So even with three instructors for kids to practice on, I often had to drag out a giant — 140 pounds! — Greco dummy to assist. Well, I did before I found the Gameness Grappling Buddy.

The Grappling Buddy is light enough for my 3-year-olds to grab and place down but firm enough to carry the pressure of an adult’s knee-on-belly — meaning I can run the class by demonstrating on it while the kids mimic my movements on their own Buddy.

For this reason, I immediately fell in love with the potential of this training device. It’s a fantastic way to anchor the youngest students to one spot as they practice, and I can use it to teach in person and online.

I created a curriculum using the Grappling Buddy that’s designed to keep the class fun and fast-paced while building technical jiu-jitsu practitioners as young as 3 years old. The Buddy curriculum accelerates learning so I can move my students through the higher levels faster, often promoting 5- and 6-year-olds into classes that are filled with older, more advanced students. It’s the ultimate learning-curve shortener.

The Gameness Grappling Buddy is especially useful when running a class that includes both experienced students and newcomers because it facilitates teaching to all experience levels in a seamless manner. The Buddy also can be a class-saver for those times when, despite diligent planning, few students seem to grasp a particular concept. I simply pull out enough Grappling Buddies for everyone and get the lesson back on track without a hitch.

I use the Grappling Buddy so often that I was able to perfect my curriculum and create a DVD called The Prodigy Processto teach it to other martial artists. It’s now available through The Prodigy Process DVD – Gameness. The goal is to help kids, parents and instructors benefit from the Grappling Buddy the same way my students and I have.