Jiu-Jitsu for Autism /// By: Lea Young

April is National Autism Awareness Month. Otherwise known as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and socially interact. Globally, Autism is estimated to affect over 22 million people and counting, with more than 200,000 new cases per year. Statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identify approximately 1 in 68 American children as on the autism spectrum, a shocking ten-fold increase in prevalence in 40 years. While Autism cannot be cured, early recognition as well as behavioral and educational therapies can help reduce symptoms and support development and learning.

With notable black belts in the community like Ricardo Almeida, talking about how jiu-jitsu is helping his son, Renzo, who was diagnosed with autism at age 5, more families with autistic children are looking to jiu-jitsu to help them gain confidence and strengthen their social development. It is no secret that the structure of martial arts classes is beneficial for kids in the autism spectrum, as they often crave structure, boundaries, and rules.

A purple belt and father of two autistic children explains:

"My daughter is a very high functioning autistic and she is extremely antisocial. She does not have much interest in hanging out with friends and in fact, she doesn't care to even make them. She is incredibly intelligent and spends most of her time reading or writing books. Jiu-jitsu is different for her. She seems to enjoy spending as much time on the mats as possible. She has no issues communicating  with others, no social awkwardness... and it seems to be a natural fit for her. It is great for her self-confidence."

"My son is also autistic. But he has Tourettes syndrome and extreme OCD as well. His motor and verbal tics are fairly significant and they can be very... distracting for others. Jiu-jitsu is wonderful for his self-confidence too, but that's not the most amazing thing it does for him. When he is on the mats, he almost has no noticeable tics. I believe the pressure, complexities, and overall fluidity of jiu-jitsu is peaceful for him."

In recent years, the jiu-jitsu community has banded together to bring more awareness to autism and to seek acceptance rather than to find a cure. For the second year, Shoyoroll created their "Jiu Jitsu for Autism" tee, with proceeds donated to different autism organizations each year. Blackbelts for Butterflies, a jiu-jitsu movement created in 2014, brings together black belts for seminars across the country to support Dylan's Wings of Change and other foundations devoted to children with autism. But it does not stop there. As autism awareness in the jiu-jitsu community grows, so does our acceptance and our willingness to help those with autism thrive in our growing sport. 

Jiu-jitsu is for everyone. Jiu-jitsu does not discriminate by age, sex, or physical and mental capabilities. Jiu-jitsu has no bounds!

If you would like more information about Blackbelts for Butterflies or to find out about how you can help, please visit their website at www.bb4bf.org.