I’m looking for advice on whether Gracie Combatives or traditional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) would be better for our son, who’s currently two, very active, and intelligent, without any special needs challenges. We’re considering starting him in Gracie’s “Mat Munchkins” program for ages 3-5, which introduces basic self-defense and confidence-building. Eventually, he’d move into the “Little Champs” class (ages 5-7), then “Junior Grapplers” (ages 7-12), which focuses on non-violent techniques for handling bullies, and finally transition into Gracie Combatives, the adult beginner program.

This is the video that made me question the right path. I don’t ever see anything like this at our school.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBMhbDBybK3/?igsh=bDJrZml5dGhoYTl5

Our older son, who has autism and moves a bit slower, began with Junior Grapplers at 12 and transitioned to adult classes at 13. The structured, technique-focused pace of Gracie Combatives has been ideal for him. I have experience with Army combatives, so I’m familiar with the techniques and train with him.

For our younger son who is neurotypical, I’m wondering if he might benefit more from traditional BJJ path, where as he gets older classes are faster-paced with sparring and rolling like in the video link or if Gracie’s Combatives structured approach would better suit him long-term. I’d love to hear from anyone with experience in both on whether the Gracie Combatives progression provides enough technical depth or if traditional BJJ might be more beneficial for skill development in a competitive setting. Thanks for any insights!