Slache Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 John's 4 and we'd like to get him involved in something and he's taken an interest in martial arts. We want something that lasts all year so no seasonal sports. I've considered cross fit for kids but I don't know anything about it. We are definitely leaning towards martial arts because of him, but I can be persuaded if I'm missing something really cool. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Frankly it will depend on your area. There are all sorts of martial arts and all kinds of teachers. The teacher is primary IMHO. You best bet is to ask around and visit and see what is out there. We chose Aikido because I got to know Sensei's wife through homeschooling, and she convinced me both of that art and them as a couple (they used to co-teach). We've been involved for nine years and love every aspect of it. The schedule and cost have been just right. Our dojo won't take kids until they're nine. Crossfit makes me uneasy. I can see the appeal, but we also workout at a gym and have done classes with a trainer, and we prefer a more measured approach. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 We chose aikido as well. It's something my husband wanted to do and could do with our daughter, and we were very fortunate to find a wonderful dojo (we like it enough to drive 40 min one way several days a week and have for years). Our dojo will take kids in the 4-6 range, but only does family classes for kids--a parent has to be on the mat training as well at the same time--no separate kid classes. My daughter was about 6 when they started and as a teen is now able to participate in the adult classes even if my husband can't make it for some reason. We liked the philosophy, the cost was right (minimal), and we've found a great community. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 dudeling does Oom yung doe. it's a very good fit for him. we've looked at others, some I really liked - but weren't a fit. (or further than I was willing to travel - we have a lot of options here.) there are a number of different forms, and you would need to look into what is available where you are. what do you want him to gain from studying MA? do check out the dojos/studios. have your child participate in a class, or at least observe how the instructor teaches (different forms have different names.) one MA might have a great studio and teacher - and another within the same discipline might be nothing but a belt factory. (or money maker for the owner. I recently came across one.) so they need to be judged on their individual merits. swimming and horseback riding are also year round sports that offer all-round physical fitness. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSNative Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 The right teacher makes all the difference. My kids started in tae kwon do at 5 because the teachers were outstanding. When we moved, we got recomendations from them for teachers in our new state. I agree with pp who was concerned about crossfit. Some parts of adult crossfit can be unsafe. I was extremely hesitant to have my kids try CrossFit kids. I only did after a friend raved for over a year about it. Then I went and scrutinized it for a while before I signed my kids up. It is very different from regular CF. I have never seen them do anything more unsafe than any other sport or athletic class. Our coaches are very focused on form and safety and connect with the kids. My kids adore it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MysteryJen Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 My younger three all started with judo. My middle ds still does judo and added aikido about 3 years ago. Our judo club prefers kids to wait until kindergarten age and aikido is a little later I think. Rock climbing takes little kids :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 I would observe some classes before I signed up. Depending on the teacher and the martial arts school, you could get quite a range of philosophies out there. My daughter's Tae Kwon Do school is run an Asian immigrant and it's an Asian school. It's designed to appeal Asian immigrants. It's rigorous, demanding and very Asian in teaching style and requires parents to have a certain attitude toward the school and their children. That's what I was looking for for my youngest who is an international adoptee. I wanted her to get a regular taste of Asian culture. There are few Caucasian parents there because it isn't a great fit with the way many Americans parent their children. I'm not making any judgement about the parenting styles and priorities of Asian parents vs. typical Caucasian parents. I'm simply pointing out that they can be very different and those differences in values, goals and priorities can affect whether or not an Asian type school is a good fit or a frustration to someone considering enrolling. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 Frankly it will depend on your area. There are all sorts of martial arts and all kinds of teachers. The teacher is primary IMHO. You best bet is to ask around and visit and see what is out there. We chose Aikido because I got to know Sensei's wife through homeschooling, and she convinced me both of that art and them as a couple (they used to co-teach). We've been involved for nine years and love every aspect of it. The schedule and cost have been just right. Our dojo won't take kids until they're nine. Crossfit makes me uneasy. I can see the appeal, but we also workout at a gym and have done classes with a trainer, and we prefer a more measured approach. The kids crossfit I'm familiar with is *nothing* like adult crossfit. It's completely safe. dudeling does Oom yung doe. it's a very good fit for him. we've looked at others, some I really liked - but weren't a fit. (or further than I was willing to travel - we have a lot of options here.) there are a number of different forms, and you would need to look into what is available where you are. what do you want him to gain from studying MA? do check out the dojos/studios. have your child participate in a class, or at least observe how the instructor teaches (different forms have different names.) one MA might have a great studio and teacher - and another within the same discipline might be nothing but a belt factory. (or money maker for the owner. I recently came across one.) so they need to be judged on their individual merits. swimming and horseback riding are also year round sports that offer all-round physical fitness. At this point I just want something fun and active for him to do. We live near a huge variety. I've seen TKD, Karate, Aikedo, MMA... OK. We'll visit a few classes. I didn't know that was a thing. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spudboy Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 DS (11) and DD (7) are in an excellent Kung Fu program -- but I agree with other posters, the quality and whether it is right for your kids is very dependent on the individual school. The best local school for your kids might be based on a different martial art. * Avoid any martial arts school that promises Black Belt in a stated amount of time. * Meet the instructors and make sure that you get a good feeling about them -- your kids will have to respect and obey these people. * If you're concerned about weapons in the home, check and see if/when weapons are introduced. Working up to the level of earning a weapon is a big deal at some schools, while others don't do this. The school that our kids go to has a fun program for little kids (starting age 3) but it gets tougher as they advance. They were invited to visit and participate in a few classes before we signed up. IMHO they're getting a lot out of it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 In my experience, I think four is too young to start martial arts and really get much out of it. Around here, at least for karate and TKD, only the belt factory places will take kids that young. Have you considered recreational gymnastics? For young kids, it can offer a great foundation for later sports and the classes are usually very active with little down time. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 DS does aikido, too. Ours does have kids' classes, and they will have kids as young as 4 or 5. We love it. The senseis are great with the kids, very patient. I really like aikido because it's less aggressive than most martial arts. It's less about punching and kicking and much more about avoiding. DS's sensei is fond of saying "You won't have to fight if you're not there." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.Ivy Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 My husband was a professional mixed martial artist, and is an instructor, and he recommends kids start with Judo or Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, for a non-striking martial art. He recommends Muay Thai for a striking art. This is assuming that you want your child's martial art to be effective in a real-world setting (i.e. self defense). We like to go with instructors who are willing to correct and emphasize proper technique, rather than those who just praise any effort. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 DP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Four is the earliest our instructor will even try children in class, and even then, he says they don't really get the point for a few more years. I wouldn't start my own almost four year old in MA except that his older siblings are in it, and he's counting the days until he can be like the big kids. So we will try him and see how he does. We do hapkido, which is defense focused, but that's because that's what our instructor teaches. Ask around and get recommendations. When I asked around, everyone gave me the same name, so that is where we went. We have been very pleased. I do like the self defense focus, but most important is the instructor. We love our instructor and his assistants. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 In my experience, I think four is too young to start martial arts and really get much out of it. Have you considered recreational gymnastics? I'm pretty skeptical that 4yos would get more out of gymnastics than out of martial arts. In either case, an older kid could make faster progress. In both cases, kids could learn some foundational skills, work on physical fitness, and listening skills. I do think B has gotten a fair amount out of martial arts (he's been doing it for just over a year), but a 4yo isn't going to be Jet Li in a few years, just like a 4yo in gymnastics isn't going to be Gabby Douglas in a few years. I accidentally deleted the sentence about not much downtime in gymnastics, but in my experience, there's at least as much waiting in line etc in gymnastics as in martial arts. It all probably just boils down to the teacher/school. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 I think it's a waste of $$$$ at 4. Not waste, I guess, but not particularly beneficial either. For entertainment only. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 In my experience, I think four is too young to start martial arts and really get much out of it. Around here, at least for karate and TKD, only the belt factory places will take kids that young. Have you considered recreational gymnastics? For young kids, it can offer a great foundation for later sports and the classes are usually very active with little down time. In our TKD school, we do have little littles, but it's all fun and they are *not* working toward black belts. It's kind of like the difference between rec and team gymnastics. It's much more fun and games than a regular class. They don't move up to regular classes until age 7 or, for some kids, when they are ready earlier (some kids just have natural talent and are ready to learn full forms and such at 5 or 6, but they are unusual). 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 In our TKD school, we do have little littles, but it's all fun and they are *not* working toward black belts. It's kind of like the difference between rec and team gymnastics. It's much more fun and games than a regular class. They don't move up to regular classes until age 7 or, for some kids, when they are ready earlier (some kids just have natural talent and are ready to learn full forms and such at 5 or 6, but they are unusual). Ours has two groups of littles, the first is pretty much all fun and games, the second is more of a cross between fun and games and a regular class and does work on full forms. Kids go to the regular class at 6.5-7yo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 When we put ds in Kung Fu at age 4 (I think he was four when we signed him up, probably turned 5 after a while in the class) we really liked the martial arts instructor that did the introductory one-on-one lesson with him. We felt really good about it all, signed him up, paid in full on the spot to get a discounted yearly rate. Then his teacher was some teenage girl. For the OP, I'd strongly suggest you ask for some trial lessons in the group that the kid would be in. And to talk to other parents while your kid is doing the trial lessons. That way you avoid a situation like the above. Where we go they have an instructor (youngest one is 25 and great, especially with little kids - always so upbeat etc), and about 4 helpers in each class. Most of the helpers are teens, though some of them are 30-40yo. The number of kids per class varies from about 10-20 (you pay per month and can attend whichever classes you want to attend, though you're supposed to attend at least 2 per week, so if the weather is exceptionally bad or good there might be fewer kids, and some days of the week are popular than others, and right before a belt test or tournament attendance tends to be better, lol). