dchogs Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 Henry, my wife and i are thinking of getting our son into the martial arts. he's 6 btw. which one do you recommend? we basically like the self discipline/self control aspects of the arts. is 6 too young to start legitimate arts? should he just take a kids self defense course? is there any difference? thanks for helping, bud! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 6 is probably a little too young to start a 'legitimate' martial arts program, but that doesn't mean your son wouldn't get anything out of the experience. I found most of the little kids classes I taught were like very active day-care sessions with some Karate snuck in for good measure. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. It will definately give a little boy some direction, discipline and most importantly self confidence. It also will give him a good foundation if he decides to continue his training when he gets older. My personal feeling is that if you want your kid to learn how to fight for real, wait until he's about 10 or 11. Most schools nowadays have 'kids' classes and 'adult' classes and the adult classes are where most of the serious training takes place, so you want your kid to be mature enough to be able to take those. I've done some Judo, Shotokan Karate and Tae Kwan Do, and my personal favorite is TKD. A lot of Martial Arts snobs look down on it, as it employs a higher amount of kicking techniques and some say it's overly flashy and impracticle, but it's fairly easy to learn and the katas look the coolest, which helps keep a kids interest. And frankly, if you are a black belt, you can kick some @ss regardless of what form you employ. Besides, If your boy wants to become a lethal unarmed weapon he can always pick up some other forms later. Anyway, I hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dchogs Posted April 16, 2003 Author Share Posted April 16, 2003 thanks henry. i thought 6 was a bit young myself, but i didn't want to be missing the boat if it was the prime age to start. we'll probably enroll him in a kid's class when he's 7 just to expose him to the arts and then let him decide if he wants to continue. thanks again for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowtrain Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 Take a look at Richard Sandrak ("Little Hercules") - I saw this guy on the Howard Stern E! Show. At age 8, he has been called the fastest puncher and kicker in the world measuring 110 punches in 15 seconds and 30 kicks in 15 seconds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codeorama Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 I'd kick his a$$.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dchogs Posted April 16, 2003 Author Share Posted April 16, 2003 damn... it ain't often that i'm envious of an 8 year old's physique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Om Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 I believe last time Henry and I both appeared in a martial arts threads, his take on Shotokan was something along the lines of "feh." I think maybe he was funnin' me. I'll second what he said, however ... and add this: started my son at 8 in Shotokan for two reasons. One, I had some training in it as a teen, with a sensei who quite simply changed my life with his approach of constantly stressing the mental aspects of the art. I assumed for many, many years that that was what all sensei did. Turns out that's not necessarily true, especially in the West, as we've found in the 3 years he's been training now. And two, while looking to get my guys started, I happened upon a sensei near where I live who is truly old country and old school. Knew straight away I wanted to get my kids (daughter was 10 at the time) some exposure to the physical aspects ... and that this was a guy who would do that while ALSO instilling discipline and that the combination would lead to confidence. I had expected all along that we'd last a year, maybe two, but I'm proud to say my son (my daughter lasted a year before deciding horseback riding was more in tune with her ki) would not quit his sensei now under any circumstances. The basic goal I had for him, i.e., enough confidence, coordination and strength to hold his head up and stand up for himself, and not be a target for the inevitable high school "toughs" he'll run into ... has been more than met. He'll be a "junior" blackbelt within the next year and a half or so, and feel pretty good about himself (as will his Dad) as a high school frosh. Beyond that, in terms of further and/or more varied training ... it will be up to him. Guess what I'm saying is, when your child is young, I would shop more for a sensei -- one who seems more interested in character building -- than for any particular school or discipline of the martial arts. Get your child hooked on the concept of physical and mental strength being a part of his/her life, encourage and gently push them just enough to get over "I can't do it" phase (which will come) ... and then recognize the moment to get out of the way and let them use that experience to find their own path as they grow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 Actually Om, I believe my exact comment was "pfft!" You are absolutely right, though. Just like any choosing any class, the teacher is the most important factor. It's definately wise to shop around first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nighthawk Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 Well, my daughter is 4 1/2 and she started Tae Kwon Do a little over a month ago. She enjoys it and like Henry said, it instills direction, discipline and self confidence. Normally, they don't take kids under 5 but she really wanted to do it and the instructor agreed to a two week trial to see if she would follow instructions and was serious about doing it. After 5 weeks I can tell you I haven't seen the "active day-care sessions with some Karate snuck in" that Henry mentioned. The kids in these classes, at all levels seem very serious about what they're doing. I was amazed last week when I watched a 7 year old girl during one class who was a brown belt. She was amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codeorama Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 In all seriousness, this was a cool thread, I printed it to give to my brother... he wants his son (my nephew) to take some type of martial arts training soon... Good Info everyone... thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Invisible Poster Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 Originally posted by dchogs damn... it ain't often that i'm envious of an 8 year old's physique. Amen. That kid is ripped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dchogs Posted April 16, 2003 Author Share Posted April 16, 2003 thanks om, your reasons for your kids are exactly my reasons. teaching middle school, i see to many kids that are adrift. now, some of that is parenting, but i'd like to instill the sense of confidence and respect from another source. excellent point about the sensi. i knew it was important, but will stress it all the more. i appreciate the candor and the info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 Originally posted by Nighthawk After 5 weeks I can tell you I haven't seen the "active day-care sessions with some Karate snuck in" that Henry mentioned. The kids in these classes, at all levels seem very serious about what they're doing. Perhaps I phrased that wrong. Compared to adult classes, kid classes can be less rigorous and the drills less mitliary-esque. Again, not a bad thing for 5-7 year-olds. Compared to Gymboree, however, you will definately get more discipline and structure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCS Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 feh! Note: Sensei indeed. Been my experience, personally and with one of my nephews who started Tae Kwan Do around 6-7, that it's the most important of issues when dealing with kids and martial arts. As Om said. Nephew is a great kid. He's nearly 13 even. Parents are awsome, yet brother gives some credit to the lads sensei of many years. Says will find similar situation for other son when he's old enough. The opposite end of the spectrum, bad sensei, I've seen here in town dealing with the "Kenpo" commandos. Stories are numerous and legendary here in town. Bad stuff. Sisters and brothers kicking the hell out of bigger brothers and groups of them looking for fights in order to show their skills. Then there were the adults. :doh: I really enjoyed my brief time with Tang Soo Do. And of course 5'8" Bouncer Soo do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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