At what age is it best?

[yireses]

At what age is it best for a kid to start to practice Martial Arts? I have 2 kids, one has 4 and the other one 6.

[Sasori_Te]

It depends on what you want them to get out of the martial arts. Do you want them to learn the arts and be proficient? Do you want to teach them to be more disciplined ( I always though this was a parents job and not an instructors ). I ask this because as a general rule kids under 12 or 13 don't really get anything out of their training as the only thing they know about the arts is what they see and want to learn from television. Don't get me wrong. Young children can have fun in a martial arts class as long as that's the way the instructor has it structured. Are you going to be doing the teaching? It depends on a lot of things. My best advice is to start them when you think they might be ready. Pay attention to how they handle it and then decide if they should continue or not.

[cross]

as a general rule kids under 12 or 13 don't really get anything out of their training as the only thing they know about the arts is what they see and want to learn from television.

 

I totally agree with this.

 

When i was about 6 years old i attended my first martial arts class. I did it for about a month and then got sick of it.

 

Then when i was about 11-12 i made the decision myself that i wanted to join a martial arts school again.

 

The most important thing is that the kids want to do it. So maybe mention it to them and if they seem to really like the idea then let them look at a few classes.

[ninjanurse]

Every child is different and you'll never know how they'll do until they try it. I have had a 4 year old students who paid better attention and had better technique than many of my upper level teens; and then again I have had 4 year olds who are just not interested.

 

I do not agree that kids under 12 or 13 do not get anything out of classes. I had a student who started at 3 and did nothing but suck her thumb all class and sat or cried most of the time. Her mother brought her faithfully to each class (never forced) for 3 years and we just kept including her in activities, etc. Somewhere along the line (about 6 years old), the thumb came out of the mouth, she moved up to regular class, and...she passed by most of the kids like a flash with excellent technique and an extremely rare grasp of the philosophies and life skills we were teaching that most teens have difficulty with. Today she is a tremendous young lady-with a Black Belt of course!

 

Never judge anyone based on their age, and never turn down someone who is interested in learning your art. You may lose a very talented and passionate martial artist.

 

[Thuggish]

i would say right now- but at 4 i dont know if thered be any point. either way, to a point, the younger the better. just make sure they want to be there and all that.

[aznkarateboi]

i'd say 12-13. BUT...

 

GET YOUR KIDS TO STRETCH EVERY DAY!

 

They are young and flexible and you don't want them to lose it.

[SevenStar]

Start them now. Even if all they are getting out of it is the exposure, that's better than nothing, which will likely help them when they are older.

[aznkarateboi]

Why pay money to have your kid learn nothing of value? Judging by my school's kids class which I have observed, your kid will learn MANY bad habits. The instructors are too nice to correct them especially becuase the aim is not to teach them not to fight.

[Guy_Mendiola]

it's probably for the best to start them in martial arts at a mature age like 13 or 14 because i just started not too long ago and i'm 13.

[Rich_2k3]

12-13 best, when there young they dont take it seriously and as they grade up their knowledge of the art will be far, far less than if they were older, lots of the fundmental basics arent learnt correctly and there progress is negative, wait till there mature, when u think there ready then its time.

 

p.s good point on the stretching, keep them supple and flexible, it'll be a huge advantage when they begin.