martial arts and kids?

Question

okay, i have a 9 yo, 7 yo, 5yo, and a 3yo. my 5 yo is the only boy. he cant defend his sisters forver by himself. what would be the best thing for my girls to learn? i want them to be strong, confident, and be able to handle themselves if needed. my boy is gonna get into some type of ground game. he begins wrestling when he starts school in the fall.he is pure strength. small stocky, and certainly uses his weight to do what he wants. and also, not that it would be the deciding factor, but how much does this stuff cost?

Answer 1

I think you should put your girls in Tae Kwon Do. Tae Kwon Do is a self defense art, so it teaches you self defense techniques. Techniques like Knife Defense, Gun Defense, Grabbing Defense, and Offense. It is also lots of fun. I help out at my Tae Kwon Do center and the kids have a blast, but still learn great techniques! I highly recommend it!

Answer 2

As the pther replies should tell you Martial Arts schools can vary widely in price as well as in pressure, actual teaching ability of the instructors and other concerns. The terrible thing is that in some cases, a good quality instructor will be forced to charge outrageous rates because of simple overhead- this is a business after all. Instructors cannot just teach for free anymore when they have so many bills to pay. However, there is a difference between charging high prices to pay your bills and just being greedy. This is especially true if you begin taking classes at a certain rate then find out later that you will need to buy your Gi (uniform) any sparring pads, other gear and such as well. That's just wrong IMHO.
Anyway, my suggestion is that you first talk to instructors from several different schools in your area. Get an idea of the price ranges in YOUR area as they may be very different from where I am located. Find out if they want you to sign a long contract. Kids often get into something like this and decide soon after that they aren't really all that interested. If the contract is for more than 6 months, I would suggest you seriously consider how much you will be paying if your child(ren) all decide to quit after a month or 2. Many schools will offer several free lessons just to see if the kids are really interested and you should take full advantage of that. Also, look for a school that offers a family discount since you are thinking of having several children join.
Next, I would do a sort of interview with the instructor. Not just sitting down and asking money questions either- get to know the person a little. I would even ask if it was OK to sit in and watch a couple of classes along with your children. Watch how he handles the discipline and especially how he handles the young ones. It takes a special person to handle children well and just because you can teach an adult does NOT mean that you are good with kids. Ask if he has classes specifically FOR children or if adults and kids are in the same classes. If the guy does NOT want you to watch his classes, something is fishy. If he does not answer your questions truthfully or he gets evasive, something is fishy. If you ask about lessons and he immediately starts talking about contracts lasting years or about how quickly they could become a black belt- watch out. If he starts talking about fighting a LOT, it could also be a bad sign. Tournaments are fine and sparring is an integral part of the traing like Vince said. However, you are wanting to teach them a Martial Art and not JUST how to fight.
As an instructor, I will tell you that we have a fairly significant impact on a child's development and general outlook. Make REALLY sure that this person is someone you want influencing your child.
Other than these issues, absolutely ANY Martial Art will do great things for a child's confidence, physical skills and discipline. I would suggest Shotokan Karate myself but only because that is my own style, and a good instructor of any art should be a great asset in your child's life.
Hope this helps...
Sensei Cox
PS- I should have also added that in most schools you will need to buy extra equipment at some point and most schools DO charge for testing. This should be expected but it should also be brought up to you before you sign up.

Answer 3

Cost is a factor, it gets expensive having more then one child in any martial art. On top of dues there are costs for additional uniforms, when he gets a new belt most schools make you pay for the belt itself, then there are tournaments that there is pressure to participate in (and are actually both fun and good for your training) and all of these are added costs.

Any martial art is fine, it will give them confidence and enough skill to deal with most basic fights they will get in. A serious attacker will always still be a threat but once they get to more advanced levels they can learn more about that. Check the local dojos and see which ones you like. The very last thing to check is cost, get a feel for the dojo and the teachers first, ask to watch a group class or even participate in a free class or two before committing. Also feel free to ask a few students both adults and children if they like the school. They'll reveal the good and bad side of the school.

Answer 4

Lot's of good information here, so far.

