I enrolled my son at Guerreros Judo in the La Puente/City of Industry area almost a year ago, but…read moreour family's history with the club goes back many years. We live in Chino Hills, so it's definitely a bit of a drive for us, but after everything I had already seen with our family and the club over the years, I felt it was worth making the trip.
One of the biggest reasons I decided to give Guerreros a try was because I had already seen firsthand what the club had done for other members of our family.
My cousin's kids trained here for years and became very successful in judo. My niece competed at a very high level and even had the amazing opportunity to travel to Peru and compete representing the USA. What's super cool is that she now comes back and volunteers some of her time helping teach the younger kids. To me, that says a lot about the kind of community Guerreros has built.
My sister's kids also joined about six years ago, so I've had a chance to watch them grow up in the sport. Her oldest has progressed to the point where she has refereed matches herself, which is awesome to see. I've also watched judo bring out the competitive side of another one of her kids, and I've seen her son mature and change for the better through the sport as well.
So before my son ever stepped onto the mat, I had already been watching this club for years. I saw what it did for my nieces and nephews, and that's a big reason I felt comfortable bringing my own son here.
Now that my son has been here for almost a year, it's been really cool getting to watch him start his own journey. He's learning the fundamentals, getting more comfortable on the mat, and starting to understand that getting better at something takes practice, listening, and effort.
Another thing I like about Guerreros is the community and the mix of senseis. They all have different personalities and teaching styles, which I actually think is a good thing. Some are naturally more encouraging, some really push the kids and expect more out of them, some are very technical, and some are especially good at slowing things down and connecting with the students. But they all care about teaching judo and helping the kids improve. As a parent, I also feel comfortable with my son being there and with the way the senseis work with the kids.
And your child doesn't have to have any judo experience or be trying to become a high-level competitor to benefit from being here. Some kids are very competitive and want to take the sport as far as they can, while others are simply learning, getting exercise, building confidence, and enjoying being part of the club. There seems to be a place for both.
For me, it's also bigger than just learning how to throw someone or win a match. The kids are learning how to listen, how to compete, how to deal with getting something wrong, how to handle adversity, and how to keep working at it until they get better. I've seen that kind of growth happen with several kids in our own family.
That's really what makes Guerreros special to me. I've had the advantage of watching the club for years before becoming a parent here myself, and now I'm glad my son is getting the same opportunity.
If you're thinking about judo for your child, I would definitely say give Guerreros a try. Let them experience a class, and see what you think. After watching so many kids in our family grow through this club, I'm really happy my son is now getting to be part of it too.
