Anyone else on here take your kids to karate?

Is it okay if the instructor snarls at kids (age seven) at their first taster sesh?

Is it fine if they tell kids to ‘go sit at the back, coz I’ve already got your money’?

Our boy had a panic attack half way through the sesh… is this normal?

Is all ^^^^ just the code of the warrior, in which case my boy should MTFU, or is it just wrong?

Shit club. Go elsewhere.

Sensei sounds like a ass

Was it a busy class?

does the karate teacher look anything like him that could explain it.

as far as i remember when i was a teen,no karate teacher ever acted like that.the guy sounds like a right tool tbh.

Sounds like the wrong class for not just a seven year old but anyone.

Wasn’t the Cobra Kai was it?

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzh9koy7b1E[/video]

Was it a busy class?

Not really – say 20 kids tops, different ages.

Seemed like a personal power trip to me, saying stuff like ‘you don’t listen to anyone except me’ and ‘don’t look at your parents; they shouldn’t even be here…’

Thanks guys. I thought he was a tool…

That’s shite – find another club.

My daughter does Taekwondo and that’s all about discipline, nurturing positive attitude and respect. I’ve never seen her instructors even raise their voice, let alone show aggression to kids.

At least four kids cried.

Proper tears, not just a 🙁

No, none of that is right.

Go find him an aikido club, less bullshitters than some of the more mainstream disciplines. Plus swordplay.

Oh, and all the parents/helpers/gimps there were terrified of him too.

Are you supposed to be telling us about this?
I’m not too sure what the first rule of fight club is, but…..

Sounds like a complete ****.

Not all clubs are like that one, I’d suggest going along and watching for a session without your son next time do you are happy that it’ll be different and only then taking him along. If you pick another shocker, you’ll put him off for life!

Where are you based? There could be locals on here that can help reccomend. I know a few of the Bath/ Bristol clubs if that’s any help.

Sounds like he needs reporting, he’s unfit to be left in charge of children.

Northwest.

Our boy’s traumatised and it cost us £4… 😯

Not sure about recommendations. I don’t think he’ll be doing any more karate.

wee in his shoes

Just to let you know, I went to my first TKD session aged 25. I was immediately welcomed and a dan grade was sent to the back (all students stand in grade order so you can copy those in front during line work) to make sure I was ok and follow the instructions given.
The club also taught, in separate classes, kids from 4 years old. They loved it. No shouting, no tears, good fun and good lessons.

You’ve def found a tosser in afraid!

@ transapp

Thanks. I thought there was supposed to be some element of fun there… None of the youngsters even learned anything… it was all ‘do this, no, not that, this, don’t you know your left from your right? Left, LEFT, (shove) THAT ONE! Now do it right!’

Apologies for the slight thread highjack, but I’d like your recommendations for Bristol clubs please Transapp. My 7 year old use to go to a club in Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre but it was useless so we’re on the lookout for something else.

Report him. preferably to the Feds as a threat to kids, but also to a local karate federation or similar.

The guy is an asshole and an embarrassment to any sport. No ‘code of the warrior’ there, just a lack of respect and someone that gets off on being in charge.

Sounds like he needs reporting, he’s unfit to be left in charge of children.

Please consider this. I’ve studied in quite a few styles and have never encountered this sort of attitude. People like this should not be allowed to groom their own egos at the expense of children. He is an arse.

normally I’d say, “you should have chinned the ****”, but…..

Not right at all.

As per yossarian , go for some aikido.

Thanks, guys.

Mrs 16 and I feel a whole lot better!

Report him to his governing body. Thats not acceptable, though I met many like him in my Karate days.
Send junior to a Judo club. Judo is much more fun for kids. Karate can be dead abstract and make no sense to children – “put your foot there, no there. Punch higher, a bit higher, no lower!” All that nonsense. Plus, frankly, you seem to get loads of martial fantasists in Karate, like this guy sounds.

Anyway, Judo = brilliant falling skills. Saved my ass in crashes a few times. Might come in handy if your son ever gets a MTB.

I’m an expert at beginner level martial arts.. I’ve started quite a few then left. I’ve never seen a teacher like that and I know my son would not be happy even with me there if he was treated like that. Our karate teacher regularly makes our young ones lol. He is assistant coach for English karate so knows what he is in about too. Don’t give up with it find somewhere new and perhaps sign up yourself it’s rather good.

Firstly, congratulations on the title!

secondly, the guy is a dickhead, report him.

The instructor does not even know the meaning of Sensei … he is a thug.

A real Sensei will kick his backside.

I had a similar experience but was a bit older than your son (9 I think) I went to a karate class, first session the sensi was swinging a bamboo cane around himself as he span in a circle, the object was to jump over it. However the fella was deliberately lifting the cane high to whip our legs and shouting at us, (bunch of 7,8,9 year olds) then just shouted buy didnt really instruct. I didn’t go back and found a good class trough the council gym that I enjoyed for many years. The knobber sensi’s club got closed down a few weeks after I joined.

@ Salad Dodger – I’d highly recommend this guy

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whitlock-Martial-Arts/107484386002910

who’s associated with P.U.M.A. He;s utterly dedicated, just won British open championships (last weekend) and works superbly with his little PUMA’s and juniors. He also coached me when I was going for my first dan so can teach at any level.

An utter arse. Find a new club.

Arse – I started Karate with my 4 1/2 year old son 5 months ago and the Sensei is just brilliant with the kids. Injects humour but they all know when he needs them to be serious.

Look elsewhere.

an arse. my son does karate and teacher is brill.

Sounds like a tool +1

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2u1GKJ3csE[/video]

As above, he is a tool.

Shame that your little one might be put off Martial Arts by this. I joined the local Tae-Kwon-Do club with my 7 year old lad and roughly 1/4 of the sessions start with fun games to warm us up. No shouting, no derision, nothing too serious. It’s fun, but the lessons of respect, perseverance etc are there

Given a choice I wold do Judo (from the memories of my Judo club 40ish years ago!). Please try again, but only if the 7 year old is happy to

I did karate for about a year, Wado Ryu style, Sensai was a guy called Steve Rawson, a serving police officer. Steve taught all ages, including a close friend’s two daughters, from around ten. He got the eldest, Marie, up to Brown, and she entered competitions at national level. He had the Japanese Sensai who was the top man as Godfather to his kids.
I give all this preamble to show there are Sensai who run top-notch schools, who care deeply about teaching properly and with respect all who go to learn, and those in turn learn to respect his skills as Sensai.
It might be better if perhaps you found a softer style for your youngster to start with, Like T’ai Chi. For a youngster, it’s slower, not aggressive, but it is a martial art, in slow-motion. It would help him develop his balance and confidence, and then he could move up to the harder fighting styles, like Wing Chun, or Tai Kwan Do.
This man is a disgrace, he shames everything that martial arts are all about, and he should be stopped from teaching as soon as possible.

Yeah, complete idiot who sounds like he’s on a power trip. I do Kuk Sool, and the kids class is fantastic, the kids respect their instructors, but because they like them not because they’re scared of them.

not karate but my judo instructor as a kid was a good laugh as well as a good instructor

this guy sounds like a dick