should young kids do a martial art?

[Karateka]

I personally would not train unless they were 8 or older. Any younger, and I feel they are not ready. I have heard some of the excuses like "but the ancient Japanese started when they were young!" I hate that. It was their culture, not yours. Your child is not going to become a fighter. They will probably quit after about three months so stop WHINING!

 

 

[Joecooke007]

There are kids in my dojo that are that young and it bugs me. They never pay attention, they ae always talking out, and they just don't get it. I try but it's frusturating.

 

 

[Iwant2BaDragon]

Martial arts can do serious damage to childrens joints . Also they probably dont understand the true meaning really. I think it would be great to start a kid with Tai Chi, which shows them the meaning, gives them self defence and doesnt damage them as much !

[SBN Doug]

I feel like 7-8 would be the minimum I would teach. And they would be the "just for fun" stuff. Promote them very slowly.

 

At 12 is where KSW recognizes them as being able to learn all the adult material.

[SaiFightsMS]

Popular topic. We accept 6 year olds but sometimes a 5 slips in. One time a 4 year old slipped in. He had big problems with left and right and 6 months later still was not ready for first test. "Dad" got mad then and pulled the kid. Wew.

 

I taught 2 batches of white belts getting them on their way to first grading and integration into regular class.

 

It is not necessarily the 6th birthday that is the big indicator as much as whether or not little Johnny had been to first grade yet. Spending all day in school vs half a day of kindergarten makes a difference - a big difference.

 

It is so hard to keep the group moving forward if someone does not know their left from their right. Now I know we all make mistakes from time to time but every time?

 

10-11 yr olds can kind of be starting to be smart alecks. I think 7-8 is a good starting point.

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[ This Message was edited by: ad on 2001-12-01 12:06 ]

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i started when i was thirteen, do you guys think thats too young or too old??

 

i really do get embarrsed since i tran with kids much younger with me who are like brown, purple or even black belt, it sometiem made me think , "why didnt i watch those bruce lee films earlier!" hehe, but when i spar with him, they have great difficulty and i feel i am more the dominant person, not due to physical strength, but to ability to time the moves and apply them more effectively, if ya get what i mean

 

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[SaiFightsMS]

Hi Ad and I do see what you mean. You definately did not start too late. As you say the things you do in class that outclasses others will attest to that. You had a chance to develope other physical skills.

 

Some do start too young. I believe it is never to old to start. But as for when is a person old enough it is an individual thing.

 

One thing maybe is you are thinking about what you are doing and your classmates are just doing what they have done before. You probably have done other sports and bring a more diverse group of skills to class than they. The idea of crosstraining does not apply just to another form of a martial art it applies to another form of physical activity as well. So if you come in at a later age with say a soccer or other sport in your closet you will have an advantage over karate only people.

 

Do I make any sense?

 

 

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i get ya completely sai, i guess i sometimes have a habit of being too concerend about what people think if ya get me

 

thanx for the input

 

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[SaiFightsMS]

We all do Ad. At my first test in a big group i was the only adult in my rank group testing for that level. Before we got up I was so petrified about - well among other things being so much older. (I was 38 and standing next to a 6 year old.)

 

As time went on I got more used to my classmates and they got more used to them and the differences disappeared. Even the parents got used to me.