with uniforms. This is a teaching environment with standards.
10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Scottsdale ESA Approved Class Times for Real Family Schedules
Parents need a schedule that makes sense. Kids also need class times that match their energy level, age, and attention span.
Our youth schedule is organized by age group so students train with peers who are close in size, maturity, and learning style. That helps the room stay safer and more focused.
Age group | Class name | Class times |
Ages 4 to 7 | Little Kids Jiu Jitsu | Monday through Thursday at 4:30-5:00 PM |
Ages 8 to 14 | Youth Jiu Jitsu | Monday through Thursday at 5:00-6:00 PM |
Class availability can change as groups fill, so families should confirm current openings before enrolling. We keep class sizes manageable because quality drops when too many kids are squeezed onto the mat.
A good class needs room to move. It also needs enough coaching attention for students to receive correction, not just general encouragement.
Why age splits matter
A 5-year-old and a 12-year-old should not be taught the same way.
Younger students need short instructions, simple movements, and lots of repetition. Older students can handle more detail, more problem solving, and longer rounds of focused practice.
That is why our age splits are not random. Each group has a different teaching approach.
Ages 4 to 7
This group learns body control, listening skills, basic positions, safe falling, and simple escapes. The pace is active, but the goal is still learning. Games may be used briefly to reinforce a skill, but they do not replace instruction.
Ages 8 to 14
Students begin to connect techniques together. They learn how to move from one position to another, how to work with a partner, and how to apply basic Jiu Jitsu concepts with control.
We teach Jiu Jitsu instead of filling time with games
Kids should enjoy class. They should smile, move, and have fun being part of the group.
But fun is not the same thing as chaos.
Some programs rely heavily on obstacle courses, dodgeball-style games, or random activities that keep kids busy without teaching much martial arts. There is a place for movement games, especially with younger students, but they should serve a purpose.
We use games only when they support a real skill.
For example, a balance drill might help a young student learn base. A movement race might reinforce hip escapes or bear crawls. A reaction drill might help students learn timing.
The difference is intent.
Every class has a teaching goal. Students should know what they are working on, even if the lesson is simple.
A typical kids’ class may include:
Mat rules and student check-in
Students line up, bow in, and review expectations for safety, focus, and respect.
Warmup with Jiu Jitsu movement
Shrimping, bridging, technical stand-ups, sprawls, rolls, and grip movement prepare students for class while building useful skills.
Technique instruction
Coaches demonstrate the move of the day in clear steps. Students see what to do, why it works, and how to practice safely.
Partner drilling
Students practice with a partner while coaches walk the mat, correct details, and keep the room focused.
Positional training
Students start in a specific position and work toward a clear goal, such as escaping mount, holding side control, or recovering guard.
Review and closing
Coaches reinforce the lesson, recognize effort, and give students a clear takeaway.
That structure matters because children learn through repetition. They need to hear the lesson, see the lesson, practice the lesson, and then try it with light resistance.
That is how skill gets built.
Skill based teaching gives kids a clear path forward
A strong kids’ Jiu Jitsu program should not feel random from week to week. Students need a path.
Our curriculum focuses on core skills that help students become safer, more confident, and more capable on the mat. Those skills include movement, control, defense, escapes, takedown safety, and partner awareness.
We do not expect beginners to perform advanced techniques right away. We build from the ground up.
Students learn body control first
Before a student can do complicated techniques, they need to understand how to move their own body.
That includes:
How to fall safely
How to get back to the feet safely
How to keep a strong base
How to move the hips
How to protect the neck and arms
How to stay calm underneath pressure
These basics may not look flashy, but they are the foundation of good Jiu Jitsu.
Students learn position before submission
In Jiu Jitsu, control comes before finishing. That is especially true for kids.
Students learn the major positions first, including guard, mount, side control, back control, turtle, and standing clinch positions. They learn what each position means, where they are safe, where they are not safe, and what their job is from each spot.
This helps students understand Jiu Jitsu instead of memorizing random moves.
When submissions are taught, they are taught with control, safety, and maturity. Students learn when to stop, how to tap, and how to protect their training partner.
Students learn how to train with respect
Partner work is one of the best parts of Jiu Jitsu. It is also one of the reasons the art is so useful for kids.
Students learn that they cannot be careless with another person’s body. They learn to control their strength, listen to the coach, and stop immediately when a partner taps.
This builds trust.
It also teaches a lesson that is hard to get from many other activities: confidence and kindness can exist together.
We are not babysitting during class
Parents can tell the difference between a real lesson and supervised playtime.
A real class has coaching. It has corrections. It has standards. It has students learning something they can repeat and improve.
That is what we aim to provide every time a student steps on the mat.
We expect students to listen when the coach speaks. We expect them to treat partners with respect. We expect them to try, even when the technique feels awkward at first.
Of course, kids are kids. Some days they are tired. Some days they are silly. Some days they need extra reminders. Good coaching does not mean acting like children are robots.
It means guiding them back to the lesson.
Our coaches keep the class moving, but they also stop to correct details. If a student’s hand placement is wrong, we fix it. If a student is using too much strength, we slow them down. If a student does not understand the drill, we explain it another way.
That is teaching.
The goal is not to run kids into the ground. The goal is to help them develop skill, confidence, and discipline through consistent practice.
What parents should see over time
Progress in Jiu Jitsu does not always look like a highlight video. Sometimes it looks like a child tying their belt without help. Sometimes it looks like a student raising a hand before speaking. Sometimes it looks like staying calm after getting stuck in a tough position.
Over time, parents should notice changes such as:
Better listening during instruction
More comfort with physical movement
Stronger confidence in new situations
Improved patience with difficult tasks
More respect for rules and partners
Better ability to recover after frustration
Real technical growth on the mat
Those changes come from structure and repetition. They do not come from babysitting.
ESA families deserve a program with standards
When families use ESA funds, they are making a choice about their child’s education. That choice deserves a program that takes learning seriously.
Our Jiu Jitsu classes are active, fun, and welcoming, but they are also purposeful. Students are placed in age-appropriate groups. They follow a lesson plan. They practice real techniques. They receive coaching and correction.
That combination is what makes the program valuable.
We want students to enjoy coming to class, but we also want them to earn real progress. The mat should be a place where they learn how to focus, work hard, solve problems, and carry themselves with confidence.
For some students, that means learning their first escape. For others, it means preparing for live training or competition. For many, it means building discipline and self-belief one class at a time.
The standard stays the same: we teach Jiu Jitsu.
Choose a program that teaches, corrects, and builds real skill
The right kids’ Jiu Jitsu program should feel organized from the moment students line up. It should have clear age groups, consistent class times, real instruction, and coaches who care enough to correct the details.
That is what we have built.
As an ESA vendor, we are glad to help families make Jiu Jitsu part of their child’s education and development. More importantly, we are committed to running classes that respect the time, trust, and resources families bring to the program.
Kids deserve more than busywork. They deserve coaching. They deserve structure. They deserve the chance to build real skill.
That is what happens here.
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