martial arts -- at what age?

[**guest**]

dd (3 y 2m) is mildly interested in martial arts -- we have a studio nearby, and we go and watch kids practice. some are probably her age, not much older.

i am very ambivalent about it -- she is very independent and strong willed, so i just see her doing the opposite of what she is asked :LOL but at the same time she is interested (though not madly).

at what age would you try? what are your experiences?

[Satori]

3-4 is a good age to start Cant hurt to try and the instructor should have no problem telling you if dc is not ready for the classes. I know a little kid who was started very early and was actually ready to test for black belt by age 5 (yes i'm serious) but they refused to let him test till he was at least a teen if I remember right. The entire family trained so i'm sure he was started as soon as he was mobile

[flapjack]

My dh is a karate instructor, and he won't teach children who haven't had at least one term in school- he teaches the old-fashioned way, in the lines, and has found that teeny-tinies can't focus for the length of time he needs them to. I know some instructors are running small-children's classes, with games as well as the martial arts, but I don't know much about how they work. (The biggest franchises are the Little Dragons, Kid Kick, and Little Grasshopper classes)
My eldest was more or less ready at 4, though we made him wait until just before his 6th birthday- my youngest, at a month shy of his 5th birthday, isn't ready yet. I'd say wait until she's 5, maybe 6. Also, there will (or should) be an issue with the teacher's insurance- over here, they're not routinely covered to teach someone under the age of 5, and this is something you need to check.

[USAmma]

My dd has been in preschool Karate for 6 weeks now and she loves it! She's also pretty good at it from what I can tell so far. Uniforms are optional, and the instructor is big on self-defense. He works with the police and the general community. A couple of lessons ago he taught them what to do if a stranger grabbed them, how to stomp the foot and scream for help.

Abi has a fast mind and she gets bored easily in most classes. This one holds her interest for the entire 45 mins. It's neat to see her putting it all together and being proud that last time she didn't know how to do something but this time she did it better.

So for Abi it's a very positive thing and we are going to keep going with it for a long time. However there are some kids in the class, mostly the 3yos, that are not that focused or interested in it. Abi and the 5yo's are doing the best in the class. Last year I tried dance class with Abi and she was the same way. She's really matured since last year and that's one reason why the class is working for her.

[USAmma]

Originally Posted by flapjack

My dh is a karate instructor, and he won't teach children who haven't had at least one term in school- he teaches the old-fashioned way, in the lines, and has found that teeny-tinies can't focus for the length of time he needs them to. I know some instructors are running small-children's classes, with games as well as the martial arts, but I don't know much about how they work. (The biggest franchises are the Little Dragons, Kid Kick, and Little Grasshopper classes)
My eldest was more or less ready at 4, though we made him wait until just before his 6th birthday- my youngest, at a month shy of his 5th birthday, isn't ready yet. I'd say wait until she's 5, maybe 6. Also, there will (or should) be an issue with the teacher's insurance- over here, they're not routinely covered to teach someone under the age of 5, and this is something you need to check.

I didn't realize that was old fashioned. That's how dd's instructor is, too. It's very grown-up feeling, they don't play cute games or anything. He is very strict but a nice teacher (he has a small dd at home). My toddler, who sits with me and watches, knows how to count to 5 and then she says HAI! :LOL

[darlindeliasmom]

Before Del started, I would probably say wait until school age (she was 7 when she started). But aftr seeing some of the young kids in the program, I say it depends on the child. Some of these 3-4 yr olds are real tigers, focused and energetic. Del would have FAILED at karate at that age, because she just didn't have a frame of reference for trusting a teacher. It came with age, and she really respects her senseis and believes they want good things for her.

So, like I have learned to say for everything, it depends on your child. Our dojo has "bring a friend days" when a child can go and experience a class from the inside. That is what really decided Delia on it. I'd also talk to the instructors...I guess since you've been visiting you have some feel for the school/instructors. The director of Del's school works with the littlest, and he just clearly is so delighted with their energy that it is never anything but a positive experience for them.
Good luck with your decision.

[Dov]

Darlindeliasmom said it well, I think... depends on the child, as to what age to start. The mom/partner to the Karate instructor adds a dimension to that element too... also depends on the dojo's style and the discipline it teaches.

I would add some other considerations too: What discipline (martial art) is practiced by the studio near you? What is appealing to your dd about what she sees at the local studio? Every discipline has a style and approach to its practices and, despite conventional western wisdom, they are not all identical. What will that discipline ultimately teach her? I won't place judgment on any discipline as "better" or "less worthy" than another, each has its own merit and more... I just take martial arts training very seriously and wouldn't advocate casual use or just starting any old discipline on a lark. Each one has a result and a purpose in its Way, and that in turn has an impact on the practitioner, especially if training begins at such a young age, KWIM?

As to my own experience, I can only speak in the context of Aikido, since that's the only martial art our family has practiced (does practice... for a set of very intentional reasons).

Dd began when she was six. Ds, though more energetic and physical than dd generally, is waiting until he's six—he has trouble following directions for more than 30 minutes at a time still. We belong to a traditional dojo, very Japanese, very" proper" and formal in the training praxis. One needs to be able to listen for instructions and "do" with some ability to implement the technique, and do so for an hour. Dd does really really well with this and the impact on her as a bipolar kid is amazing. She is a very serious student and loves her instructors and Sensei.

Best wishes and intentions for you and your dd... martial arts training is highly valuable, more so if its approached with sober intentions, IMO. Hopefully, my questions are of help to you?

[**guest**]

thanks everybody for your thoughtful responses.

i know the most about Aikido philosophy, and it appeals the most to me. my gut feeling is also to wait till she is older and really wants it (if she still wants it).

the young children that i saw the the place nearby were just 'having fun', and initially this attracted me. but the more i read the posts here, and the more i thought about it, i realise that we need to wait. and she can have the same kind of fun at an unstructured gym class.

thanks for the help.

[kewb]

My kids go to a traditional Okinawan Dojo. My ds started at 5 because he was ready. My dd started at 4 in their Little Kids class. It is a shorter lesson but still traditional and with more understanding for their shorter attention spans.