Montessori and Tae Kwon Do?

[Montessorimom8]

I am looking for a fall/winter sport for ds. He is 6.5 and attends a Montessori school that goes up to 8th grade. He's not interested in continuing ice skating or doing hockey this fall.

He is a very gentle boy, and I thought a martial art might be good for him combining the mental and physical. But martial arts scare me! I don't know if he will want to kick someone else!! Pardon my ignorance!

Anyway, if anyone knows if Montessori and Tae Kwon Do might be a good fit, please I'll take any suggestions. Or maybe another martial art? Thanks so much!

[BCFD]

A wonderful Montessori school in our town has Tae Kwon Do as part of their curriculum. They also have yoga, music lessons, and computer fun days. I have a friend who is a 2nd degree black belt and she said that it's best to wait until a child is about 8 before getting them involved in martial arts only because before that age they can't grasp the concept of "use for self defense, not for fighting". I, on the other hand, disagree with that. I know a 3.5 year old who didn't want to kick the teacher, but loved the other moves. I would say that if it's something you think your son would enjoy, absolutely enroll him!! I'm thinking of enrolling my almost 4 year old into it, as well (along with piano lessons that she has been begging for!). Best of luck!

[3girlmom]

My Montessori'd 6.5 year old has been doing TKD for about a year, even since a demonstration at her school. I would not choose it for myself, but she really loves it. I like the program a lot. She cannot test for the yellow belt until she has 150 classes and is at least 7. This has taught her to persevere and to have an eye on the long term. And, the 5 tenets of TKD, which the teachers discuss in classes, are helpful disciplinary techniques. I just holler them out as appropriate: "Self Control!" "Strong Mind!"...I can't remember the other three right now, but those are the two I use the most!

[KBecks]

I have heard great things about TKD. The thing that is preventing our family from trying it out is that classes can be very expensive, and for us, school tuition is the priority.

I'm sure you can find a studio for your boy to have a few classes to try before you commit to a program. A good friend has her 3.5 year old in it and he loves it and she loves it too.

Another friend had her daughter in it, she liked it very much but started to have concerns over the "religious" aspect of it. She felt that the whole loyalty to your teacher thing was a little too much for her family.

Good luck!