Kids learning martial Arts

Puddleduck

Hi all,

Ive been thinking about this after posting up in another thread. Sorry if its been done before but I cant resurrect an old thread.

What are your thoughts on training young kids in Martial Arts, now I dont mean teenagers I mean kids as young as 6?

Personally I think its pointless, yes you can teach your child how to be smart around strangers but isnt martial arts also about training the mind? Wouldnt this message be missed by kids?

Opinons please?

I put this here to get a few martial arts people responding rather than just parents.

grizzly

Personally I think its pointless, yes you can teach your child how to be smart around strangers but isnt martial arts also about training the mind? Wouldnt this message be missed by kids?

Are we talking self defence or martial arts? Yes, I think self defence would have limited use for a 6 year old, but being trained in martial arts would be far from pointless. Improves fitness, coordination, helps socialise the child and can instil a sense of respect for others.

Puddleduck

Martial Arts.

So you think that the child would understand the values etc that are taught in Martial Arts?

grizzly

I went to Kempo when I was very young. I can't say I understood anything profound, but I leant much from it from a childs perspective. The most important being that if you have the ability to inflect harm on another you also have the responsibility to never initicate violence.

I read the other thread you posted in saying you wounldn't train with children, fair enough – I wouldn't either being honest.

--amadeus--

Both of my kids joined up when they were 5, eldest is now 7 and a purple belt, youngest has been going for a few months and will (hopefully) be grading to yellow either this month or at the end of the summer.

MA training for children at that age is one of teh best things that any parent can do.

Physically it promotes exercise; in particular flexibility, coordination, balance and stamina. It also gives parents an opportunity to bring in concepts like healthy eating and sleeping habits and encourages youngsters to actually get off thier backsides, get out and do something. And it's better to develop skills in real life rather than on an xBox.

Mentally it reinforces respect, discipline, patience and the rewards from hard work. It shows a strong authority figure to be looked up to and respected, an aspirational and positive role model (in comparison to teh brats on US TV shows). Learning that if an adult says shush you dam well shush is a life lesson that many children don't get these days and is invaluable. Learning that things that are worth having can't just be bought in a box and need work is invaluable. And the huge leaps of self confidence you see in kids who do MA is fantastic. And it's not just security in thier own ability to "look after themselves" in teh schoolyard, it's confidence based on weeks, months and years of positive reinforcment and encouragement. And that's before you even look at the social aspects, mixing with boys and girls of all backgrounds and a variety of ages, which is a good thing.

In no way do I see *any* negatives to a young child doing MA. I'd be interested in hearing what mystical values they are missing out on?

[edit] cross posted - I see grizzly's post now.

I have trained with young kids who were beginners and it doesn't work. In teh class I do now though there are a couple of younger kids (10 - 14ish I guess?) but one is a green belt and the other red. They are there because they have outgrown teh kiddie classes and they fit in seamlessly. A completly mixed class of beginner kids and adults is a no-no IMO, they have different needs.

faceman

I did Kenpo from a very young teenage age. Our instructor also catered for kids. its down to the teacher really as to what benefit there is for kids but I guess with most martial arts, the child will hopefully learn discipline, self discipline and respect for others. On top of that there is of course the fitness and martial arts are alot of fun at that age.

FruitLover

Puddleduck wrote: »

isnt martial arts also about training the mind?

I do martial arts to train my body. I use crosswords and computer programming to train my mind. If I can figure out how to do the mind part with punching and kicking, I'll let you know.

BobbyOLeary

So you think that the child would understand the values etc that are taught in Martial Arts?

And these values are?

I teach a kids Kenpo class and according to the parents of many of the kids I teach; they love it and have never been so attentive and interested in an activity. I also have kids who dropped out, who didn't like it too much. Personally I blame myself for this but I can only do so much, I try my best but some kids just don't like the class I give.

If kids get a benefit out of it, whether physical or mental, and it keeps them away from the xBox then I think its worthwhile. This goes for any sporting activity really, martial arts are no different, they're just another activity, nothing special.

pma-ire

martial arts classes can be lots of things to different age groups.

the first thing is though that ages should be split so that the instructor can target the group with the correct program for their needs.

really young kids need to learn which is their left or right and how to move without falling over

everytime we conduct an activity that requires concentration and ballance we are mapping out paths in our brain that will make it easier to perform that activity or something similar the next time. this is called learning

kids a little older need to get a sense of themselves, and the instructor must be aware that they have to be given well defined goals and shown reward for reaching those goals. this boosts a childs impression of themself and a confident, content child is a happy one!

as they get older comps are a big part of what they are doing. in the younger ages comps are just learning platforms or ways to give them those goals to aim for. this reaches all the way into their late teens and on to adulthood.

but along the way they should also be made aware of the dangers involved in using the skills they have learnt without good reason. nothing too heavy, just a sense of sense if ya get me

so taking this all into consideration i would say that kids should start martial arts at a young age and enjoy it!!

