Kids Karate

[sensei8]

Imho, I think 2 years old is much too young for the MA.

I agree, the parent was astonished when I said that they would have to wait until they are at least 5! I think she was after a babysitting service rather than a martial arts class.

To the bold type above...

I believe that you've hit the nail right on its head.

[mal103]

Ideally between 10-12 but we do take them from 6 after we give them a trial. A lot of kids don't get it and just class it as any other activity but they may be good later on.

From a business point of view having lots of kids is a good thing as it pays the rent, some are just looking for a reason to give up, some will go on to be great MAists.

A lot of clubs will add grades to prolong the journey but i think this is purely making more money out of them. If mine don't do well enough then they skip grading.

[AdamKralic]

I started my son when he turned 10. I NEVER viewed martial arts as a babysitting service and quite frankly it disgusts me to see parents that do. I have seen many of the 5-8 year old classes and I see very little useful information being imparted upon those children. I absolutely do not see them as effective self defense lessons. It does seem more like semi-organized play time.

Not blaming the classes/instructors...I just do not see children overcoming any violence from an adult at that age no matter what you teach them. Therefore the BEST protection that can be imparted upon children of that age are the watchful eyes of responsible parents.

But dojos need to make $$$. I get that. I really do.

As to my son? I feel that he could get a strong D side/side kick in that might buy him enough time to get help...but still the size/weight difference? It's obviously still tremendously in attacker's favor. When he hits 14 I want him to take the 3-6 month Krav Maga course at a different dojo as a supplement to his normal karate training.

[Canadian77]

My son has started at 4. We brought him in for an assessment when he was still three (it was free), but they said he wasn't quite ready - although other karate schools in the area would have taken him, ready or not. I really respected that they told us to hold off. At four he has now been in school (we start Junior Kindergarten at 4 here) so he has an understanding of how to behave in a structured class. He had a second assessment at four, did much better, and has now recently begun classes. He is not going to progress as quickly as a 6-year-old, but I'm ok with that. He is a quiet, shy boy for the most part, and this is giving him something to feel proud of. It is giving him discipline, teaching respect, and he is learning a fair bit. He knows the difference between a side kick and a front kick, knows which hand is "jab" and which one is "cross" based on how he is standing, knows when to bow, fairly good positioning for punches, low blocks, high blocks, etc. He enjoys learning the various self-defense routines, and one of his favourite things is when he gets to take his sensei down to the ground, hee hee. He is actually quite particular at this age, so his technique is slowly improving. He absolutely loves class, and beams from start to finish. I don't think he needed to start this early - - I don't think his progress will be much different than if he had waited until six. But he is definitely still gaining a lot from the class, and loves it. We do not view this as a babysitting service, nor do we allow our son to think it is play time. If he is particularly distracted or is acting silly in class at all, we speak to him about it afterward. For the most part I know he does try to maintain the proper attitude. He should enjoy it, and he does, but he is there to learn, and that is how he should act. I wouldn't necessarily say that age four is the ideal age to start. I can understand why a lot of you say six or seven. My daughter is 6 1/2, and I know that she will pick it up much more quickly than he has (she plans to start in the spring when another of her activities finishes). But I think that for my son it was the right choice, that he is definitely learning a lot and getting something substantial from the experience, and I'm pleased.

[GojuRyu Bahrain]

I welcome Kids from age 16. Before that, i send them away to Judo class.

I believe that kids should learn how to fall, roll, wrestle, and develope socially acceptable habbits for conflict resolution. In particular, kids should NOT learn how to maim/kill their opponent, i.e. Karate.

(I have taught 6-9 year old kids, and it was fun, but it wasn't Karate. It was running around punching the air, shouting and Heian Shodan)

[brickshooter]

I agree. Children should start with Judo/Jiu Jitsu/Wrestling which is better for the type of self defense they generally encounter at their age.

I'm unsure of the optimal age for Karate, but I think that I want a students who are in their teens because I want them to comprehend what they're learning and I want the them to be physically able.

[Shizentai]

I believe that kids should learn how to fall, roll, wrestle, and develope socially acceptable habbits for conflict resolution. In particular, kids should NOT learn how to maim/kill their opponent, i.e. Karate.

I don't know about that. Wrestling can be just as dangerous as striking arts practiced in children. Imo, I'd consider it more so, if for no other reason than society takes it more lightly. For instance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choking_game

I've known more kids in my childhood that were injured wrestling with each other than doing pretty much anything else.

I agree. Children should start with Judo/Jiu Jitsu/Wrestling which is better for the type of self defense they generally encounter at their age.

Are you referring to a fight on the playground with another kid or an adult who would do them harm? I once heard a bujinkan practitioner argue that the best method for protecting young children from adult assailants is to teach them very good running and hiding skills.

All of this being said, I never trained martial arts as a kid. I started when I was 14 and it was my idea to do so, not my parents'. I've often wondered if I would have stuck with it as long as I did if someone else were making me do it. I've seen kids who grew up in martial arts go though times where they themselves had to question their motivations as they became adults. 14 I think was best for me. Before then I wouldn't have known why I need it. Even if I would have had enough concentration and self restraint, I didn't have motivation to do it until then. Is that right for everyone? I seriously doubt it. Case by case is best I think, but perhaps I think this for slightly different reasons than other people.