[Closed] My little 6 year old wants to do Karate - advice?

Do it!, I teach a Kickboxing/karate class and both my lads go, its a great confidence booster and a superb workout. I would say that 6 is about the youngest I would want my kids to start as their concentration does wander a bit, as long as the instructor is qualified it should be ok, if youve not tried it yourself get suck in you will be suprised at how quickly your stamina and fitness builds as well as being able to defend yourself should the need ever arise. Look at it as another way of cross training.

Mine does Tae Kwon Do, which is probably something similar. Well they wear white pyjamas and thwack each other with fists and feet, at least.

I'd just have a look at the set up in action. If it's in control then what's the harm? If the kids are running about like loonies I'd be a bit more concerned - they need to do this stuff in quite a controlled/disciplined environment really.

You don't do it with them. You'd hammer them apart from anything else.

Mine did it when he was 5, for about 4 weeks. He didn't want to go back, so we didn't push it.
All they do is learn the moves and how to shout "YEE-AH!"

Started judo (I know completly different) at 6. Now you can start baby judo at 3.
Check the BKA for pointers.

You're right, for kids, you're probably better off steering them towards judo or aikido but the most important thing is the school you take them to. Make sure the respect and discipline are there and it's not just a chance to beat up other kids.

I suspect a 29er may be too big for a 6 year old http://www.surlybikes.com/frames/karate_monkey_frame/

ok, good advice.

Tempted to take her to a local judo class for a try out, then if its not for her, let her lose on a Karate class 😉

A proper class won't let kids get hurt, whatever the discipline.

At tae kwon do they spar after a while but it's strictly non contact until they're bigger/older, and even then they wear head guards and gloves and boots to ensure they don't hurt each other if they connect.

Both of mine do Karate, every Monday, they are 8 and 11 and really enjoy it-cross training with BMX and MTB thrown in, oh an football and rugby.

Great for fun/fitness- just shop around to find the class you feel comfortable with. It also depends what your motives are. If its for their self-defense I'd personally get them to take up Aikido. Part Judo/part karate and very effective.
I did two styles for a total of 9yrs and thorougly enjoyed it.

Start wearing a box and shin guards?

My son does Taekwondo. Started at around 6 or 7. Loved it.

They didn't let him spar properly until he got to green belt. He then started sparring and loves it. He wanted to do a competition (fighting), so the next one the came up he entered...

We got there and the event was pretty big and very intimidating for him. He sh!t himself to be honest; tears the full works. He did it though and came third overall which was amazing, and he got a fairly substantial trophy as well. He was over the moon.

One of the best things my son does. Given him loads of self confidence.

As DezB said, they quite often only want to do these things for a few weeks or months anyway when they are that age.

I loved the fact that my son had to call the instructor "Sensei Bob". 😉

Mine started ju jitsu at that age, not as full on as karate. But they love it, good for all of the above reasons. Also watching my lad run, trip and take a fall rolling back on to his feet was good. Felt like money well spent.

My lad started karate at 5, 3 years ago, my daughter has just started, aged 5. He loves it and has just moved up to the 'grown ups' class where he trains with some black belts and he's very proud of himself.

The youngest class do a lot of games which keeps them interested. He went to another club for a while, but they did lots of repetitive katas and sparring which he wasn't too keen on.

Find a class that caters well for young ones, different clubs vary a lot. I think the club and its approach is more important than whether it is Karate/JuJitsu/Aikido etc.

My boy does karate (he's just turned 5 and done it since he was 4 1/2) and loves it. I guess it depends on having a good teacher though.

At that age, it's more about teaching them about respect, being good kids, a bit of exercise and some (non-contact) karate moves.

Would highly recommend it, but as I said, highly dependent on teacher I imagine

my kid started Ju jitsu at 6. He's 11 now. Highest grade in his club at JJ & also now a blackbelt in Shotokan karate. plus done a few gradings at MMA/submission wrestling.

just a few more years & he'll be trying to take over the country by force...

My son also started Shotokan Karate at 6, a good teacher will not push them too hard and should understand that their attention may wonder a bit towards the end of the lesson. Oh and I joined in after the second lesson, thought if I'm going I might as well join in.

Th wife id aikido for a little while. She didn't stick with it but every time she falls off her bike, you can see the training is still with her, she still knows how to fall without getting hurt. Worth its weight in gold that little talent!

onza if I was to restart or with (hopefully) my one on the way it would be Aikido. Great non-violence (very important IMO with impressionable kids), discipline and very effective if needed.

My lad started Go-Kan-Ryu when he was around that age I think - he's now 10 and soon going for a blue belt. My girl (6) has now started and has just got her yellow belt.

They seem to really enjoy it

Go for it, mine started Little Ninjas (Taekwondo) at 4, couple in the class even younger, really seen his confidence and concentration grow over the last 18month...got his purple belt last weekend and was really chuffed!..couple of his ill disciplined mates go and the instructor is really strict with them ....behaviour is improving in a matter of weeks.

