Appropriate Starting Age

[ashworth]

I always feel it is dependent on the child in question. I can take children on from 5. But I tend to prefer from 6 onwards...

[Trailer_Ape]

While I think a lot depends on the kid (maturity, respect, attention span) and the instructor (realistic age based expectations and activities that hold interest), I went with 6 for my daughter.

I personally do not agree with awarding Dan rank to kids, but that is just my opinion. I feel MA encompasses so much more than fighting and it would be a rare case where I saw an adolescent that had the "whole package"

While I believe in starting them young, I do not believe in starting body conditioning young. I would not expect my daughter (now 7) to do knuckle push ups on roofing shingles or repeatedly hit a makiwara. I do, however, expect my 16yr old son to do his bag work w/o gloves.

[singularity6]

While I think a lot depends on the kid (maturity, respect, attention span) and the instructor (realistic age based expectations and activities that hold interest), I went with 6 for my daughter.

I personally do not agree with awarding Dan rank to kids, but that is just my opinion. I feel MA encompasses so much more than fighting and it would be a rare case where I saw an adolescent that had the "whole package"

While I believe in starting them young, I do not believe in starting body conditioning young. I would not expect my daughter (now 7) to do knuckle push ups on roofing shingles or repeatedly hit a makiwara. I do, however, expect my 16yr old son to do his bag work w/o gloves.

Hi Trailer_Ape, and welcome to the forum! You response resonated very well with me. I agree - it's hard to put a specific age limit on things. Starting out young has some serious advantages, but conditioning young can be quite dangerous.

Thank you for the post!

[bushido_man96]

Depending on the child, I like age 6 as a start. But this is conditional on the maturity of the child in class.

[The Pred]

I take child students at the age of 4; and I don't apologize for it. My dojo...my rules...my P&L's Bottom Line.

Our Soke's rule was that the child had to be in the first grade, as a minimum.

I started at that age, age 4 full fledge black belt at 18. Shows the patient that a child can have if a donor makes them wait till adult age. Imagine how many adults would wait 14 years, I'd say a low number.

[sensei8]

Depending on the child, I like age 6 as a start. But this is conditional on the maturity of the child in class.

Let us not forget to consider the maturity of the parent(s)/guardian as well. In short time, the CI will eventually have to calm down the parent(s)/guardian due to the fact that their kid(s) have just failed a Testing Cycle and/or the like. Oftentimes, I wonder, who drove whom to the dojo?!?!

[sensei8]

I take child students at the age of 4; and I don't apologize for it. My dojo...my rules...my P&L's Bottom Line.

Our Soke's rule was that the child had to be in the first grade, as a minimum.

I started at that age, age 4 full fledge black belt at 18. Shows the patient that a child can have if a donor makes them wait till adult age. Imagine how many adults would wait 14 years, I'd say a low number.

To the bold type above...

Yeah, not many at all. The battle of apoplectic from a parent(s)/guardians begins at the very first failed Testing Cycle, for an example.

[LLLEARNER]

I am totally the opposite. If my kid does not perform to the best of her ability. It is her fault (maybe some of mine), but not the coach's. Unless something egregious happens, I blame the kids and parents first.

[Trailer_Ape]

While I think a lot depends on the kid (maturity, respect, attention span) and the instructor (realistic age based expectations and activities that hold interest), I went with 6 for my daughter.

I personally do not agree with awarding Dan rank to kids, but that is just my opinion. I feel MA encompasses so much more than fighting and it would be a rare case where I saw an adolescent that had the "whole package"

While I believe in starting them young, I do not believe in starting body conditioning young. I would not expect my daughter (now 7) to do knuckle push ups on roofing shingles or repeatedly hit a makiwara. I do, however, expect my 16yr old son to do his bag work w/o gloves.

Hi Trailer_Ape, and welcome to the forum! You response resonated very well with me. I agree - it's hard to put a specific age limit on things. Starting out young has some serious advantages, but conditioning young can be quite dangerous.

Thank you for the post!

Appreciate the welcome!

Sensei8 -

You make an excellent point. Some parents have kids that "can do no wrong". Sadly, I believe these types hinder their childs development (especially in MA) by instilling a sense of entitlement in them from early on.

[Alan Armstrong]

My first recollection of fighting physically was at the age of five.

So that is when it was appropriate for me to do naturally, without any prior knowledge or understanding, but to react back to attacks.

Yes, I actually set off the attack in the school yard.

As a fellow student, accidentally had torn his paper dinner card.

As my father had previously shown me a magic trick, that when a person tears a piece of paper in to tiny pieces, hold it tightly in the hands and say the words "Abra Cadabra" the paper will be magically returned to its original unbroken self.

Well the trick didn't work, having a bunch of kids out to get me back (thinking I was playing a trick on them) having to defend myself against them, low side kicks to their knees, actually worked keeping them from hurting me.

Another fight using "chain punches" just came natural to me without any knowledge or experience.

Looking back, children know how to fight, it is in us all, instinctively.

Martial arts just names its moves and puts working sequences together, making them easier to remember, refines it, categorizes it in as many ways as possible, packets it and sticks a style label to it; put some philosophy, strategy and or religion to it, add hundreds of years or more to the mix and here we are today.

Then after years of training and practice, being told to move and be natural, to the way we once were; go figure!

Therefore martial art training for me, at about four or five would be Ok, give or take a few thousand years of development with it.