Between Aikido and Taekwando, which is better for a child of 8 years old to start?

Question

This is in terms of discipline and focus.

Answer 1

In my opinion, its not the style that matters as much as the teacher and their curriculum. Of course a TKD person is going to say TKD.

I have a black belt in three differant styles and started at age 5 not much younger than your child.

The best you can do for him is to go personally with them to the schools within your reach and check them out. See if he/she can take a few free lessons and if you can watch. Try a few schools out not just TKD and Aikido, you may find a Kung Fu or Karate school just as good. Ask for credentials, how long have they been teaching and who their teacher was and if they know their lineage bacl to the founding father of the style. Dont be fooled by flashy trophies and pictures. TRY the class out and watch him and see if he likes it and you like the way it is being taught.

In the end all styles are just as good as the others, it is the INDIVIDUAL that makes it work or not. So look for a good teacher not just a style.

Answer 2

Both great for a kid to do as an activity or sport. Taekwondo will give your child an idea of kicking and punching and an immediate advantage in a fight with other 8 year olds that do no martial arts training...as long as they don't usually get into fights. An 8 y.o. who regularly fights with his brothers or one who is bigger and stronger will still have the advantage until your child has many years in training. Aikido involves holds and throws that will not necessarily harm the opponent, will teach them how to fall properly, and some handy moves to get out of headlocks,bearhugs etc but it will take 2-3 years, maybe longer, before there is any real advantage. Taekwondo is better for strength & keeping fit, Aikido falls are excellent training for any martial artist.
For the long term, Taekwondo will mean your child has to hurt someone to defend themselves, Aikido goes onto restraining moves, with the option of inflicting injury if need be.
Neither is as effective in the grown-up real world as is kick boxing(muay thai),krav maga(effective but vicious) or brazilian jiujitsu(a bit like wrestling), but out of these I would only recommend brazilian jiujitsu for an 8 y.o. or alternatively, regular jiujitsu specifically designed for kids.
Best choice for an 8 y.o. is the cheapest one close to home. Unless they are really keen you wont be doing it for more than 12-18 months.
As for discipline & focus...um, we are talking about an 8 year old here. A good Dojo is the answer. Aikido is less testosterone driven and the kids are taught to respect their Sensei and Dojo, maybe more so than in Taekwondo, which is sometimes franchise/money driven.
Once again, if it seems like a good Dojo, closest & cheapest is the answer.

Answer 3

Aikido is a far better choice for discipline and focus.

Aikido, also known as Aiki-Jutsu, is a Japanese art founded by Morihei Uyeshiba in 1942. It is a sophisticated form of Goshin-Jutsu based on Japanese Sword techniques that uses mainly circular motions to disrupt and redirect an opponent's energy.

Tae Kwon Do is a hybrid Korean Karate system developed in the late 1940's. Its mainly a high kicking tournament style that is more flash than power and focus. Many have found it to be an unsuitable style for realistic self-defense since no emphasis is placed on hand or grappling techniques.

Answer 4

Neither is really good for starters. Aikido is very advanced and technical. Not great for kids as it teaches alot of armlocks and other dangerous holds. Most arts won't teach them until they are a certain age.
Tae Kwan Do is mostly flashy kicks punches. Basically at that age they will learn to kick and punch the air.

I recomend Judo. I started at age 4 and there is alot to learn so you never get bored. And they will not teach them any submission techniques until they are 14 so no worries about them trying to choke out the family pet or kicking dad in the groin.

Answer 5

I would go with Tae Kwon Do. You need to look around and find a gym that has a very good program for younger kids. The gym that I go to has a Mini Ninja program (3-4)and a Little Ninja program (5-6 year olds). While they do not learn effective technique at this level the basics are introduced to them. The main part of this training is discipline and following directions. Once they turn seven they "graduate" to the Beginner classes and progress from there. At every level of training in my school discipline is a major staple of the training (paying attention, not messing around, being polite and courteous) and if you are not following directions it gets corrected by push-ups. Eventually even the most stubborn children grow tired of push-ups and straighten out.

I would look for a gym that does have some sort of program for younger kids.

Answer 6

the Tae Kwon Do is prob'ly better to give your child a better base to work from in their Martial Arts training, and they can study other disciplines later on if they wish, because the Aikido may be too technical to start them off with.

unless the Aikido school has a specific class for children, then you could begin them there.

Answer 7

Aikido is a very bad for kids since they have weak bones , but if you want him to play aikido its better after the age of 16

Answer 8

It's not the art, it's the artist. What is important is to find the right instructor. As long as your child is in a good traditional school, you will see the results you want.

Answer 9

depending on how active and focused your child is. aikido seems to have more technical training, tkd will probably spend more energy and he would be able to compete if he wanted. of the 2 i would pick tkd...or consider karate.

Answer 10

I prefer to work with my feet so I would have to choose taekwondo