Youth Street DefenseRiverside, CA

Yes. Safety is the first rule of every class. Partners are matched by size and age, resistance is scaled to each kid, and tap means stop, every time. Stand-up skills like covering up, the clinch, breaking away and takedown defense are drilled with controlled, scaled resistance and pad and shield work. Our coaches are background-checked, staff are trained in first aid and CPR, and no child is ever one-on-one with an adult unobserved.

It is built to do the opposite. Every class opens with awareness and de-escalation, and the whole program runs on one rule: words before hands. Kids learn that leaving is winning, that the goal is never to win a fight or punish anyone, and that they climb only as high as a situation forces them to. No child earns a rank without showing they can talk a situation down first.

No. Weapon training here is awareness only: recognize the danger, create distance, put a barrier between you, and get away. We never teach kids to fight, grab or disarm a weapon. Distance, barrier, run.

It is one class for ages 10–14, about 5th through 8th grade: the middle-school years, when bullying tends to peak. Our oldest students also work on skills for teens, like ambush defense and the law and ethics of self-defense. We will check that the fit is right at the free first class. Under 10? Kids Jiu-Jitsu is built for ages 6–9, and Little Ninjas for ages 3–5. 15 and up? Our adult classes are the place to start.

No. Every skill is taught step by step: teach, demo, drill, then light resistance. Nothing in the program needs a child to be bigger or stronger than anyone else. It is all leverage, timing and good decisions.

Comfortable workout clothing: a t-shirt and athletic shorts or pants without zippers or pockets. We train barefoot on the mat, so sandals and a water bottle help. The first class is free.

Jiu-jitsu and karate classes build a complete martial art over years. Youth Street Defense is built only for real situations: being grabbed, pinned, shoved or jumped by a group. It combines stand-up and ground skills, like a youth mixed martial arts class but safe and controlled. Kids learn defensive fundamentals first: how to avoid getting hit, how to block, and how to time a reaction. It adds awareness, de-escalation and scenario practice to every class. There are no points or trophies. The win is getting away and going home safe.

That is a big part of why it exists. Kids practice confident posture, a calm and firm voice, boundary words, and how to walk away with their head up. They also learn to be a helper instead of a bystander and when to bring in a trusted adult. Many situations can end with words and confidence, and the physical skills are there only if it does not.

Youth Street Defense starts Tuesday, January 5, 2027, and meets Tuesdays at 5:00 PM at our new Riverside home, 10081 Indiana Ave, Suite A-1, Riverside, CA 92503. It runs year-round, with regular belt and badge tests and parent-watch days. Pre-register now and a coach will reach out before the program starts. Your first class is free.

Your first class is free. Youth Street Defense is $125/mo with a 12-month agreement, $140/mo with a 6-month agreement, or $155/mo month-to-month. Kids already in BJJ with us can add Street Defense for $50/mo more ($235/mo for both on a 12-month agreement), and Street Defense kids can add BJJ at the same combined price. We also have a sibling discount on every program: 15% off the second child and 20% off the third.

Youth Gi Jiu-Jitsu (ages 10–14, Mondays and Wednesdays at 5:30 PM) is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: grappling with belts and stripes and no striking. Youth Street Defense (ages 10–14, Tuesdays 5:00–6:00 PM, starting Tuesday, January 5, 2027) is built for real situations and combines stand-up and ground skills, with awareness and de-escalation in every class. A child can do both: kids already in Flow BJJ add Street Defense for $50/mo more ($235/mo for both on a 12-month agreement).

No. Flow Academy Riverside does not run a kids boxing class, and Rise & Strike Boxing is an adult program for people with Parkinson's, not a kids class. Youth Street Defense does include pad and mitt work, plus blocking, footwork and how not to get hit, all aimed at defense and getting away rather than scoring points.

Karate and taekwondo are each a complete striking art, known for punches, kicks, blocks and forms, and plenty of kids love them. Flow Academy Riverside does not teach either one. Youth Street Defense is a different format, built only for real situations like being grabbed, pinned, shoved or surrounded, with no points or trophies. The best fit is the class your child will enjoy and keep doing.

Flow Academy Riverside does not teach Muay Thai or kickboxing. Youth Muay Thai (ages 5–9 and 10–14, with no sparring) is taught at Flow Academy Indio, 42425 Jackson St, Suite C112, Indio. In Riverside, ages 10–14 can take Youth Street Defense, which trains stand-up defense and ground escapes together but is not a Muay Thai or kickboxing class.

No. It trains stand-up and ground skills together, the way a youth MMA class does, but it is not an MMA class: there is no sparring and no competition. The goal is getting away safely, not winning a fight.

We do not teach krav maga. Youth Street Defense is Coach Carlos Miller's own program, and it shares the real-world goals many parents look for in krav maga: awareness, escaping grabs and holds, and practicing realistic scenarios. Weapons are taught as awareness only: distance, barrier, run.

Yes. Youth Street Defense is co-ed: boys and girls ages 10–14 train together, and partners are matched by size and age. Resistance is scaled to each kid, and tap means stop, every time.

Yes. Girls train right alongside boys, with partners matched by size and age, and nothing in the program needs a child to be bigger or stronger than anyone else. Kids practice the skills that matter at the bus stop and on the walk home: awareness, a calm and firm voice, grip breaks and getting to safety. Girls 10 and up can also join our women-only Women's Jiu-Jitsu class on Tuesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 PM.

No sparring. Striking is pads and mitts only, and there are no punches to the head. Stand-up skills like blocking, covering up and breaking away are drilled with controlled, scaled resistance, partners are matched by size and age, and tap means stop.

Each class is 1 hour, Tuesdays from 5:00 to 6:00 PM, starting Tuesday, January 5, 2027. Every class follows the same four parts: warm-up and awareness, a technique drill, a live scenario, and a cool-down and debrief.

Youth Street Defense teaches leverage, not strength, so no move needs your child to be stronger than the person they are getting away from. Partners in class are matched by size and age. No class can promise a result against any one person; the goal is to get away and go home safe.

Youth Street Defense is built on defense, not offense: words before hands, walk away whenever you can, and use physical skills only to get away. Our oldest students also learn the law and ethics of self-defense, including why walking away is smart and lawful. We cannot speak for any one school's discipline rules, so it is worth knowing your school's policy.

Youth Street Defense is built for in-person situations. The parts that help with online trouble too are confidence, boundary words, and knowing when and how to tell a trusted adult. It is not an online-safety course, so if your child is being harassed online, also bring in the school and a trusted adult.

Flow Academy is in Riverside at 10081 Indiana Ave, Suite A-1, Riverside, CA 92503. There is no Flow location in Corona, Norco, Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, Mira Loma or Moreno Valley, and families from all of them are welcome, along with families from Arlington, La Sierra and Woodcrest. Call or text (951) 337-3781 for directions.

Pre-register now, and a coach will reach out before the program starts. Your child's first class is free. Our new Riverside home opens in mid-November 2026, and Youth Street Defense starts Tuesday, January 5, 2027.