This video is a Grapplers Quest Beast of the East Children’s No-Gi battle between Muhammad Fard, from Lloyd Irvin, and Robert Kanniard, representing Kurt Pellegrino, that took place on March 20th, 2010.
One can only hope young Robert Kanniard and Muhammad Fard will continue on with their BJJ training and one day possibly transition to MMA. Even if they don’t decide to go into MMA, it’s very encouraging to see the youngsters do their thing.
Jiu-Jitsu is now taught as part of the physical education of school kids in Abu Dhabi. Could the U.S. ever have a school system that allowed BJJ to be taught? The idea seems foreign, at least in public schools, but if they have wrestling, why not BJJ?
MMA fans should feel encouraged about the future of the sport with organizations like Grapplers Quest promoting grappling competition for all ages. Seeing Robert Kanniard get the takedown, pass the guard, mount, and perform a textbook armbar, makes me think of a little GSP laying the foundation of a very successful career.
Maybe in eight or ten years I’ll be doing the play-by-play for his UFC debut.
Nice! Watching these guys go at it makes me proud to have enrolled my 10 year old son, Jordan, in the Bowie MMA Brazilian Jiu Jitsu program under Team Sergio Penha and Carlos Catania. We live just outside Crofton, MD in Bowie and this school is beyond what I’d expected.
I do not think children should be taught these type of techniques, especially the choking. I am all for self defense,which should more passive, but not this type of active style.
I do not think you should be calling this mixed martial arts. Very misleading!
Thanks for your comments Duke.
Nowhere in the article do we call this mixed martial arts, in fact it says maybe one day they could transition to MMA. However, grappling and jiu-jitsu is one aspect of MMA. But really, that’s not the point here. The point is you don’t believe these children should be taught these kinds of techniques. And that is your opinion and there is nothing wrong with your opinion. But obviously these children have parents and coaches who do not agree with you. Many parents and children find that Jiu-Jitsu teaches their children discipline, honor, respect, keeps them in shape, teaches them the value of hard work and healthy competition, just the same as other martial arts. On top of that, they learn a very valuable skill that could save their life or someone else’s one day. Do you also not agree with children taking karate or taekwondo where they learn to punch and kick or is it just the choke holds you have a problem with? In Abu Dhabi jiu-jitsu is now taught to children in school as part of their physical education curriculum, so obviously there are many people who disagree with your thoughts on this. But like I said, everyone is entitled to their opinion and how they raise their own children, but I think you may be over looking some things here if all you see is kids being taught to choke one another.
Allow me to jump into this debate. In order for something to be a genuine system of self defense, the system needs to be practiced in realistic situations. This is what makes submission grappling effective. People can practice it realistically without being hurt. “Death touches” and such can’t be practiced at all, and Karate-style Katas is totally unrealistic.