Both of my children (10 and 12 years of age) were in Fudokan karate (a European offshoot of Shotokan Karate) for about five years.

Teaching styles/philosophies differ widely, so please shop around, talk to the instructors, and see if you can observe a few classes to see if that particular place/art will be a good fit.

Contact sparring is a must for anyone to learn proper self defense. The sensei at the Fudokan dojo also had the girls sparring with the boys, a definite psychological boost in our society.

My daughter has successfully avoided more fights than she's had to engage in. Fortunately, given her natural athleticism, she was able to defend herself against several boys (a gang, according to her school's administration) one day. Absent the comprehensive conditioning and contact sparring of the Fudokan dojo, I seriously doubt that she would have been so successful against those alleged gangmembers.

Expenses vary widely with regard to location. I am in northern California, and we paid $100.00 per family. We were expected to purchase our own contact sparring protective gear (online is the best source), there IS a testing fee for belt advancement exams (pass/fail, NON-refundable), and we are expected to pay the entry fees for any tournaments which the kids want to participate in (the children's choice, of course).

Good luck in choosing an activity for your children. I hope this helps.

Answer 5

I really like Jujitsu for girls. If god forbid they are ever attacked the submissions in jujitsu could be very important. If they were attacked they might not even have enough warning for a stand up art. The jujitsu though would help if they were taken down cause they could use chokes and arm locks before the attacker even knew it was going to happen.

Judo is also okay but not enough emphasis is on the gorund.

Jujitsu is kind of pricey if you don't look around. Also try to bargain on price don't just accept any price they throw at you.

Answer 6

1st off, 3 is too young for MA. 5 is generally the minimum age to start.
Find a traditional school with a good instructor. The instructor is far more important than the style.
Cost varies with location.

Visit schools in your area, talkt to instructors & watch or try a class. If an instructor won't let you watch a class, leave.

Answer 7

For your boy, I would suggest Brazilian Jui Jitsu. This is a ground fighting art, that is usually accompanied by instruction in mixed martial arts. As for your girls, any martial arts will do. With that being said, I would suggest a good Kung Fu school. The art of Wing Chun, was developed by a woman. Most young girls will enjoy learning about it's history. :)

Answer 8

Any martial art will do your children good.

You don't mention where you live , and not all martial arts are everywhere.
A striking art like Tae Kwon Do is found alsmost everywhere , but you do have to make sure the club is what you want. Most have free intro lessons (I do). Take the instructor up on those before making any decisions , and stick around yourself to make sure it is what you want for your kids.

In my town , there is a Kung fu guy that charges 800 bucks for 6 months , 90 dollars to consider you for test , then a testing fee. He doesn't show up for class half the time.

Arnis , which is stick fighting for about 35.00 per month

Karate (Uechi Ryu) for about 35 per month

Tae Kwon Do (ME) 35.00 per month. I believe I am the only club that does contact sparring which I believe is integral to learning a martial art. You have to know what it feels like to hit and be hit.

HapKiDo - new to my area , not sure what they charge.

Kickboxing - the guy gave himself a black belt and named a Karate style after himself , then proceeds to hand out black belts. 35.00 per month.

There are good and bad everywhere , and contrary to what you may hear , this is not limited to one art.

Do some investigation where ever you live.

Answer 9

I had my son in martial arts when he was about 6 and it was constant pressure to buy stuff!! My son liked it but I got tired of being pressured for money all the time when I was already paying dues (I think it was about $50, pre month, if I recall). I'm not sure how much he learned, either! We quit after about 3 months. Ask around before you commit to a studio.
Get your girls into any kind of sport! It will build their confidence and self-esteem. Soccer, hockey, baseball/softball - any of those have local youth leagues. Just let them sample somethings until they find what they like.

Answer 10

Find a good school that cares more about teaching than the money. A good way to judge a school is talking to the instructor. If he just talks about himself then leave. If he talks abotu what the students have accomplished find out what they have done and then start asking about price per month and also see if they have testing fees. Plus equipment is needed after after a certain period so they may need to buy additional items.