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 We're only looking for fun and friends. He doesn't go to preschool and there are no kids at our church. We only have one family we like in our apartment and they don't speak English so we don't spend that much time together. I wanted gymnastics, Dad wanted martial arts so we presented both to John and he likes martial arts better. We don't care if he doesn't get much out of it. We definitely agree with Ms. Ivy about correction and not praising any effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 We're only looking for fun and friends. IME, team sports are better for finding friends. The Y and Upward both offer several options at very reasonable prices. We did the Y when my kids were preschoolers. I'm not sure what age Upward starts but I think it's either 4 or 5. I'd also look into a Mother's Day Out or Awanas (I don't know when that starts either or if it's a good match, we never did it but I know lots of hsers who did). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 At the little ages at our school, fun is definitely to be had, but friends, not so much. Some moms may get together with their kids on occasion, but it's not a regular thing. Most of the kids in the class (we only have one little littles class, twice a week) have several other activities plus preschool. My daughter is the regular assistant instructor for the little kids and she hasn't seen situations where the kids are making friends that they do stuff with outside of class. To be honest, it's not a common situation where people make great friends at any activity, including team sports. They might be friends for the season, but more often the friends on teams are friends elsewhere (school, church, etc.). Especially at 4, kids make friends super easy, play with them a while, and when the leave wherever, that's the end of it. Sometimes you'll find a real friend on a team or at an activity or even at a park, but IME it's just not something that happens a whole lot. At our school, if someone wants an intro private (free), it's often the teens who do it. My oldest two have done several of those. We have one chief instructor who everyone loves (it is very true that instructor makes a HUGE difference) and then several assistants (my oldest two are two of those) who are in training to be instructors help him in various classes. People can do 2-4 weeks of free classes - taking the classes they would be in if they signed up - if they want. I'd definitely want to try out the regular class I'd be in if I was signing up again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Wrt friends, my kids now have classes at different times (because one is in the big kids and one in the little kids), and they both have some kids they play with fairly regularly while the other kid has class, since they're not the only kids who have a sibling in another class. But, friends is not really on my list of reasons I have them in TKD. It's more the older kids who seem to have TKD friends. If you do class 45 min 2-3x/week for years, do tournaments together, maybe go to the occasional Columbus day camp or parents' night out or the pot luck etc, then odds are you're going to develop some sort of friendship with some of the other kids. But the 4yos? I don't think any really see each other outside of TKD, unless they already knew each other from elsewhere. ETA: some of the teens practically live there they're there so much. I see them doing their homework, chatting with each other, helping in classes, etc. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 It's more the older kids who seem to have TKD friends. If you do class 45 min 2-3x/week for years, do tournaments together, maybe go to the occasional Columbus day camp or parents' night out or the pot luck etc, then odds are you're going to develop some sort of friendship with some of the other kids. But the 4yos? I don't think any really see each other outside of TKD, unless they already knew each other from elsewhere. Yes, this exactly. My older two (who are 15 and 13) have genuine friends there, people they do stuff with outside of taekwondo, particularly among the group of teens training to be instructors. They are all just together so much, sometimes for several hours a day (just this morning I dropped my oldest son off at 8:30 to help at day camp and will pick him up and drop off my daughter around 1:30 and she'll stay for the rest of camp and the two classes she always helps with on Mondays, coming home at 5 for dinner, and then my husband and the two of them will go back from 7-9 tonight to take classes). At 4 I would just think of it as a fun activity with a nice bit of exercise, but not expect to find friends. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Additional options for finding friends at that age might be programs at the local library, local parks and rec, going to the park at about the same time each week (though with temps around 100 here now, that's less appealing!), etc---basically anything where he sees the same kids on a fairly regular basis. Ask about long-term costs for any martial art before you get deeply involved, in case it really clicks for your son. There can be a lot of difference between schools and between disciplines, particularly between those that are considered sports forms (like TKD) and those that aren't (like aikido). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 I'm going to disagree about MA and friends. I think it will depend on the class. Our class is homeschoolers because it's during the day, and it's a mixed age and level class. My 6yo regularly works with another little guy of his same age and size, and the two of them get along really well, well enough that if we didn't live so far away, those two could have play dates and become good friends. They just sort of click. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Depends on what is offered in your area and recommended by other long-term participants. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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