KFM

[TracyLou]

Does anyone know anything about KFM (Keysi fighting method) and if its suitable for a 5 year old? Their local classes run 'little dragons' classes starting from the age of 4 but after having one bad experience with a certain karate club Im naturally a bit more wary this time.

 

Thanks

[aefibird]

I've not had any experience with KFM, or know of anyone who practices this style. However, I have heard reports of its street-effectiveness and rigorous training methods. This was only for adult training, though - I've never before heard of children doing Keysi.

 

I'm a bit wary about kids doing martial arts anyway. I'm not a big fan of young children training, especially not being awarded belts either and certainly not black belts. I don't really think that kids under the age of at least 8 should be training in martial arts at all, as they generally haven't got the mental or the physical capacity to deal with it.

 

Having said that, though, the KFM Little Dragons classes might be very good and suitable for a 5 year old to learn basic physical skills. Maybe going along to watch a class or two before your 5 year old goes would be a good plan - then you can judge before your child even goes there whether it would be suitable for them or not.

[Reklats]

What happened to tee ball?

[White Warlock]

I am, as well, not altogether keen with tots entering martial arts, but this has more to do with the overwhelming amount of rip-off pseudo-babysitter martial art schools than with the children themselves. There's just far too much exploitation of parents and their ignorance going on nowadays, with schools charging ridiculous prices to provide substandard, barely supervised instruction in overcrowded classes.

 

All that said and done, if and when i do pose recommendations to parents on what system to enter their child into, it is rare that they listen to my advice of not to... so i usually follow up by advising that girls would most benefit from an aggressive system that emphasizes kicks and strikes, while boys would benefit from a passive system that emphasizes wrestling or grappling. This is because girls are socially instructed to be passive and submissive, while boys are socially instructed to be aggressive and assertive. That and the fact boys also have testosterone to deal with.

[cathal]

Well I've found a link to a site: http://www.keysi-uk.com/main.html

 

Seems like an off-shoot of Jeet Kun Do, and from Google I found several forum sites which seemed to have equal positive/negative posts. I suggest going to their dojo and checking them out to get a feel for how they'd train kids.

[Red J]

....while boys would benefit from a passive system that emphasizes wrestling or grappling.

 

WW - What do you mean by passive?

 

 

 

I am also not an advocate for MA under 7 or 8 years old. Just my two cents...

[Fenris-wolf]

Hey, girls have testosterone too! (OK, irrelevant point, but couldn't resist.) Actually I completely agree with what you've said, never mind my perverse sense of humour.

 

I also think (and I know this is off topic and there's a thread about this) but why are people so anti kids learning? So long as they're not being given black belts at 10 and told they can defend themselves against anything I think it's great for their physical and mental development. I really want to get my little bro into MA partially because I want to live through him but mostly because he's a bit aggressive and I think he'd benefit from the discipline.

 

Ahh... Sorry, don't know anything about KFM. Good luck!

[White Warlock]

Hey, girls have testosterone too! (OK, irrelevant point, but couldn't resist.) Actually I completely agree with what you've said, never mind my perverse sense of humour.

/me smacks Fenris-wolf

WW - What do you mean by passive?

Red J, watch kids at play. Boys tend to be aggressive, while girls tend to be passive. Society already inherently teaches aggressiveness to boys and passivity to girls, so these are not things that need to be reinforced to children in a martial arts school. What they need is 'growth,' not affirmation. Well-rounded, not well-seated.

 

Yes, i didn't quite answer what i mean by passive. Essentially, it is the opposite of aggressive. Aggressive systems emphasize striking and advancing.

 

Please note there is a clear difference between aggressive and assertive. One can be aggressive AND assertive, just as they can be passive AND assertive. An example of the two would be someone taking command of a situation by ordering everyone around, as opposed to someone taking command of a situation via leading by example.

 

And one last silly example: Aggressive is to grab the table and move it to you. Passive is to move yourself to the table.

[Fenris-wolf]