Martial Arts for kids?

Question

I am considering putting my children in Martial Arts. My daughter is 7 and my son is 5. What do I need to know? I am doing it for the dicipline, self defense, exercise, things like that. Which type would be best? What should I look for when choosing a school? Is there anything else I should consider?

Answer 1

They should probably just do karate or Tae Kwon Do.  Most dojo's run deals for young kids, plus you have two kids, so some should have deals.  

If you spot one near your home, check out their website.  They should have a schedule of classes, make sure they have a kids class.  Sometimes they will give your first class free.

*Later on, your son might want to give wrestling a try.  It is relatively cheap and a highschool sport.

Answer 2

I would suggest reading "Children in the martial arts" by Gaku Homma before you make a decision.

It is biased toward Aikido and Judo (so am I) but good for a parent to read before enrolling their children in any martial art

Answer 3

Kendo and Iaido are good sword arts that have a lasting effect on posture and mental discipline. Kendo also helps with reflexes which of cause can also be attained through the practice of Kenjutsu. Verification of a japanese swordsmanship school's credencials can be done by corresponding with the following address:

All-Japan Kendo Federation

(Iai-do Section)

Hongo 2-35-21

Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113 Japan

Answer 4

Martial arts for your kids is a wonderful idea - they will learn self control, they will learn how to stay healthy and in shape, and of course, self defense for when they are older.

Keep in mind that not all schools are created equal. One school may have great discipline training, but horrible physical traning, and yet another may have fantastic techniques, but horrible attitudes.

What is important is the quality of the school, unfortunately, those are hard to come by these days. Make sure you invest time to visit the schools before signing any contract.

Here are some of the more popular arts out there today: Karate (a stricking art, many styles), Tae Kwon do (same thing), Judo (a controlling/throwing art), Brazilian Jiujitsu (submission-oriented art), Muay Thai (stricking art)...

I currenlty train in Judo and Jiujitsu and love it. We basically learn how to incapacitate an opponent in the shortest amount of time possible. But in all honesty, any of these arts will be great for your children, just make sure you pay attention to the quality of the school.

Answer 5

Find a teacher you like first and foremost.  Go with the kids and meet a couple of instructors - see how comfortable they are with kids, and that's a good indicator for the age kids you have.

Make a list with a couple of questions you have and have the kids do the same.  "Do you require sparring?"  "What is the fee for belt testing?"  "Do you teach a self-defense or a sport style of class?"  You have to have some idea of what you want before you go...

Call the local schools and ask about watching or taking a class.  Most schools will let you take a class or 2 for free to see if you like it.

When you check out the school, talk to some parents - at that age, at least some of the parents stay for class.

As far as style, it's really dependent on what the kids are after - I'd imagine something that's very active for the boy and a striking art for the girl (many girls don't want to wrestle / grapple).  I'd say a traditional martial arts school - Karate, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, etc. would be perfect to start off.  Traditional schools have more of a focus on the discipline and respect part of martial arts than the modern "MMA" type schools which focus more on the sporting aspects.  

So long as the teacher is good, parents like the school, and the kids are engaged, you'll be very happy with the results whatever style of school you end up at.