Unpossible

I look at it from a sports perspective and wish my parents had let me do a martial art when I was younger (my cousins tried a few classes of karate then deemed it too rough, so the whole family shied away). As someone who grew up in a swimming pool and swam compeditively I can see the huge advantage I have compared to people learning to swim in their 20's, 30's etc even when I haven't been training properly in ages. I think its the same with most sports & martial arts people who did it as a kid seem to pick up the movements more naturally.
Of course thats just my opinion.

mark.leonard

Puddleduck wrote: »

What are your thoughts on training young kids in Martial Arts, now I dont mean teenagers I mean kids as young as 6?

I teach kids from 5-11 in my Kids class.

Puddleduck wrote:

Personally I think its pointless, yes you can teach your child how to be smart around strangers but isnt martial arts also about training the mind? Wouldnt this message be missed by kids?

This question probably comes down to your perception of the goal of Martial Arts. In my adult classes I don't try and train their minds, as you put it, in any way other than by giving them confidence in their own physical ability. The same lessons are learned by children, their confidence improves the same, though they tend to pick up the skill set quicker.

j walsh

On a slightly different note here what are the other instructors views on teaching kids with weapons ie, nunchaku,wooden swords and the like?
I personally don't but would love to here some different points of view on this?

pma-ire

j walsh wrote: »

On a slightly different note here what are the other instructors views on teaching kids with weapons ie, nunchaku,wooden swords and the like?
I personally don't but would love to here some different points of view on this?

i teach some of the kids in my club nunchuku and short staff.

the chuks are the sof foam ones with the cords and they are not allowed to hit with them either way. the short staff is only done in a pattern.

i teach chuks to them as a way to build up hand eye cordination, as i don't see them as being a practical weapon for modern self defence.

eeyore2502

Both my kids started WonHwado at 5 and are loving it still, 6 and 3 years later and they are progressing up the belts.

Voltaire

Hi eeyore2502,

I have a question about WonHwaDo and have sent you a PM. I would be grateful for your advice.

eeyore2502

Replied on the other forum and pmd you.

Hope it helps.

Black Swan

Puddleduck wrote: »

What are your thoughts on training young kids in Martial Arts, now I dont mean teenagers I mean kids as young as 6?

Started KB when 10 and later shifted to TKD. Now 21 and glad I started early. It was grand for my physical fitness, discipline, self-confidence, SD, and now I have part-time income as an instructor while attending university.

Should I have a child in the future (especially if female because of the later self-defense aspect), I would start her/him very young, and age 6 would be a good age to begin. It takes years to master an MA, so why not begin early? One of the classes I teach on Saturday mornings is for children around this age, and many of them do quite well, provided that we make it fun.

Puddleduck wrote: »

Personally I think its pointless, yes you can teach your child how to be smart around strangers but isnt martial arts also about training the mind? Wouldnt this message be missed by kids?

Several of our parents have been besides themselves having discipline problems with their children, especially boys. After a few months in our dojang, several have thanked us for how their child has shaped up a bit at home, with the benefits of dojang discipline extending there too. Of course, MA is not the silver bullet of maturation, but it can contribute to the cause in combination with good child rearing practices at home by parents.

Training the mind is an aspect of MA, or the "do" of taekwondo. But we do not lecture to our young students (or to our teens and adults either, because that would bore most of them). It is more subtle than that. With the discipline, learning new techniques, and repetition, a learning process called automaticity occurs over a long period of time, to where they perform MA techniques in combination without thinking, in response to an environmental stimulus (when free sparring, tournament, or self-defense situations).

It's like learning to drive a vehicle. At first you are clumsy and make a lot of simple mistakes, especially if distracted. But after time, feedback, and practice, you can later drive your car, listen to music, text your Blackberry, chat with a friend in the companion seat, check out the lads that drive by, window shop, and reach your destination all without crashing your vehicle.

In a larger sense, MA can function as a tool (of several in your tool box) intended in zen-like fashion to aid you in striving for perfection over a lifetime, so you cannot start your journey too soon, especially given the subtle learning processes involved that take years to accomplish with any mastery. And most kids are like little sponges when young, soaking up learning fast, and eager to please their MA instructors and master.

We do have to respect individual differences in terms of their readiness to begin, irrespective of their age, consequently we offer a greatly discounted month introductory kids class that meets twice weekly after school, and on Saturday mornings. This gives us, the child, and the parents feedback as to if the particular child is ready to begin their journey towards self-mastery.

Voltaire

eeyore2502 wrote: »

Replied on the other forum and pmd you.

Hope it helps.

Thank you

eeyore2502

No problem, any more questions just give me a shout!

robt

I started training in martial arts at age of 7, twenty years ago. It has shaped my whole life for the good & would recommend martial arts coupled with gymnastcs to any parent.

All that said, I now train children & each child is different & some may take to training at age of 5 some much later, depending on how easily distracted they can be.