There Is Always Room on the Mats

One of my favorite things about walking into Otomi Martial Arts each week is seeing who is on the mats.

Some faces have been here for years. Others have only been with us for a few weeks. Sometimes we get to welcome someone into our academy for the very first time, and every once in a while, we get the equally special opportunity to welcome someone back.

This week, we get to do a little bit of both.

We are very excited to officially welcome Chingun, TB, and Liam as the newest members of our Otomi Martial Arts family. Making the decision to begin Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a bigger step than people sometimes realize. Walking into an unfamiliar academy, putting on a gi, meeting new people, and trying something you don’t yet know how to do takes courage. We appreciate every family and student who chooses to trust us with that first step, and we’re excited to watch where their journeys take them.

We are also incredibly happy to welcome Nathaniel and Brendan back to the mats after their summer break.

Seeing students return always reminds me of something important that I think applies to Jiu-Jitsu as much as it does to life: your journey doesn’t have to be perfect to keep moving forward.

Life happens.

Vacations happen. School schedules change. Work gets busy. Families travel. Kids play other sports. Sometimes we simply need a break.

The mistake is believing that because we’ve stepped away from something, we can’t come back.

You can.

One of the lessons we try to teach our students at Otomi is that progress isn’t about being perfect. It’s about continuing to return to the things that help us become better.

That’s especially important for our kids.

As parents, it’s easy to look at activities in terms of the immediate result. Is my child getting better at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? Are they learning the techniques? Are they earning stripes? Are they progressing toward their next belt?

Those things matter, but there is something much bigger happening along the way.

Every time a child walks through our doors, they get another opportunity to practice listening when they would rather talk, trying when something feels difficult, working with someone different from themselves, controlling their emotions when things don’t go their way, and getting back up when something doesn’t work the first time.

Those lessons don’t happen overnight.

They happen through repetition.

And not just repetition of techniques—repetition of experiences.

That’s one reason consistency is such an important part of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. A child doesn’t suddenly become confident because someone tells them to “be confident.” Confidence develops when they repeatedly experience difficult things and discover that they can handle them.

Resilience works the same way.

So does discipline.

So does patience.

That’s what we want our students developing alongside their Jiu-Jitsu.

At Otomi Martial Arts in Parker, Colorado, we’re fortunate to teach the structured Caio Terra Association Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu curriculum, giving our students a technical roadmap to follow as they develop. But what makes that curriculum truly valuable is the environment in which those lessons are learned.

Our students have teammates encouraging them. Coaches helping them. Older students setting examples for younger students. New students reminding experienced students what it was like to be a beginner. And returning students showing everyone that taking some time away doesn’t mean your journey has ended.

Everybody on the mat has a place.

That’s something I hope prospective parents understand when they’re searching for kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or martial arts in Parker, CO and come across one of these weekly posts.

Your child doesn’t have to already be athletic.

They don’t have to be naturally confident.

They don’t have to know how to defend themselves.

They don’t have to be outgoing.

And they certainly don’t need to understand Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu before walking through our doors.

That’s why we’re here.

Our job is to meet them where they are and help them take the next step.

For some students, that next step is walking onto the mat for the first time.

For Chingun, TB, and Liam, it’s beginning the next chapter as official members of our team.

For Nathaniel and Brendan, it’s getting back onto the mats and picking up where they left off.

And for the rest of us, it’s simply showing up again this week and continuing to get a little bit better.

Welcome to the team, Chingun, TB, and Liam.

Welcome back, Nathaniel and Brendan.

We’re happy to have all of you on the mats.

This Week’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Curriculum

Now it’s time to get to work.

This week, our students at Otomi Martial Arts will continue working through the Caio Terra Association curriculum, developing the fundamentals, techniques, problem-solving skills, and habits that make Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu such an incredible martial art.

For our current students, take a look below and get ready for another great week of training.

And if you’re a parent in Parker, Colorado or the surrounding area who has been considering Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for your child, you don’t have to wait until you know whether they’ll be good at it.

That’s what the first class is for.

Come meet our coaches, see our academy, and let your child experience Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for themselves with our free two-class trial.

There is always room for another beginner on the mats.

Here’s what we’re learning this week.

Monday – September 14, 2026

11:00 am (Fitness Kickboxing): Coaches Choice

12:00 pm (CT-B Advanced Fundamentals): Knee cut

4:45 pm (Kids II Bobcats): BULL PASS + DOUBLE UNDER – LESSON PLAN

4:45 pm (Pre-Teen Cougars): BULL PASS + DOUBLE UNDER – LESSON PLAN

5:45 pm (CT-A Fundamentals): Modern hip escape

Tuesday – September 15, 2026

11:00 am (Fitness Kickboxing): Coaches Choice