What is an alternative to Karate?

Question

After 4 years of karate, I need a change. My parents said, if I drop Karate, I would need to replace this class - what would you suggest? I am 9 and am a blue belt. The only sport I like is Kickball and there are no kid's leagues here where I live. please help if not I have to keep doing karate

Answer 1

there are so many other thing out there that you can do, I suggest that you don't quit doing martial arts, 4 years is a long time and you don't want to just throw that out the window, keep working hard, I understand how you feel, I've been doing martial arts 17 years and I got tired sometimes, don't give up !
look in to other styles like Tae Kwon do, tae kwon do is also an Olympic sport.

Hapkido is great for self defense, you can do learn how to throw people that are three time bigger than you and stronger.

Haidong Gumdo, is awesome, it will teach you how to use the sword, and it si a Korean art.

Aikido is very similar to Hapkido, you can also try Judo or any other style that you think you might like.
if you need to take a break then go ahead but don't quit !

Take swimming lessons or do Track and field, Soccer is fun too, I think Soccer would be good for you, but if you do take a break make sure that you plan on going back to martial arts, my little brother quit when he was 9 also, and he was only 2 belts away from getting his black belt, and he was very good at it, now he really wishes that he wouldn't have done that.

email me if you have any quetions you want to ask me, but I hope that you take my advice.

GOOD LUCK!!

Answer 2

9 years of age, 4 years of karate and a blue belt - kinda shows that your parents pushed you into karate at a tender age of 5 to 6.
Also could be showing that you may not really have the passion for this sport since you should be a brown belt by now if you have been attending classes regularly (and excitedly).

Unless your parents are karate adepts, and insisting that you start so young, it is usually not recommended that you do Karate as such a young age - the art is predominantly anaerobic and need you to have strong, developed muscles. I would advise taking up Karate only in your mid to late teens.

My advise is that if you parents want you to learn some self-defence, go and learn Aikido or other Eastern martial arts (Judo, Wing Chung, Tae Kwan Do, etc). They are better (gentler and probably more meaningful) for young ones like you. Check if there are classes in your part of town. You can do this by checking on Google in the Internet. Have a look around and take your time to choose something that suits your physique, sex, age and preference. Best to join classes where there are other girls of your age.

If you are not keen on martial arts, try volleyball or even tennis. You'd be surprised that they can be good physical exercise and also allow you some element of 'action-drama' if you are into it (I'm guessing that becos both Karate and Kickball have elements of that kind of competitiveness).

You could even try athletics - either the track or field activities, as martial arts could have taught you the discipline and concentration that would fit very well in athletics. Go with what is suitable for your physique (size, muscle and lungs capability).

When older and if you are keen on learning martial arts, do note that Aikido is actually best learned after you have picked up some of the other attacking forms like Tae Kwan Do, Karate, Ju Jitsu, Judo etc.

Answer 3

Have you looked at other Dojo's? Sometimes it's not the art but the teachers that make it boreing. I would go and look at different Karate Dojo's in your area and watch the kids classes. See if they are doing something that you like.
A good Martial art that goes well with Karate and is the opposit of it in almost every way is Aikido, but at 9 I think you may be too young to learn this.
I would suggest going to look at Tae-Kwon-Do. It's not very effective if you get into a real fight, but it's full of energy and younger people seem to like it.
What ever you choose, I hope you enjoy it.

Answer 4

sorry to say but besides going on the swim team, which is even more repetitive than Karate I think the problem is with your instructor. I don't know how old you are but there is so much to learn and so diverse in martial arts I have been doing Karate for 30+ years. Here is a suggestion, go to www.dillman.com and order the New Orleans Seminar or the tape on the Heians. You will find a challenge and Interest there that changed my life. Might even wake up your instructor. I promise it will freak you out.OH, before you spend any Money he has some free downloads to see what I am talking about. (Kyusho & tuite)
hope this helps

Answer 5

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Answer 6

i would stay away from tae kwon do, just because it's too similar to karate. you would be relearning everything you already know, from karate, for the most part until you reach blue belt in tae kwon do. definately not what you're looking for.

and i would stay away from grappling arts, westling mainly, because you're 9 and female and would mean in real fight you'll have major disadvantage in weight and weight and muscle means a lot in grappling. although some grappling arts might not be so~ bad...

imho, i would try wing chun. with karate you learned the right attacks for far (kicking) and middle (punching) distance, but when you get real close you'll have to either learn how to punch in close distance or grapple. like i said earlier grapple probably isn't for you, so that leaves you with close distance attacking. too goo MA for close distance would be wing chun and kick boxing's kneeing and elbowing. but i was inspired by this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZDy57VIkL0 to favor wing chun over kick boxing.

well, whatever you ending up choosing, have fun! (~^^~)

Answer 7

Well Karate is derived from the superior art of Kungfu.Take Kungfu there are over 3000 different types of it choose a style that fits you.I call Karate the link to Kungfu.Take Aikido it is like Taichi,Karate and Judo combined its neat and kendo.LOL.

DOMOARIGATO GOZASHIMASHITA

Answer 8

well karate along with most traditional martial arts is a joke. The best fighting styles you will see in mixed martial arts such as muay thai, grappling, brazillian ju jitsu. Go to an mma school and learn to be well rounded. The problem with karate is they dont know how to fight on the ground.

Answer 9

If you like karate, then I would suggest gymnastics for a few years. Then go back to a martial art when you are older. Avoid karate, and look for a mixed martial arts.

Answer 10

Karate takes alot of self control you might try taking up chess or some other game that uses your mind more then your body. Believe it or not but it might be fun and new. Of course your parents are probably thinking lets do something physical... I would suggest doing what you want and try new things untill you find what you want. If your parents try to stop you from doing that then I would explain things to them as best you can and hope they understand.