torris Posted August 16, 2004 Share Posted August 16, 2004 I am directing this to instructors, parents, what not. What are some good ways to keep the kids motivated (especially the 11 yr old) to practice the things they need to learn. I know he likes it, all of them do, but getting them to practice it at home is a real quest. What can I do as a parent to assist them better? I am also a student, and I practice several hours a day. I try to get them to practice with me, but after 15 min, they are off doing something else. *edit, I have 3 children. An 11 yr old boy, 9 yr old girl, and a 6 yr old girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G95champ Posted August 16, 2004 Share Posted August 16, 2004 Being both a Martial Arts teacher and a HS football coach there is one thing I have picked up about sports. You can not force kids to do it. They may love it but they are KIDS first. Let them be kids. If you force them into somehting be it karate, football, band, chruch, take your pick they will almost always reject it. My advice is for you to keep training. Don't make a point of trying to get them to. That way when they do they will be doing it for the love or fun of it and not just to make dad happy. Old saying you can lead a horse to water but you cant make him drink is very true here. Let the kid be a kid and play if he wants to do karate thats fine if he dont thats fine too. Hopefully he will get back into it later on when he gets older but IF YOU FORCE it on him he will learn to hate it. NO QUESTIONS!!!! (General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CloudDragon Posted August 16, 2004 Share Posted August 16, 2004 One thing I know about kids, if it ain't fun they ain't gonna do it! Geez, I wish life could be like that for everyone! Anyway, your kids might be picking up on the ambiance of the dojang, belts on the wall, flags, mirrors, other people in doboks, things like that which tell them "ok it's time to train!". You might want to set aside a room in your house or spot in your yard as the family dojang. This is where you practice on a set schedule and keep it light and fun. Just remember 2 things, kids have a super short attention span, and they seem to learn alot faster than many adults, so maybe 15 min. 2 or 3 times a week is just fine for them. A Black Belt is just a white belt that don't know when to quit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shorinryu Sensei Posted August 16, 2004 Share Posted August 16, 2004 I'll agree with the above two posts also. I used to be an elementary teacher and have taught my fair share of 6-12 year old kids over the years. fun is the key word here, and like has already been said, you can't force them to enjoy it. One thing you might want to try. Get a foam pad (a good old pillow mightwork too) and let them practice kicking that with you holding it. Maybe make a deal with them (hey, bribery works! ) that if they work real hard, you'll all take the family out ofr a Dairy Queen (or any ice cream) after practice. My nightly prayer..."Please, just let me win that PowerBall Jackpot just once. I'll prove to you that it won't change me!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torris Posted August 16, 2004 Author Share Posted August 16, 2004 Thanks for the help. I'll try some of these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluetiger Posted August 18, 2004 Share Posted August 18, 2004 (edited) The best thing I can tell you is that kids don't want to do the same old thing time after time. That's why at our school they have "traditional days" where we work on katas and our punches, kicks, stances, blocks, etc. They also have sparring days. Basically, from kids to adults (depending on what class) you strap on your sparring gear and get after it. Naturally with the lower belts, you're usually working on certain kicks, punches, blocks or counters when you spar. However, the higher ranks get it on. Maybe you can take the same approach and work on some things on certain days and mix it up for the other days. ***NOTE*** I am NOT saying to have your 11 year old beat up on the others! Just maybe work on kicks one day, stances another, etc. Edited August 18, 2004 by bluetiger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ineluki Posted August 18, 2004 Share Posted August 18, 2004 What are some good ways to keep the kids motivated (especially the 11 yr old) to practice the things they need to learn. . Just forbid them to do it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
47MartialMan Posted August 29, 2004 Share Posted August 29, 2004 What are some good ways to keep the kids motivated (especially the 11 yr old) to practice the things they need to learn. . Just forbid them to do it Ah yes, "Reverse Psychology" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich_2k3 Posted August 29, 2004 Share Posted August 29, 2004 I think their probably too young for martial arts just yet, I would wait till their older, say 12-13 b4 u start training them seriously. In my opinion and experiences, children under that age CANNOT learn self defence properly, its simply just a game to them and u may find that it could seriously damage their future martial arts prospects because if they progress through the grades at a young age they will not learn the basics properly and 4get the techniques there taught. They need to be able to fully understand what their being taught and understand the concepts of martial arts. Also their attention span is less and they will be less concerned with learning with what their being taught. I think martial arts is for adults and is not a good idea to teach young children. "When my enemy contracts I expand and when he expands I contract" - Bruce Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
47MartialMan Posted August 29, 2004 Share Posted August 29, 2004 I guess it depends on the child's mental maturity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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