martial arts for kids
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But when your five-year old yells at you “Mom, Kids Rule!” oryour ten-year old horrifies you with language that would make asailor blush, you realize there must be something amiss withwhat these “family programs” really teach our kids. And sadly,its happening all over the media today, from sports to cartoons,and our children are learning things that we, as parents, vowedwe would never teach them. Old fashioned values like respect andself-discipline, seems to have been forgotten, replaced by thedreaded “bling bling” pop culture of today.

Just the thought of your angelic three-year old morphing into adesigner-clad, smart-mouthed, money-worshipping, me-obsessed,lay-about is enough to make any parent consider that threateningmilitary school brochure, but there is a solution out there toconsider.

Martial Arts training.

From Ninja Turtles to The Karate Kid

You and your kids have all seen the flying kicks, battle criesand mighty chops of their favorite TV characters, as they beatthe bad guys to submission – but, you may ask, how on earth canthese acts of violence teach my child anything worthwhile?

First, know that what you see on television (save perhaps theKarate Kid) is a far cry from what real martial arts are allabout. The fact is, martial arts training is based onnon-violence.

Originating in Asia (mainly Japan, China and Korea, althoughThailand and Vietnam have their own practices as well), martialarts range from a variety of types and styles, all of which arebased on well-rounded, moral teachings. The beauty of learningmartial arts is that it encompasses not just the physical aspectof the “sport”, but mental and emotional lessons as well.

Comparing that to other kid’s activities and sports, wherefierce competitiveness and “winning at all costs” seems to bethe order of the day, it’s not surprising that many childrengrapple with issues of self-esteem and misplaced aggression.

Now imagine your child actually learning valuable life lessons,skills that he will take throughout life, laying the foundationfor a happy, well-adjusted and fulfilled adult life. If onlykarate for kids was popular in the 70’s, when I was growing up!

The Advantages

• Karate, and other martial arts for kids, builds confidence andself-esteem as well as self-discipline, respect, concentrationand courtesy.

• Many martial arts schools also offer leadership courses forkids, in conjunction with their karate for kids programs, orsimilar lessons.

• Martial Arts is ideal for children who do not do well in teamsports, giving them the ability to flourish this activity, whilecombining physical and mental practices.

• Many do not realize this, but it is a fact that martial artstraining are safer than most school sports.

• Children with special needs, such as ADD (Attention DeficitDisorder), learning difficulties and hyperactivity are oftenrecommended to participate in martial arts for kids because ofthe clear benefits in its structured training techniques.

Kung-Fu Master or Ninja Warrior?

Before you sign up Junior for the first martial arts class yousee, take some time to check out the different methodsavailable, and match it with what you know would suit your childbest. This is a good way to avoid any problems that may sproutfrom a conflict of your child’s personality and the trainingtechniques.

Is your little Zach a sensitive soul? Then maybe a class thatdoesn’t center on sparring (full-on kicks and punches training)but rather, slower, defensive maneuvers would fare better forhim. Kids with an aggressive streak, however, may prefer themore forceful moves and thrive in competitive sparring.

Here’s a quick primer on the kid-friendly martial arts trainingyou’re likely to find:

Karate

• Uses defensive and aggressive moves

• Centers on building strength and endurance

• Involves chops, punches, kicks, strikes, blocking and sparring

• May use weapons

Jujitsu

• Uses defensive and aggressive moves

• Involves lots of sparring

• Teaches a fair amount of weapons training

Aikido

• Uses a more “spiritual” and harmonious style in redirectingthe aggression of the attacker as the form of defense, usingthrows, pins, rolls etc.

• Taught on the premise of disabling an aggressor withoutattacking, through your individual inner energy

• Does not involve sparring or competitions

Judo

• Uses gentle, “wrestling-like” movements

• Considered one of the safest methods of martial arts

• Emphasizes physical control as well as mental development

• Engages in competitions

Martial Arts From China

Kung-Fu

• The generic term referring to Chinese martial arts with avariety of styles

• Involves attack movements as well as defensive techniques

• Teaches kicks, punches, chops, throws, falls, grappling,katas, leg sweeps and blows among others.

• Engages in sparring competitions

Martial Arts From Korea

Taekwondo

• Competitive in nature, involves techniques using elaboratefootwork and unique high kicks.

• Emphasizes strength, force and attack methods.

• Engages in lots of sparring and competitions.

Choosing The Right Instruction

If you have an idea of the type of martial arts class you’d likeyour child to participate in, the next step would be to find theright school. Finding the right class that not only matches yourchild’s and your needs, in terms of teachers you feelcomfortable with, the price, facilities and so on, are allimportant factors.

Say you’ve found a local place that specializes in Karate forKids. What are the things you should look for?

1. Good Instructors

Check out their qualifications, teaching methods and watchcarefully how they interact with the other children. It shouldbe a fun learning experience!

2. Space and Safety

Obviously you would want to entrust your child in asestablishment that is safe, well-maintained, and clean withample space as well as decent facilities and equipment.

3. School Values

Different martial arts schools inevitably go by differentvalues, for instance, one kid’s karate class may handleaggression in one way, while a judo class would have a differentapproach. Take some time to observe which school’s ideals matchyour family’s principles.

4. Prices and Schedules

Prices for martial arts training can vary according to schooland location, so make sure you the instruction you chooserepresents fair value. Finding the most effective way to fitmartial arts training into your family’s lifestyle is alsoessential, knowing what works best with your schedule and otheractivities.

Baby Blackbelts

Starting your child young in karate training is ideal (childrenas young as the age of four are usually accepted, as it is alsoa good way to hone fine motor skills), and lots of parents havefound that in as little as a year, their children who wereinvolved in martial arts had noticeably gained positive traitssuch as increased self-esteem, respect and overall physicalfitness.

Many parents also opt to join a martial arts training programthemselves, making it a great bonding experience for the entirefamily.