In the case of children, many parents send their children to a Judo class because there is still a degree of discipline, which has to be maintained, because some of the techniques can cause injury if not followed correctly. Of course in any good Dojo the hardest thing that a child is likely to encounter is somebody else’s elbow! The mats are quite soft and there should be a safety area around the mat. The most common competition that a child is likely to encounter between the ages of 5 and 10 are the gradings. They will be expected to take part in some form of combat for that grading. Different organisations have different criteria, but generally the criteria for children aged 5 to 10 is still towards fun and demonstration of good technique.