2006-10-04 05:48:59 · 17 answers · asked by toffee apple 1 in Sports ➔ Martial Arts
South Manchester / Cheshire area please
2006-10-04 06:18:31 · update #1
No Karate. Judo.
Judo is better for young chilren he will only learn how to kick you in the knees and punch things, in Karate. Plus by time he's 6 they'll give him a black belt.
Go online and read about Judo. It is better and has alot more hands on activity rather than expecting him to stand still for an hour in one spot learning the same one kick every week.
2006-10-04 07:05:55 · answer #1 · answered by Judoka 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Different schools have different standards. One thing to keep in mind is that the school should be one that is prepared to deal with younger students. A lot of schools separate the kids who are under eight from those who are eight and older. It's a good idea when a school can do it, especially if they have a teacher who is particularly good with younger students.
Four year olds are on a threshold of maturity. Some of them are very ready, others aren't. You appear to believe your child is ready. But the instructor has no way to know this unless he interviews your child. So, if the instructor just says, "Sure! We'll take him!" that may not be a good sign. If, on the other hand, they offer to let him try it and make a point of interviewing him, this shows an instructor who cares about the welfare of his students.
Your best bet, really, is to start with the local phone directory and start calling around. Go check out as many as you can before you make a decision. You may also want to consider other arts besides karate, especially judo and my personal favorite, aikido.
http://www.aikiokids.com
Remember that you should interview the instructor yourself and plan on observing most of your child's classes early on. It often helps the instructor and it protects your child.
2006-10-04 13:54:46 · answer #2 · answered by mriehle 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I know in my Tae Kwon Do organization, the International Tae Kwon Do Alliance (ITA), that the minimum age is 4 y/o. We have a special class for 4 and 5 year olds that we call Tiger Cub class. It's a special class for kids their age that's only 30 minutes long. You can look and see if there are any schools in your area and you can also check out information about us. Just go to www.itatiger.com and just follow from there. I do just want to warn you a little, some of our schools haven't had the chance to update thier pages so you might have to call them and get the rest.
Hope this helps some!!
Kaylie Fleeman
2006-10-05 13:26:55 · answer #3 · answered by blackbeltgirll 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know what state the towns are in, but I do know of one franchise that has over 130 studios across the US. They have classes for 4-6 year olds. www.ussd.com. It has a link where you can find if there are any schools within your state. Good luck.
2006-10-04 14:46:37 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
why are you looking for a school for a 4 year old, as a substitute for daycare or is this something he wants to do.
At 4 your kid will not learn anything meaningful in martial arts and you are simply wasting your money.
If you need an after school activity then maybe you should sign your kid up for a sport.
If you aren't sending him to a martial arts class that actually teaches them to fight (to hit and hurt other people) and actually has them going with legitimate intent, you will create a false sense of security in him that they can defend themselves which they can't as 4 year olds aren't taught that kind of stuff and they aren't taught how to apply it to a real fight. This false sense of security can lead to potentially dangerous or deadly results when he is faced with such a situation.
And at 4 they will be very fickle and will likely give up quickly anyway.
Also as I doubt you want your child learning to punch and strike other children with intent (that is what any striking martial art should be teaching), a better option might be to find a good grappling based martial art like judo, sambo, bjj, suai chao (spelled wrong) or folkstyle/freestyle wrestling.
2006-10-04 14:33:55 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
the best thing to do is look for a school in your area that might accept him, but it might be difficult due to the fact that most MA schools do not accept students younger than five yrs old, mostly because of insurance puposes, they may if he's proven himself mature enough at his age to study Martial Arts.
perhaps the local YMCA might, but it's doubtable.
good luck finding a school for your son.
2006-10-04 16:56:30 · answer #6 · answered by quiksilver8676 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For my school, the minimum age is 5. We chose this age because it wont be much baby sitting, and they can actualy start to learn things. We invite parents to come and even join in with the tiny tigers.
2006-10-04 13:05:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are schools that teach 4 yr olds. He (& you) would probably be better off waiting a year.
Tae Kwon Do instructor.
2006-10-07 13:23:38 · answer #8 · answered by yupchagee 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would think any place that teaches karate would take him.I don't think that is to young.I know some places have a different class for children that young.
2006-10-04 12:52:28 · answer #9 · answered by seandebra17 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
4 is typically the minimum age for the various martial arts. He'll need to have all of his booster shots first.
2006-10-04 12:50:20 · answer #10 · answered by Plasmapuppy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