‘Quality over quantity’ is being emphasised at LOBO Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Club’s first-ever kids’ summer holiday camp.

The only jiu jitsu club in the Furness area have rapidly grown their junior section in less than a year, with around 40 children now signed up since it was founded last October.

International success hasn’t taken long to come around, either, with Hayden Reay and Summer Bentley both winning silver medals at the recent Junior World Championships and Summer’s younger sister Rosie also claiming a bronze at the event in Wolverhampton.

Naturally, with such a burgeoning section, demand for the training camp, which is in the third of its six-week run, has been high, but head coach and owner Mike Reay has opted to limit the number of available spaces for the kids’ benefit.

Reay said: “It’s been a mixture of different kids over the three weeks so far. The spaces are limited over the weeks so they can be given quality training.

“It’s not about getting huge numbers on the course, it’s been about giving them quality training to improve their technique.

“We’re preparing for our next big competition, which is the European Championships at the end of September, so we’ve got two months to prepare and really get ready for that.”

Reay runs the camp alongside his wife Joanne and the kids get to hone their skill in a martial art they’re still new to while also competing against each other on the mat in mini tournaments that show what they’ve learned.

The benefits of learning jiu jitsu at the club’s Barrow base in Shore Street aren’t just limited to the children’s athletic prowess, either, with Reay claiming it is also improving other aspects of their lives.

He said: “To start teaching the kids the techniques and then see them pull them off in sparring is unbelievable. Each week is a workshop on a particular area.

“Just to see over the short space of time - I’ve been working with these kids for 10-11 months now - the results we’ve been getting has been unbelievable.

“It’s not just what it’s bringing to them in terms of their jiu jitsu, it’s from their life overall.

“I’ve had messages from parents about how their kid’s behaviour has improved at school and in their home life.

“I’ve been working with autistic children over the past 12 months and their overall wellbeing has improved significantly.

“It’s a lifestyle change and it’s about giving the kids some life skills, which is amazing.”