Is 4 a young age to be in Karate?

Question

My daughter is 4 and she wants to be in karate, is it ok at this age? or should I wait till she's older?

Answer 1

Let her go... It teaches health & responsability, accountability for your actions, respect for elders and sensei and it is fun!

Answer 2

Yes 4 is to young. I have studied and taught the Martial Arts since 1987, and I can say with much confidence that a child's attention span is very very short, and even more so in a child under the age of 6.
What I'm trying to tell you is that there is exceptions to every rule, but in general, anyone that has a child under the age of 6, that is enrolled in a Karate Class, is a waste of money. Your paying for a over priced babysitter.
Now don't misunderstand there are some very good Instructors that can work with young children, and some children that are willing and able to learn at that age.
I hope this helps you. After you read this and your willing to enroll your daughter into a Karate Class, here are a couple of suggestions that might help you.

First, check the credentials of the Instructor(s)
1) Make sure the schools Instructor has a Black Belt Certificate
hanging on the wall.
2) Make sure the school has a Business Licenses.

Second, make sure there are other children that age in class already, and they have their on class separate from the adults.

Third, ask other parents that have kids in karate class what they think about the attention their child receives.

Fourth, compare all the schools/styles that you and your child are interested in.

Answer 3

I have taught 4 year olds. My oldest son (12) started when he was 5 and was not ready so I brought him back at 6 and he was fine. He now teaches with me. My youngest (8) started at 5 and had no problems.
It depends on the teacher and the attention span of the child. Go and look at different Dojos with your daughter. Watch the kids classes and see how they teach. They should have races or Sensei (simon) says games along with the class to keep the kids attention. Make sure they don't loose control of the class.
Find a Dojo that you both like and give it a try. Sign up for a month and see how it goes. Girls are usually easier to teach than boys because they listen better.

Good luck and Have Fun!

Answer 4

I would suggest that this could lead to problems. A four year old in the environment of a Karate class where they perceive people hitting each other and fighting may not be the best environment.

I would wait until they were at least able to comprehend what they were seeing was not real fighting and not regular behavior.

Karate is taught in a strict environment to protect students from injury, the student need to be able to comprehend why these rules are necessary.

Answer 5

Depends upon the maturity. I have 4 children - 10, 13, 4, and 4 months. All except the youngest are involved (including my wife and I) and we have found that our 4 yr old has learned to pay attention better, listens more, etc. But again, this is one individual and will vary.
But don't expect your child to be doing a lot outside of punches and kicks -- she will get practice but really won't start to learn until she is older (6 or 7). But even then, she will at least have had some basics down. You also want to avoid belt factories and mcdojos.

Answer 6

i cannot speak for karate dojo training (i instruct in taekwondo and street self defence) and i find anyone below the age of 6 not to be suitable for martial arts training for two main reasons-1 the attention span just simply is not there i have seen 4 and 5 year olds taught come back a few days later and have forgotten even the basics-this has gone on for weeks in the past-and the instructors concerned have been forced to say "i'm sorry but you will have to bring him/her back when they are a bit older". and 2 for reasons of safety 4 year-olds are very small and the potential for an accident outweighs the risk of teaching them-i find 6 years old to be a good age to start your child in martial arts.

Answer 7

I do not think so. My daughter started karate when she had just turned 6. She has a few 4 year olds in her class and they do great.

Answer 8

Yes young lady if the duration of training is 20 to 30 minutes and she is in a group with other children her age. It is really fun, nothing serious, she will learn a little discipline. Just make sure you personally watch a class first, talk to other parents, and watch the Instructor.

Answer 9

yes it is. She should try to wait until minimum 5 yrs old. I'm a karate instructor. Just keep her interested and do some stretching and basic exercises at home.

Answer 10

I think it's a perfect age, actually.

I enrolled my 4 year old godson in Hung Gar classes at that age, and it's helped his concentration and focus increase exponentially.....not to mention teaching him about body alignment, balance, and movement.

It's also the age I started training....and have been ever since. Getting involved in a hard knocks school teaches you respect, and self-control....which is something that the American youth frankly...is lacking. It's better to nip that in the bud early.

Answer 11

this all depends on your childs actions is she ill tempered at times or does she fight with othere kids if so you may want to wait if not it should not be a problem remember that the arts is for defending your self not hurting otheres this is the golden rule if she can understand that and follow that rule thin i say let her. ps.i started at 4 years of age my self but the rule was drilled into my head