The most athletic martial art on the planet — and East LA's signature program. Takedowns, scrambles, and ground control built specifically for young wrestlers at every level, from first-time beginners to competition-bound athletes.
Why Kids Wrestling
Wrestling develops fast-twitch muscle, explosive power, and full-body coordination faster than almost any other sport. Kids who wrestle are simply more athletic — and it shows across every sport they play.
Wrestling is hard. It requires getting up when you're tired, fighting for position when you're losing, and keeping your head clear under intense physical pressure. Kids learn a level of resilience that other sports simply don't build.
Double legs, single legs, trips, and ties — kids develop a complete takedown toolkit that makes them formidable both on the wrestling mat and in any grappling context. This is the skill that separates complete martial artists from incomplete ones.
Wrestling builds real strength — not gym strength, but the kind that works when your body is in motion, under load, and fighting for position. Core, legs, hips, and grip all develop simultaneously through natural athletic movement.
Wrestling is a one-on-one sport where there is nowhere to hide. It teaches kids to compete without excuses, take responsibility for their performance, and develop the focused competitive mindset that translates to every area of life.
The ability to control whether a confrontation stays standing or goes to the ground is one of the most valuable self-defense skills in the world. Wrestling gives kids ownership of that decision — and the tools to execute it.
The Curriculum
Kids Wrestling at East LA follows a structured, progressive curriculum designed to build technically correct wrestlers from the ground up — whether they've never shot a takedown or have years of experience.
The East LA Advantage
Wrestling and BJJ are the two most complementary grappling arts in the world — and East LA is one of the only gyms where kids can train both under one roof. Many of our young wrestlers also train BJJ, and the results are remarkable: better positioning, better scrambles, and a level of grappling completeness that neither art produces alone.
Kids don't need to do both — but the option is there, and the coaches actively support cross-training for students who want it.
Standing clinch, explosive level changes, takedown offense and defense, back-exposure control, scramble awareness. The game from feet to floor.
Ages 5–18 · Enrolling NowGuard, passing, submissions, and positional control. The game from the mat up. Combines with wrestling to produce a complete grappler.
View Juniors BJJ →Kids Wrestling Classes
For Parents
"My son started Kids Wrestling here at 7 years old with zero experience. Coach Rene's ability to build real wrestling technique while keeping it fun and safe for young kids is exceptional. Eighteen months in, he placed second at his first tournament and is more athletic and confident than I've ever seen him. This program is the real thing."
"My daughter wrestles for her middle school team and trains here for supplemental work. The improvement in her technique since starting at East LA has been night and day. Coach Rene focuses on the fundamentals that school programs rush past."
"My two boys train wrestling and BJJ here. The combination has made them the most technically complete grapplers in their age groups. I genuinely don't think you can find this combination taught at this level anywhere else in East LA."
No Commitment Required
Bring them in, let them try a class, meet Coach Rene, and see what they think. Zero pressure, zero hard sell — just great wrestling.
Come train, meet the instructors, and experience what makes Renzo Gracie East LA the premier martial arts destination in East Los Angeles.