Best Martial Arts for my introverted 8 year old son?

Question

I have an 8 year who is an introvert and I understand there are many types of different martial arts. I want him to take Martial Arts to gain more confidence and self-esteem within himself. But I would rather have him take a class that does not emphasize so much on the aggressive side. He would just be turned off. Which type of Martial Arts would be best for his type of personality? I just want him to have fun and gain some confidence.

Answer 1

Judo...
IT is great for children as it gears the level of training to the age group and rank, Children under 14 can't use armlocks or chokes so it is safer than say Ju Jitsu which only teaches submissions. Also Judo since its inception in 1882 has been used all over the world as a self defence style or as a base for many self defence and law enforcement/military styles. It also has a great sport foundation and other than Grecco Roman wrestling was the first Martial art introduced to the Olympics.
Tae Kwan Do, Karate can be very good arts to learn however more often than no the dojos only have them learning Kata which means they stand there kicking and punching the air for an hour so get no real work out or proper self defence training. Muay Thai is very good however it is kicks knees elbows and punches not a good art for kids unles you want him getting black eyes and broken hands etc...
Oh and by the way Kung Fu is not a style it literally means Martial Art in english. It is a blanket term used in China (cantanese dialect) to say martial arts. Wu Shu (Manderin dialect)

13 years Judo training 5 years of wrestling

Answer 2

There are many good styles of martial arts out there to choose from. You may first want to look at what styles are immediately available to you (i.e. what types of clubs are located near you) and choose from these. Not so much the martial art, but the instructor is very important when choosing a school. Each instructor has his/her own teaching style, and with different motives. Some clubs teach more for self-defense purposes, while others are more competitive, and focus on martial arts tournaments. You should inspect each of the schools close enough to you and decide for yourself which club would best suit your child. Many of the main martial arts would be good in your case (again you want to look more at the school and the instructor rather than the art itself) such as karate, tae-kwon-do, kung-fu, jui-jitsu, judo, etc. I myself began tae-kwon-do around that age and was (an am) introverted like your son. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with this school and did build a great deal of confidence and self-esteem.

Answer 3

Judo, Karate or TKD would be great. I took Judo when I was 8. I went to a new school, and some kid tried bullying me, so I flipped him on the play ground. People left me alone.
People shouldn't bad mouth Tae Kwon Do so much. You aren't trying to turn your son into a cage fighting champion, just get him in shape, learn some good kicks and some discipline and self confidence all could come from TKD, Same thing for Karate, I took Okinawan Karate for several years.
Why on earth would you recommend Muay Thai for an 8 year old? Thats pretty hard style for a kid, I would think. Never trained in it, but I have seen it.
Aikido is good but it takes a while to develop enough skill to be useful.

Answer 4

As an instructor for over 12 years I must tell you that the answer Quicksilver gave you is, for lack of a better word, perfect. All Martial Arts where develope to fight, of course with years and laws, certain values where attached to it. The result is the martial Arts as we know today. People that do not know martial arts think that they are violent, when in reality the values should be the most important part. There is some degree of violence because this is a violent world. If somebody tries to kill you, that is violence. So to prepare for that you must be ready to counter that violence. But we must have certain set of values. I am getting carried away here... Anyway the important part like the others explain you is the instructor and the values. Go try places out. most schools will let you try out classes at no cost. ( I know I do) Good luck
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Answer 5

all martial arts are good for confidence, none more so than the others, you need to find a good teacher.

call up a few local dojo's and ask to come watch a class. go and watch how the teacher interacts with the students and see if it'd a manner which you think is good for your son. also get an idea of the students themselves, you want your son to be in a club thats got a lot of children his own age so he can learn with peers.

if a club will not allow to come and watch a class for free, they are either hiding something or trying to overcharge you. no proper instructor should have a problem with this at all. i train in a college rec centre with an open door and anyone who looks in is invited to come join us. you want to find such an environment for your son. martial arts should be fun!

Answer 6

I am a member of the World Tang Soo Do Assoc. and I am 15. This style of martial arts uses confidence building activities that increase ability as well. After a short amount of time my confidence sky rocketed and so did my ability to defend myself. This has kept me in shape and is beneficial for the athletic person. Not only does the association care about the well-being of the students, it has also set up a scholarship program. This program allows instructors to send in student's school grades for a chance to be considered for a scholarship. WTSDA cares.

Answer 7

My I suggest looking into the Art of Kenpo Karate, do a search on the net and check out those technique video demo clips. Check your phone book for a school location and go there to watch some classes and ask questions. If no Kenpo school is within you driving distance then look into another Art.

Look for a small independent school and try to stay away from contracts if at all possible. Try and stay away from those large chain schools and most of them are "Sport Karate", $$$.

Hope this helps and I wish you and your son the very best, good luck.

Answer 8

I would say that it's going to be the school and the teacher, not necessarily the Martial Art. I do Taekwondo, and the woman who runs the school is great with children, and focuses on students learning discipline, while having fun. Not to be aggressive or scare them.

I would watch the children's class a few times and figure out if you like what you see. The students should be challenged yet having fun, ask them what they think about it.

I personally would recommend Taekwondo, but that's what I love!

Answer 9

I agree with everyone that it really depend on the instructor, not so much the art. I know there's a lot of schools out there that are "militaristic" [[sp?]] I guess you could say, but I think you should try to find one that's a little more layed back. I'm a TKD instructor, and I love my school. We still teach the kids dicipline, but it's a little more layed back, and I believe the kids have a better time with that. Just my opinion, but I think it's the instructor.

Answer 10

My son takes kung fu (over 8 years now) since he was 4. I believe it's the instruction style that you should be looking for. At his school, the instructor/student ratio is excellent and very patient. The kids do not spar against each other (they eventually will but not till after a little bit of maturity comes through). They learn at their own pace but are encouraged to by seeing their peers progress. My son does show confidence (but not arrogance) even though he is a certified nerd (at least I think so but he is very popular at school). Visit some schools to get a feel for their style. Don't start at a strict school.