Babies in the martial arts

[SENSEI TERRELL]

In my school we have 3 and 4 year old kids and i personaly think that they aren't yet old enough to start but my sensei said that it is ok i feel that they sould wait until at least the age of 6 what do u guy/girls think about babies joining martial arts classes at 3 and 4 yeard old

[Sake Sipper]

I think you should charge double for daycare services.

[Chapel]

4 is too young. Kids grow up a lot by being in school for those first 2 or 3 years. Personally, I would never accept someone younger than 7 at my school, but it isn't always up to me.

[Norton]

The kid should be able to do level-headed comments about his/her enivornment(of course, for his/her age) and must be aware of the requirements and effects of the things that are learned. At least a little. Otherwise you could have 5 year olds "playing" with other kids, breaking their teeth(their teeth are gonna be replaced anyway,but you know what I mean) in the kindergarten.

7 is a good age to start , in my opinion.

[Draven]

I started at 2, and taught my cousin some karate when he was 5. I think age is as much a factor as material being taught. A kid learning stances, doing push-ups and basic strikes are fine for building them up as far physical exercise goes at a young age and if you make it a game it works out OK. I wouldn't tell a 8 y/o to hit someone in the temple or throat.

That said there is a serious risk of the kid picking up things, they wouldn't normally know from your instruction. Kids tend be observant that way.

For example my cousin Joey; who I taught very basic karate techniques to at 5 picked up on how to perform a Tobi-Ashi Bari (a technique he wasn't meant to learn) by watching me teach others. In his case all I taught him was, Front & Back stance, Straight & Reverse Punchs, Front, Side & Back Kicks, Basic Blocks, inside & outside foot sweeps and a scissor-leg takedown. Then his dad gets a call from the school cause he broke a third graders knee in three places...

[john55]

Originally Posted by SENSEI TERRELL

In my school we have 3 and 4 year old kids and i personaly think that they aren't yet old enough to start but my sensei said that it is ok i feel that they sould wait until at least the age of 6 what do u guy/girls think about babies joining martial arts classes at 3 and 4 yeard old

I think its fine if kids that young start learning some basic things and some discipline. Maybe some basic strikes, defenses, and some wrestling. However, these kids should have their own separate ranking system.....AND NO BLACK BELTS. I guarantee some school has like 7 year old black belts.

And yes, you might want to charge extra because they are babies and its daycare

[WC_Lun]

You can teach kids martial movements so they get excercise and such, but very few kids should be recieve martial training. Mentally they aren'y ready for it

[souldrum71]

At my dojang, we have a Tiger Cubs program for 4 and 5 year olds, but it actually teaches balance, coordination, and physical fitness rather than actual martial arts techniques. We don't accept most students into a junior cass until they are 6.

[ladyfighter]

My dad started teaching me MA at ages 3 and 4, but that was mostly for self-defense. (I was after all a girl who played alot of boy sports and he just wanted me to know how to defend myself!)

I started teaching my oldest son tkd tenets at age 1 (he recited them with meanings perfectly ) and then blocks/stances at age 2/3 and progressed into kicks & punches at ages 3/4... he was the youngest student we've EVER allowed in the regular junior class (few months shy of 5, but he was too advanced for the tiger cubs), but hey, he is the instructors kid.. so he sees it ALL the time, it was either teach him properly with discipline, or allow him to 'play' it and hurt himself or others..(probably why my dad taught me so young) JMO!

As far as kids go, 3/4 IS just too young to give accurate training.. (my oldest is 7 now, and ONLY a yellow sr.) that's why we teach Tiger Cubs for ages 4-6, for parents who WANT their kids to do 'something'.. BUT I am VERY honest with the parents when I tell them WHAT we teach.. basic stances, age appropriate self-defense along with drills, games, and some role playing that help with concentration, balance, self-control, stranger danger, anger management (do not hit Billy if he takes your toy away lol) and some basic strikes... we even touch base on 'good touch/bad touch'. The parents are grateful and the kids love it.. and yes 'some' even 'grow up' and then take our regular junior class. We teach this program mainly as a public service, and we only hold classes for 12 weeks then we break for months before the next session.

HOWEVER, I've noticed a BIG trend of 3-4 yr old classes springing up in alot of MA schools for the past several years.. apparently their idea of 'get young' and 'make them pay' is the reason for this.. but when you do that, you will most certainly burn a child out before they are even old enough to properly train and recieve the true benefits of MA. JMO!

[Draven]

I think its more common for people trained in an Martial Arts to teach their children at a younger age then. My friend Steven for example started at about the same age your oldest son, Bradon Lee started learning martial arts from his father as soon as he could walk. Its only uncommon in a Dojo because the instructor can't guide the child properly all the time and some parents just won't...

[Gambatte Karate]

I won't accept anyone under 6 to train.

[Draven]

Originally Posted by Gambatte Karate

I won't accept anyone under 6 to train.

I won't teach anyone under 12 myself, but I make exceptions for my family and my fiance's family...

[Them's Fighting Words]

Depends on the child and the instructor. I started when I was four, one on one and spent a lot of time staying with my instructor. He wouldn't take anyone unless they could play chess (not necessarily well, but enough to know basic tactics). I tried teaching my daughter at about four but she didn't have the maturity or maybe she just didn't see the need in putting time into training as opposed to playing. Even today I just "teach" through games and exercises (bag work, push-ups, bridges, stick sparring) as opposed to formalised SD exercises or Forms.