Self-Defense for my Son - advice

[Kreisi]

If your son is 7 years old i would suggest him to take up Judo, no kicks or strikes, just throws strangels and locks.Judo is also very intresting if you want to compete.It is also very easy to learn.

 

It is also olympic sport.You get points for throws and if you make a perfect throw you win (ippon).

 

Or 2 almost perfect throws you win (waza-ari).

 

Aikido is the most calm martial art. In aikido you try to defend your self with out hurting your opponent. It is very similar to Judo, not so rough though. More locks than in Judo.

 

Jujutsu is the art that Judo is made up from. Exactly the same, but includes strikes and Kicks.It is used for especially for street defense.The Japanese Samurais used it.In fighting called sparring you try to strike or kick your opponent or make him give up.

 

Karate is the art of power, or discipline, technique, or braking . Depens what style you choose.

 

It is good for small kids and has simple strikes and kicks, pretty similar to Jujutsu. There is small amount of throws, locks and strangles. When you get higher belts, you start to train weapons.

 

You can train Katas or the Fighting.kata means that you pretend your fighting and show some techniques in a row and Judges give you points for your performance. In fighting called sparring you try to strike or kick your opponent or make him give up.

 

Maybe this helps!

[VinnieDaChin]

at 7 years old, theres not much he can do. go beat up the kids pickin on him yourself, when hes 12 or 13 see if he wants to get into boxing.

[Sinar89]

i would suggest anything with striking. make sure you get a good teacher though, thats the main thing. this dude i know just put his kids in it (9 and 7) and they are bratty as anything and now they just run around going "chop chop"........obviously the teacher doesn't teach them disicplin. but, i would suggest striking. screw locks and stuff like that, they usually only solve the probem then. you get your kid to kick the sh-- out of the other and they won't mess with him. heck, my dad started teaching me how to fight when i was in pre-school....so around 5 years old.

[mormonfiend]

i agree with shito. last time i did maritial arts it was at a very well known school in my area but know that i look back on it they handed out belts like it was candy. when it came time for testing id say half the kids in there didnt have their stances down and cried most of the time but it kept them(as well as their parents money)coming back as long as they got there different colored belts. we have a popular brazilian ju jitsu school just up the street from me that specializes in kids classes. id look around for something like that.

[simpso1j]

At the age of 7, how much tradition can he absorb? Most kids that age treat MA as an activity, on the same level as soccer or ballet.

 

On the plus side, they will gain a sense of achievement in the traditional arts from the belt ranks. Krav Maga does not have a lot of levels and the students do not typically where their belts in class.

 

Catch-22 is what I would call this. I have the same problem with my 7 year old daughter.

 

Good luck.

[Infrazael]

Short-term learning. . . . no neck-breaking (no fun!!! jk jk). . . . good manners. . . .

 

BTW people - for all of you who thinks that "MA is NOT for beating up the attacker bla bla bla, let me tell you something."

 

It IS meant to be able to beat of the attacker. In a brawl, a street fight, there IS NOT any "backing up." You either run, survive, or die (both metaphorically and/or literally). It's NOT about winning, either. It's about SURVIVING.

 

Teaching a kid how to survive in today's mean streets, in today's schools. That's why I LOATH Karate and TKD schools that take such a freaking unrealistic approach to their fanatastical version of "self-defense." Teaching kid's notions such as "never throw the first punch, never initiate an attack, violence is NEVER the answer etc, etc."

 

I hate schools that teach their children "violence is NEVER the answer." I'd like to throw the principle in a street corner pressed by a thug and what he does. Talk his way out?

 

About "throwing the first punch." In a REAL confrontation, SPEED is the KEY. My Sifu, who grew up in the mean streets of Hong Kong and nearby towns where lawlessness and brutality was omnipresent, ALWAYS said that the one to throw the first punch is typically the one that walks away.

 

Think about his. If you're SURE a bully is going to hurt you, you have A RIGHT to hit him. DO NOT WAIT if you think there's going to be an inevitable confrontation. DO NOT JEOPARDIZE YOUR OWN HEALTH, for getting suspended and such.

 

Alot of people seem to think that "OMG if you even THINK self-defense is for beating up people, how HORRILBE!!!"

 

The sad fact is, that's the TRUTH. It IS about being able to kick *. It IS about being able to end the fight AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. It IS about finishing the confrontation with as little damage to you as possible.

 

IT IS ABOUT TAKING THE OTHER GUY OUT. Think "Budo" from Ninjutsu. Survival. . . . . .

 

In a REAL fight, you must be quick. You must be brutal. You must be ruthless. You must not hesitate, and you must have survival on your mind.

 

Now, DO NOT think I'm preaching people to be violent. Violent is ALWAYS THE ANSWER in a real confrontation when it takes place, but still try to avoid it if possible. Fighting isn't good, it never was good, and never will be. People get hurt. You can get hurt. ALWAYS try to talk it out first.

 

However, my message is this: If you KNOW nothing will work. . . . tear him apart. ASAP. DO NOT HESITATE, UNLESS YOU WANNA BE K-Oed.

 

=================

 

Phew. Now, onto your kid's style. . . . .

 

Krav Maga is awesome. You should tell the guys tho, NOT to teach your kid how to break necks. Just the striking aspect.

 

I think Jujutsu/BJJ is a little too brutal for him at the moment, lest his sparring partner is also 7.

 

I think the best is either some "light" Krav Maga or Muay Thai. Muay Thai is extremely brutal, yet safe to a point. He won't be killing anybody with it, yet he will know brutality and know how to fight. He will know how to punch, kick, knee, elbow, and utilitize a number of good techniques.

 

I don't suggest any traditional martial arts if you're looking for quick results, because of all the forms and stuff involved. However, if you're looking for something deeper, takes longer to master and such, I'd suggest any of the Chinese Martial Arts or full-contact Karate like Kyokushin (the only karate I actually like. . . ).

 

NOT WUSHU. WUSHU IS CRAP IN A REAL FIGHT. IT'S FLASHY, USELESS MOVES. A DISGRACE TO REAL KUNG-FU.

 

MAKE SURE THEY HAVE FULL-CONTACT. FORMS ARE GREAT FOR THEORIES AND TECHNIQUE POLISHING, BUT FAIL IN A FIGHT.

 

I don't care what style, Hung Gah, Wing Chun, Shotokan if they DON'T OFFER full-contact sparring, DO NOT GO THERE.

 

I hope that helped.