Martial arts for an almost 5 year old?

[mama*pisces]

I have a very spirited, physical boy who will be 5 in May. He needs help in the self-discipline department, and I figure that some Martial Arts classes could help with that, as well as with allowing him to get some of his aggression out in a positive manner. Has anyone in here put their child in Martial Arts at this age? I just did some searching on google and it seems that a lot of people think that it is a waste of money for a child his age.

I'm thinking Tae Kwan Do? There is a place near me that teaches only that, and they have a good starter program, 30 dollars for a private class, group class, and a free uniform. I figure it would be worth a try for 30 bucks, to see if he likes it...

Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

[mama*pisces]

OTOH, a small part of me is scared that it would backfire and that he would use his new found skills on me or his sister. I guess that's where the self-discipline part would come in. Hopefully!!

[mama*pisces]

Nobody?

[ar2974]

My daughter is 4 1/2 and she has just started karate.  We absolutely love it.  She is extremely high energy and this class is fantastic for tiring her out (my main goal most days).  I definitely recommend trying it out.

[mama*pisces]

Thank you.

[~cassie]

My son is almost 6 and started karate about 6 months ago through our local parks and recreation.  He goes once a week for an hour and loves it.  He is also very physical and I feel this is helping him channel it into more appropriate areas.  I wanted to put him in at 3 but at that age I felt he wouldn't understand to only use what he learned in class and not at home on other people.  He does competitions about every 2-3 months and has seemed to enjoy it.  It has also given him some self confidence and helped with his clumsiness(sp?).  The parks and rec isn't nearly as competitive as something like the ATA but 1. we can't afford the ATA and 2. we were only looking for something for him to do and be active in.

[Pavlovs]

We put our 4.5 year old in tae kaon do for almost two years and it was awesome. We did it to boost his self confidence, but the discipline component was great as well. It was through ATA.so he had opportunities to compete (although at that age they all get medals, but we never told him that). He absolutely loved it and I don't regret it one bit. We only pulled him from it when the time commitment got too stressful on the family (it was four times per week by then because he was also in sparring class).

HTH!

[mama*pisces]

Thank you! That does help. I'm starting to look into different schools, and I need to go check them out and get a feel for the instructors. I definitely do not want to put him in anything too rigorous, and I want the main focus to be self-defense and self-discipline. I'm definitely taking my time and picking the right school and program.

[laila2]

We have a great program where we live, first try it twice, then sign up for $$.  The instructor is very good with dicipline, and stresses not to use this for hurting others.  The other great thing is the programs have a 3 times a month deal, etc, and come when you can.

[crittersmum]

Our 3 1/2 year old saw some karate on Sesame Street (go, Murray!) and decided then and there that she wanted to join. The place she goes is fanastic: fast-paced, supportive and very, very kid-friendly -- I can't say enough good things about them! As far as being a "waste of money" -- well, she's not going to become a karate master before she's 5, but she's having a blast, learning some new skills and taking a lot of pride in how strong she is.

(Oh yeah, and a class of 3 1/2 to 6 year olds doing karate may just be the best show in town for the parents, as well!)