martial arts training question about children?

Question

how young can a child begin classes for any type of martial arts? i have a 1 year old (hoping maybe at 3 he can join something) and a 6 year old. the 6 year old is functioning autistic with developmental delays. is there any reason that my 6 year old should not be allowed to learn martial arts as well?

Answer 1

Hi Spacey!

Your 6 year old should be able to participate in Martial Arts classes now. Just be watchful and ready to go in another direction if the child does not want to continue. It should always be up to the child which sport, if any, they want to participate in.

Your 1 year old is way too young at this point in time. I believe that there is a certain attention span required in order to learn the Martial Arts. Even a three year old does not posses that kind of attention span. Again, 6 years old is generally a proper age to begin Martial Arts, as long as this is what the child wants to do.

Remember, kids are not good at making or honoring commitments. Kids are great at having fun! Whatever sport your child is interested in at the moment, is the sport you should encourage them in. If they want to do a month of each in order to discover what they like, then back them up with encouragement to try different things. Kids also love to experiment with new things.

Answer 2

I have an extensive background in teaching martial arts to both challenged individuals and people who are not. First question; younger children at the age of 3-4 can start martial arts and do well with it if they have a parent or older sibling also doing it. Younger children tend to imitate older siblings both in bad ways as well as in good ways. So there sometimes are some group dynamics going on there that can work in favor of that younger child picking up things and assimilating them faster than what would normally be the case.
Second question; You don't say if your six year old is higher functioning or not. Autism has varying degrees of severity and some other activities like music and weight lifting have had more positive impact on autistic children. Also, how socialized is your six year old? Anti social disorders or those challenged individuals that have a high level of anti social behavior should not usually be taught martial arts. You don't want them using their new-found skills when they physically lash out which is sometimes the case with autistic children.
If you are truly interested in following this up then shop around and pick a school and instructor that works well with challenged kids. I have had a number of challenged students over the years that would not have survived in a lot of the other programs and studios in my area and so that is why their parents brought them to me. Sometimes it is also a trade-off of what can the instructor accommadate as far as time verses the bottom line and paying the bills and the other students and their needs so it literally can become a balancing act. Good luck and shop around and its good that you are trying to do something now for them and it sounds like they are lucky to have you for a parent.

Answer 3

of course, you can start sparking an interest in the martial arts right away, and dont push a child if he/she is not interested. Ive taught childrens classes before. I think 3 might be a little early for classes outside the home. I would say 5 or 6 is a good age. I would say the best age to start would be 6-10. Dont worry about the autistic child. Just don't push him/her to develop as fast as the other children in the class. In fact, this training will help him not only with motor skills, balance and coordination, but also help him with his interactions with other children. Ive seen many autistic children benefit greatly from this type of training.

Answer 4

Oh how you asked a good question. Adult, specifically those without their own kids tend to react just like you and with very good reason. Your question is normal and understandable. However, so what if it is common or not? The question is how do you deal with it regardless? It's a good thing, if done correctly, for adults and kids to train together - there is a lot to learn for everyone - though it's not as directly applicable as you might think. You may not learn a great arm bar working with a small child BUT you will learn restraint, minimum effort and compassion. At the same time, the child will learn about size differences and perhaps that feeling pain won't kill them - they see you take a bad fall and shake it off... they want to learn to be tough too so they learn to 'tough it out'. Both are good things to understand yes? Also it's a great lesson for everyone regarding what Yoda said: "Size matters not, the only difference is is your mind." They are small so they get some experience in the idea that there is no reason to think they cannot do. You, also, get some experience in the idea that there is no reason to think someone smaller cannot do. They learn some confidence and you learn some humility at the same time. It was said that way for a reason - because when you said "fully grown man" there was an assumption implied that isn't always true. Perhaps, you're realizing this hence you're being uncomfortable? -OR- You just don't want anyone to get hurt or you aren't good with kids or you are intimidated by kids. Yes, as an adult training with kids, all these things are possible certainly. All you have to do is just don't grab so hard. Don't punch so hard. I didn't say fast, I said hard by the way. Bring it to their level when you train with kids but also bring them up to your level and challenge them physically. Don't give and iron grip but don't just throw yourself for them either. Give a fast punch, but don't give it much power so they won't get hurt even if they do get scared. Trust me, you are probably much more nervous training with them than they are with you.

Answer 5

I know that classes for 3-4 year olds are there. I, as well, know of children with autistic issues that train at 7 or 8, at one of the local karate schools. They very much love it and have fun doing it. There is no reason why your 6 year old couldn't begin classes, as long as the instructor could work with the child. At the younger ages, their training is taught game like, for a lot of it. Even thought it varies from style to style and teacher to teacher at those ages the basics and kata are taught in a more relaxed and fun way. I would wait till at least 3or 4 before starting them.

Answer 6

You can start your kids at any age you want. Personally I think six would be a better age to start then one. Most of the kids in by do-jang are like 12, 13 and their already blue belts. There's a couple that are 8 and 9 that are white belts. I think it depends on the parent. If you think that your kid is able to do it at his or her age then sign them up. I know that my instructor has told me numouros times that they work around any problem. We have a 8 year old boy who's deaf and he does pretty well. You can probly find an instructor that will work autisic children.

Answer 7

Hello. If I may you ought to be careful in choosing training for your children. They are very young, and they might need some team sports before they can go into more individualistic development like in martial arts.

Answer 8

It depends on the attention span of the kids.
At least, he/she has to listen to the sifu/coach and follow the movement during the class.

I would guess that contact martial arts are NOT proper for young kids.

Answer 9

I generally want kids to be at least c lose to 5. My firm rule is that I don't teach anyone how to fight unless they are capable of understanding when not to fight. 3 is definitely too young.

As for your 6 year old, it depends on his level of functioning. Can he understand when not to fight? Can/will he follow directions? He will need a very patient instructor, choose carefully.

Answer 10

I believe that with a little hard work and determination,your child can get it done.I had epilepsy when I was a child,and I did martial arts,so please don't give up hope.