I have 3 girls, ages 10, 5 and 3. they have been asking to take martial arts classes. My husband says they are too young, and it would be a waste of money. I know the younger ones wont really do alot, but would it help them start a fondation for later, or should they wait?
2006-10-09 12:22:28 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Martial Arts
My 6 year old son is taking jiu jitsu and tae kwan do - my son is ranked #1 in the state of Arkansas in Jiu Jitsu - so he is definitely not too young.
My 4 year old daughter is taking tae kwan do - and she really likes it. Sometimes I think it is over her head, but she really seems to enjoy it and it is great exercise!
Most martial arts places will give you a trial class or two - just take them up there and see if it is a fit for your children. You'll know right away if it is going to work or not! Good Luck!
Check out the following website from my kid's gym - their info about kids classes explains it all!
2006-10-09 12:33:53 · answer #1 · answered by Christy 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Okay, well, I teach Aikido to children. So this answer reflects the policies I have in place in my school based on my experience of teaching children. It's important to remember that some teachers are going to be better with young children than others.
The three-year old is too young. I would not even consider her in my classes. Sorry, she's just not ready. But that doesn't mean she can't watch her sisters in class and this *will*, in my experience, help her when and if she does eventually start training.
The ten-year old is unquestionably old enough in any school with competent teachers. In my experience, by eight years old and older most kids are pretty much able to handle it.
The five-year old is borderline. You know your kid, so ask yourself:
1) Can she follow instruction?
2) What is her attention span like?
3) How is her coordination?
4) Is she fully potty trained? No accidents, ever.
5) What kind of relationship does she have with her older sister? Will the older sister help her out or make her life on the mat miserable?
Also, the instructor should take the time to interview the five-year old. An instructor who accepts her without the interview is probably not paying attention. An instructor who rejects her without an interview - assuming her age doesn't violate the school policies - is just callous. Keep in mind that school policies generally reflect the experience of the teacher(s), so they can be as good as an interview for that particular school.
A mitigating factor in her case is her older sister. Younger siblings almost always, in my experience, do better that they would otherwise have done because of the presence - and help from - an older sibling.
2006-10-11 15:22:38 · answer #2 · answered by mriehle 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your 10 year old is perfect for martial arts. The other two are a tad too young. For the younger ones, it would be a very expensive play day. Your 10 year old would actually benefit a lot from martial arts. She will have the coordination and concentration to focus on the arts. Good luck.
2006-10-09 21:04:45 · answer #3 · answered by JuJitsu_Fan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, if you feel they are old enough for martial arts, then why not enroll them? And if they want to quit later on, they will have at least learned something. 10 years old is a good age to start, but it's really up to you.
There are lots of people who have started when they were 5 or 6 and they've become really experienced.
So overall, you can start at any age, just not too young. It's better to enroll them now then later when people their age are much more experienced.
2006-10-09 22:38:53 · answer #4 · answered by Kalia 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i dont think there is a starting age. I started, well forced at the age of 8. being very small and growing up in the western suburbs of sydney my parents forced me to go. I hated it at first but now 32 yrs old hold over 9 titles and 3 time world champion. When i turned 19 my father had saved all the money i won and gave it to me as a present for my birthday. Not knowing i was earning money it was a great surprise!
My sons now are 3, 7 and 9.
My 9 yr old fights and my 3 yr old has just started.
Get them into it any sport is a good sport!
2006-10-09 22:51:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Depends on the type of martial arts. Talk with different sensei (teachers) to find out their views and the type of classes. For competitions, there are strict age guidelines. In the meantime ballet, yoga and gymnatics make good training backgrounds for the martial arts.
2006-10-09 19:32:31 · answer #6 · answered by Sir Ed 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That depends on the child if the childs attention span and concentration is there the let them start now if they can only pay attention for 2-3 minutes and they go off and do something else then yes they are too young
2006-10-10 16:54:12 · answer #7 · answered by gurowar 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
10 & 5 are fine. 3 is to young. As an instructor, I'm les concerned with attention span (I've taught many studentsd with ADD) than with the ability to understand the concept of "only for self defense". My usual starting age is 5, but in a few cases I've taken 4 year olds, but not untill I've talked to the child to make sure that he/she understands when &, more importantly, when not, to fight.
2006-10-10 13:56:23 · answer #8 · answered by yupchagee 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would start them now, if you let them lay around the house they'll get lazy, plus they'll be able to meet new people and all that good stuff. PS I started taking martial arts classes when I was 7 for what its worth.
2006-10-09 19:26:19 · answer #9 · answered by brittmullins 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
probably about 8 or 9. I was 9 when I started.
2006-10-09 20:59:30 · answer #10 · answered by Random thoughts 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