Which martial art would be best for a 6 year old boy?

Question

Karate, Judo, etc? I'm not familiar with each of the arts' styles, so please pardon my ignorance. I want him to not only learn to defend himself, but to have better self discipline, focus, and build greater self esteem. Also, we're in the Seal Beach - Los Alamitos area of So Cal, so any recommendations anyone may have for a studio would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

i would sugest aikido, karate, kung fu or tae kwon do. i wish i would have learnt kung fu as a kid. but anyway these are all very safe martial arts and great for kids they can also be very effective.

Answer 2

You really need to visit schools in your area with your boy. It's not just about the style, but how the school treats the students and how they instruct. Any martial art, especially in the kids programs, will give him those basic things if he enjoys it and is willing to work hard in it to do well. What's important to look for is whether the students there seem to be exhibiting the qualities you want to see in your son.

Ask also if they offer a free introductory class so you can see how the instructor treats your kid and how your kid gets along with the class and enjoys the lesson. If you feel at all uncomfortable with anything there, just leave and find another place.

Answer 3

kung fu san soo  i plan on taking it my self  

Answer 4

aikido

The art does not rely on strength or speed,

but techniques and small joint manipulations.

the art is a nonviolent passive art

merely for defense.

at 6 years old you're not exactly strong. so a great way to be able to defend yourself is aikido

its great for keeping in shape.

and you're kid will be confident enough to talk back to bully's because he wont be afraid of getting his azz stomped  

Answer 5

Judo is a good martial art for children. It focuses a lot of grappling which is what you usually go through as a kid anyway. Also things like judo and Bjj have really shown to fair well against pure strikers. He would learn joint locks and chokes which all would be great defending your self in a one on one encounter. On top of that he will learn to throw people which will earn him enough respect on the play ground for people to just leave him alone when looking for someone week to bully. Also getting children familiar with fighting in the sense of being grabbed is ideal because if someone were to try and kidnap him they would most likely grab him. You could work getting away from adults who grab him as part of his training. Getting this kind of training will give him so many skills that if he wanted to be a great fighter when he got older he could learn boxing or some other striking art and he would be a complete fighter. There is live sparring with no punching or kicking in judo so he will get good with out getting hurt. That is the idea behind judo. He will get thrown but with the right technique not only will he not get hurt during a fall in judo but he will learn how to fall for life. In judo class there are pads on the floor but he will learn how to fall on anything

Answer 6

I would put him in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. There's a Gracie Academy in Torrance,Ca. not to far from you. Look on there web-site it's a great place to train. I highly recommend Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

Answer 7

If you want him to learn how to defend himself, don't choose Karate or Taewkondo. Especially not Aikido. Aikido is fake judo. You should enroll him in Muay Thai or American Kickboxing.  

Answer 8

i am in Shotokan. im a girl (=]) but i think it will be good for your son. i started when i was 5 years old and now im 18. i dont know about california since im in New Jersey. anyway, i would also recommend you do some research on the different styles.

hope i helped.