Best Martial Art for young daughter?

Question

My daughter is 11 and i want to send her for martial arts lessons strictly for self defense. She is petite. Which martial art do you recommend?

Answer 1

I'd recomend Judo because It's strictly self defence only and will make sure she's not hurt by other kids. I think it's a good idea that kids these days learn to defend themselves, school can be very rough, and even though she'll probably never need to use it it'll also be a great confidence booster and will make her feel better about herself. The exersice will be very good for her too.
I would not recomend any other martial art as they can be very rough. I went to a (not sure how you spell this) Nu-jits-u (or whatever) and was thrown over some guys shoudler and slammed into the the floor within about 2 minutes of walking in the class. Talk about having your butt kicked!

Answer 2

There are a number of martial arts that would be good for your daughter but not all schools and instructors have a good self defense program. I would shop around and observe classes at the schools closest to you first, since they may be the most convenient. Look to see how the instructor relates to his younger students and what their programs tend to emphasize. You may find some that don't emphasize the self-defense aspects as much or as well as others or an instructor that is great with adults but poor with children.

Most of your Japanese/Okinawan martial arts will emphasize the use of both hands and feet. Your Korean styles tend to be a little more kick oriented which isn't bad-I would just shy away from those that are so heavily kick oriented that they don't teach adequate use of the hands. Also some ground fighting aspects as well as awareness and avoidance aspects should be taught in any program that you are considering. So shop around, check the costs also look for hidden costs like testing fees, equipment costs, etc. and pick an instructor and program that suits you and your daughter's needs.

Answer 3

The best martial art for you daughter will honestly be the one she is most interested in and most enjoys, as that is the one she will stick with and learn from.

Any decent school in your area, no matter what the discipline, will offer valuable learning experiences to your daughter, so the discipline is far less important than the instructor/s who lead the school and the environment promoted in the school.

Visit all of the schools in your area and talk with the instructor/s, students, and other parents. Observe a few of the classes your daughter would participate in. This will give you a good guide as to what you think is reasonable, had accessible class times and locations, and is fairly priced. Then take you daughter to view the selecitons you deem suitable and let her choose herself if there are a few options.

At 11, kids tend to be forming very strong ideas about what they want to do and don't want to do. If you can provide them an opportunity to begin the process of making informed decisions, such as choosing which school they wish to train at, this will be an excellent start to the journey in the martial arts they are about to embark on.

Good luck

Ken C
9th Dan HapMoosaKi-Do
8th Dan TaeKwon-Do
7th Dan YongChul-Do

Answer 4

Having studied martial arts for 21 years, I have to say that the best for personal defense would be Brazilian Jujitsu.
It is an art where you are at your best should someone try to grab you.

When I spar with my Jujitsu friends, I am amazed by what is taught. A great deal of the class is free form sparring, where a classmate will attempt to grab or lock another. They are experts at turning a seemingly bad situation into a superior position. I once had the circulation to my leg cut off and nearly passed out. (being a black-belt myself, they don't hold back much)

From living in a large city, I have been jumped a few times. Each one becomes a wrestling match, and I have no time or room to do any fancy kicks. In each, I had to twist an ankle, wrist, or finger to turn the tables. Jujitsu would prepare a young woman in the worst case scenario.

Look at the youtube video below and you will see what I mean.

If jujitsu is unavailable, I would try Aikido or Hapkido, followed by Judo.

There are some martial arts films out there with momen protagonists, I would highly recommend getting them,

Answer 5

Most any martial art will improve your daughter's self defense skills and confidence, but Brazilian Jujitsu is particularly effective for defending yourself against larger opponents. Make sure to observe a class or two to get a feel for how the instructor interacts with his/her students before signing up, though. That way you'll know what to expect. It's important to know that martial arts have different benefits, and some are much more effective for on the street (while some are more for sport). Good luck to you and your daughter!

Answer 6

I'm a 31 year old Yellow Belt training in Taekwon DO. Martial Arts to kids in my opinion is about having fun, learning discipline, and helping with self-confidence. As far as the age goes each studio is unique so I would suggest sitting in a couple of classes to make sure you can have some background to discuss with your spouse when considering the idea. Martial Arts is a very positive environment for kids to try new things and not succeed from time to time, but they will be encouraged to get up and try again. This translates well in their lives as they will constantly be presented with challenges and tough decisions.

Answer 7

I'm just speaking from personal experience, but I took taekwondo when I was about your daughters age and we had both male and female students. You don't have much contact with other students until your move up in belts. This insures that you have your basic technique down so you can properly defend yourself. I think it would be great for your daughter

Answer 8

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, I am a small person and I kick the crap out of hugh guys that come in to practice with us. Its all about leverage and technique, I also know it works because I am a mma fighter and I use it all the time in real situations.

Answer 9

ya tae kwon do is gud i joined it wheni was in std 1 n i was d tallest throught my skool life it also keeps u fit n flexible