Journeying Into Kumite; Children!

[sensei8]

Journeying into Kumite (sparring) will generate a very wide opinion as well as concerns, especially when we speak about children engaged in the MA.

The JKA, makes no exceptions from it's rules, and they state...

"NOTE: Other karate organizations often allow children as young as six or seven years old start kumite (sparring). But at the JKA, so as to avoid the possibility of injury, no sparring is allowed until the child is ten years old and in the fifth grade."

For the sake of our discussion here, I would like us to focus on the bold type above. Let it be known that the bold type was added by myself, and isn't how this note can be found on the JKA website.

In Shindokan, our children participate and train in Kumite practically from day one. I was training in Kumite shortly after my third month, as a 10th Kyu. Many different Kumite training aspects were brought to me when I was only 7 years old: 1-steps were first, but we graduated early into Jiyu-Ippon under the guidance of Soke and/or Dai-Soke shortly thereafter.

Soke was adamant about application! "Movements should never be wasted. Students must understand that application, and without understanding its core, all movements are wasted."

What's YOUR opinion about the bold type above?

[mazzybear]

I think kids should be training kumite from an early stage, it builds confidence and i think their skills come on faster if they have a chance to use them in a competition environment. I think kids are wrapped up in cotton wool far too much these days, they're more robust than some folk give them credit for.

At kumite competitions run by our associaton the kids can enter one of two ways:

1. Enter sparring for their weight/grade as normal.

2. Enter the competition in the kickmaster category.

The "kickmaster" category IMO is a great idea for the kids who are a bit overwhekmed at the thought of fighting for the first time, how it works is you get the two kids, each has a century bob training dummy, 1 minute is put on the clock. When the buzzer goes the kids set about their respective dummies using any (legal) technique they like, at the end of the minute the kid with the better executed moves goes through to the next round. it gives them experience of competing, while letting them see what goes on at the real competition level with the older kids and adults. And i have to say, watching some of these kids go at the dummies is truly amazing, some of the techniques the can pull of is astounding.

But yeah, I agree the earlier kids are introduced to kumite the better.

Mo.

[Spartacus Maximus]

The question I would ask would be HOW children should be introduced to kumite instead of asking if they should be. Certainly no instructor worthy of teaching would teach kumite to children with the same methods used with adolescents and adults.

I have seen children learning kumite. It requires a completely different approach and the instructor must be familiar with the physical development stages(gross motor skills, balance, coordination of movements etc) of children in order to decide what aspects of kumite can be effectively taught.

It is entirely possible to introduce and practise kumite skills safely. Things like: timing for offense/defense, effective range of techniques and many other useful things. Contact is possible but should be controlled and closely supervised. All of these are feasible to some degree with school aged children (5years+). Kumite for children under 10 should focus on preparing and the most basic notions with only very light controlled contact.

[sensei8]

The question I would ask would be HOW children should be introduced to kumite instead of asking if they should be. Certainly no instructor worthy of teaching would teach kumite to children with the same methods used with adolescents and adults.

I have seen children learning kumite. It requires a completely different approach and the instructor must be familiar with the physical development stages(gross motor skills, balance, coordination of movements etc) of children in order to decide what aspects of kumite can be effectively taught.

It is entirely possible to introduce and practise kumite skills safely. Things like: timing for offense/defense, effective range of techniques and many other useful things. Contact is possible but should be controlled and closely supervised. All of these are feasible to some degree with school aged children (5years+). Kumite for children under 10 should focus on preparing and the most basic notions with only very light controlled contact.

To the bold type above...

Slow and steady; not rushing into: Learning at all times!!

[Spartacus Maximus]

Slow and steady, one step at a time is the best way to go. Just like learning to ride a two-wheeler bicycle. Many young children are still in the process of learning to control their balance and coordination. Teaching them the basics at this stage is the most productive. There should only be enough contact to get students over the fear of getting hit, such as light touch. Intensifying the contact can be done very easily and naturally as the students improve their skills and get a little older. Drills where each takes a turn dodging or defending works very well in my experience.

[sensei8]

Kids are very mimic orientated. By that I mean, they can copy what they're being shown/taught without any baggage. After that, guide them slowly and patiently to execute said technique, Kumite in this regards, so that it's high on the learning curve and high on the fun as well. After all, they are kids!!

[wagnerk]

I bet they just mean Jiyu Kumite (freestyle sparring) as gohon kumite (5 attack sparring) and kihon ippon kumite (1 attack sparring) is still part of the grading syllabus.

I wondering when the JKA changed their/implemented this sparring rule...

[DWx]

The question I would ask would be HOW children should be introduced to kumite instead of asking if they should be. Certainly no instructor worthy of teaching would teach kumite to children with the same methods used with adolescents and adults.

I have seen children learning kumite. It requires a completely different approach and the instructor must be familiar with the physical development stages(gross motor skills, balance, coordination of movements etc) of children in order to decide what aspects of kumite can be effectively taught.

It is entirely possible to introduce and practise kumite skills safely. Things like: timing for offense/defense, effective range of techniques and many other useful things. Contact is possible but should be controlled and closely supervised. All of these are feasible to some degree with school aged children (5years+). Kumite for children under 10 should focus on preparing and the most basic notions with only very light controlled contact.

This is a great answer. My take on it has always been low / touch contact with kids with a heavy emphasis on gross skills like footwork, distance and timing etc. and less on building up a large technique library. With very young kids you can teach the majority of these skills with very little punching and kicking each other and more through games like "tag sparring".

TBH we see very little injuries at child level.. More with teens who have gone through a growth spurt and suddenly have limbs half a foot longer than they were last month. I think they forget how long and how strong their arms and legs are

[bushido_man96]

The question I would ask would be HOW children should be introduced to kumite instead of asking if they should be. Certainly no instructor worthy of teaching would teach kumite to children with the same methods used with adolescents and adults.

I have seen children learning kumite. It requires a completely different approach and the instructor must be familiar with the physical development stages(gross motor skills, balance, coordination of movements etc) of children in order to decide what aspects of kumite can be effectively taught.

It is entirely possible to introduce and practise kumite skills safely. Things like: timing for offense/defense, effective range of techniques and many other useful things. Contact is possible but should be controlled and closely supervised. All of these are feasible to some degree with school aged children (5years+). Kumite for children under 10 should focus on preparing and the most basic notions with only very light controlled contact.

Very good points, and I agree with you. Our school doesn't have our young Little Lions doing any kind of sparring, but they are 4-7 years old. When students get to our regular class, one-steps, combinations, and sparring all start up.

[Spartacus Maximus]

All of the training I referred to are those than can be taught almost without any actual techniques used. The youngest children I ever saw actually practising any kind of kumite were around 8 years old. They were visibly making progress but their training was limited to taking turns doing one technique and one counter. Contact was just a light touch like tag. Younger students between 5 and 7 did different drills using soft foam targets held by instructors or older students to help them learn their rang and reach. There were also many drills to train the skill of dodging, entering the opponent's space for a strike and covering up and blocking. All of these were done through a game or obstacle course type race where the children had to complete stations in limited time and against an opposing team. It looked like great fun and even the older children asked to do it. They would not take no for an answer so the instructor ended up doing the same drills for them every other kumite practise session.