In Way of the Warrior Kid, Marc spends a summer with his Navy SEAL uncle building the habits that change him, and jiu-jitsu class is part of that training. If your child wants to follow in his footsteps, this guide covers the ideas behind the story and how to find a good place to train wherever you live.
Way of the Warrior Kid is a 2017 book by retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink, written for readers around 8 to 12. Marc is 11, he gets picked on at school, and the summer before sixth grade he stays with his Uncle Jake, a Navy SEAL. Jake puts him on a training plan that covers early workouts, pull-ups, swimming and his times tables, and he signs Marc up for jiu-jitsu classes.
Over that summer Marc gets stronger and more confident, and he learns how to deal with the kid who has been bullying him. The idea that carries the whole book is Jocko's line that discipline equals freedom.
The story is now a film from Apple TV, premiering November 20, 2026, with Chris Pratt as Uncle Jake. A lot of kids are going to finish that movie wanting to try jiu-jitsu, and the rest of this page is meant to help their parents.
Marc changes over that summer by doing hard things every day until they stop feeling hard, and the bully problem gets easier as he gets stronger and calmer. These are the ideas from the book that parents can carry into real life.
Getting up early and doing the work when nobody makes you is what opens up every other choice later. Kids feel that quickly once they start keeping their own commitments.
Marc's pull-ups go up a little at a time because he trains every day. Small, steady effort is how kids get good at anything, from math facts to an armbar.
The confidence Marc ends up with comes from things he has done himself, which is why it still holds up when someone at school tests it.
A warrior uses what he knows to keep himself and other people safe, and a kid who knows they can handle themselves usually finds it easier to stay calm and walk away from trouble.
Jiu-jitsu works by controlling another person and getting them to give up, which kids do by tapping. There are no strikes, so children can practice against a resisting partner at close to full effort and still be safe, and that live practice is where real confidence gets built.
It also rewards technique over size. A smaller kid who knows what to do can control a bigger one, which is exactly the situation a kid who is being picked on is worried about. We go deeper on that in the anti-bullying lessons we teach our kids, and on the bigger picture in why every child should train jiu-jitsu.
And it keeps kids humble. Everyone taps, including the coaches, so kids learn early that losing a round is part of getting better. Marc has to learn the same thing during his summer, and on the mats kids get to practice it in every class.
Most towns have more than one place teaching jiu-jitsu, and they are not all the same. Visit two or three, ask for a trial class, and look for these things while you are there.
Look for kids classes split by age, so a five-year-old and a thirteen-year-old are not doing the same thing. Kids should have their own class time instead of being added to an adult class.
Ask who teaches the kids class and what belt they hold, and who the head instructor is. A black belt running the program and coaches who clearly like working with children are both good signs.
Partners should be matched by size and experience, kids should tap and let go the moment their partner taps, and a coach should be watching every pair during live practice.
The best kids programs teach respect, effort and self-control deliberately, with clear class rules and some way of recognizing good behavior alongside good technique.
A good gym will let your child try a class and let you watch. Be careful with any place that pushes you to sign a long contract before your kid has even been on the mats.
Watch the students who have been there a while. If they help the new kid, shake hands after rounds and listen when a coach talks, that culture will rub off on your child.
Clean mats and a clear belt system matter too. Ask how kids move up in rank and how long it usually takes, so you and your child know what the path looks like. Our kids promotion guide is one example of what that can look like written down.
San Diego has a lot of jiu-jitsu, and the right gym is usually the one close enough that you will keep going. Here is where we would send a warrior kid, depending on where you live.
Victory MMA is Jocko's home gym, at 3666 Midway Drive in the Midway District. They run kids jiu-jitsu classes, and it is the natural choice for families in Point Loma, Ocean Beach, Mission Hills and nearby neighborhoods.
Visit Victory MMA → Further northLegion American Jiu-Jitsu is at 7550 Miramar Road. We teach kids ages 4 to 14 in three age groups, and families come from Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch, Miramar, Sorrento Valley, Clairemont, UTC, La Jolla and beyond.
See Legion's kids program →Jocko is a friend of Legion. Our co-founder Miha Perhavec wrote Modern Submission Grappling, a no-gi jiu-jitsu manual published by Jocko Publishing, and he was a guest on episode #451 of the Jocko Podcast. More of his teaching is at jiujitsumanual.com. This guide is our own and is not affiliated with the book or the film.
No. Legion American Jiu-Jitsu wrote this guide for parents, and it is not affiliated with the book, the film or Jocko Willink's companies. Our goal is to help kids who loved the story find good jiu-jitsu wherever they live.
Many academies take kids from about 4 years old, usually split into age groups. The book is written for readers around 8 to 12, and Marc is 11 when he starts. Any age in that range is a good time to begin, as long as the class is built for kids that age.
In a well-run kids class it is. Kids learn to tap when a hold gets uncomfortable and to let go the moment a partner taps, and coaches match partners by size and experience and stop anything that gets out of hand. Watch a class before you sign up so you can see how a gym handles safety.
Search for kids jiu-jitsu in your town, pick two or three gyms with kids classes split by age, and ask each one for a trial class. Use the checklist on this page while you are there, and pay attention to how the coaches talk to the kids.
The film premieres on Apple TV on November 20, 2026, with Chris Pratt as Uncle Jake. It is based on Jocko Willink's 2017 book of the same name.
If you live near Point Loma, Victory MMA on Midway Drive is Jocko's home gym and runs kids jiu-jitsu classes. If you are further north, Legion American Jiu-Jitsu on Miramar Road runs kids classes for ages 4 to 14.