Re. non violence I think it's good to be able to look after yourself, kids get bullied so hopefully this will give him the confidence to hit back...quickest and best way to stop bullying I reckon.

Part Judo/part karate and very effective.

A lot of voices "for" from participants, so I expect to get flamed...

.. but do 5/6 years olds really grasp the responsibilty side of martial arts?? I appreciate that they will get training in respect and how to behave responsibility, but on the evidence of my kids school, the local karate club members and local school bullies / scrotes are one and the same.

Sorry, but on my limited experience, that age group don't get responsibility, they just understand intimidation

rkk01, you raise a valid point. However, I think that's more a reflection of the dojo than the suitability of that age group doing martial arts.

If the dojo is run with the correct ethos, there shouldn't be an issue. If any of my students were builling or even using their training outside the dojo we would respond accordingly right up to asking them to leave the dojo.

Again, I think this is where the particular arts has some influence and why I favour aikido. You cannot train in aikido without helping each other and co-operating. There is no competition so everyone works together to improve everyone's aikido.

Having said that, I'd rather train at a well run karate/kung fu dojo than a badly run aikido dojo.

When I started judo it didn't took long for me to try to kick the shite out of my school mate doing bruce lee like noises (I use to do that before but more silently).
Mum took me to the dojo and told that to the teacher who made his point clear about it. Never did that again. So if you are taught martial arts by a thug you end up a thug, if you are taught by descent people you become a descent people.

I think they will be limited in what they learn but go with a strict school to develop discipline.

Mentally I don't think they would be ready depending on their goal.

Belts are great for holding trousers up.

My Daughter started 6 months ago and loves it. At home we have noticed she is better behaved, polite and focused (not that she wasn't before, just normal 8 year old stuff), especially homework.

Before the lessons, We mucked around at home playing 'kung-fu' with play blocking, kicks and punches. We got a call from the school to say that an 11 year old had tried to push her around in the playground and was somewhat surprised when shebroke his hold and palm struck him in the chest knocking him on his arse. I was very proud that day 😀

It was after that my wife suggested lessons.

French Ewen, ah I see now why you took on judo. This is to help you grab and cuddle/hold/throw the Engleesh ladies onto the bed?

Part Judo/part karate and very effective.

Hoora in talking shite schoker... The part judo part karate is ju-jitsu.

I agree and also Aikido is probably the hardest of all martial arts to master to a useful level. At least the other arts quite quickly give you some useful defense moves.
My son did TKD for 4 years but wanted something with more contact!? I have now got him in a Muay Thai club and he's loving it. The discipline in all martial arts is a definite benefit to headstrong lads at least. Although my daughter still loves her TKD.

hoora, please don't make your personal behaviour a generality. I don't have to throw ladies on the bed they are willing to go on it all by themselves. Plus the correct spelling is 'English' do you need a book to help you learn your own language?

As far as bullying is concerned sometimes you have to fight fire with fire, my lads (black and brown belts 16 and 12) wouldnt use what we have taught them unless they really had to, 12 year old was bullied at school for a few years before he eventually 'smacked' one of the three lads who were holding him up against a wall and had been bullying him for ages, bullying stopped after that!. Not the ideal solution but he had just had enough.

We teach our students to respect others and where possible to walk away from bullies/road rage, etc but sometimes its not an option. I would rather my children could stick up for themselves but also show respect to others than to go through the heartache of being a parent of a bullied child.

I would rather my children could stick up for themselves but also show respect to others than to go through the heartache of being a parent of a bullied child.

My son knows not to use his skills for anything other than defense, taught by myself and his instructors. He was attacked by a kid out of his class in the playground and never retaliated. He told his teacher as instructed and they both recieved detention. The next time the lad hit him was the last time he's hit anyone in school.

rkk01 - it's an understandable concern, but as peeps say, it's about checking out the club and it's ethics. If a rogue club started churning out kids to be psychos, they'd quickly get discovered because gradings are done regionally. I'd think any pattern for this sort of behaviour would be spotted and jumped on at regional level.

Kids focus on moves, patterns, discipline, suppleness, fitness etc. and learn through games. They also learn some simple self defence moves, such as how to get out of grips and things like that. To be honest it's as much about being with other kids and making friends in a structured environment.

Their trousers stay up without any belts btw. The belts set the kids clear goals, teach them to focus on improving their skills in a measured and consistent way. They also help to ensure that kids of similar abilities are paired for sparring etc. But I think you already knew that really zaskar? 😉

My Son has been doing it from when he just turned 5. He has a brilliant instructor (7th Dan and 3rd highest qualified instructor in the world in that discipline of Karate).

My lad absolutely loves it. He asked if he could do it (although he didn't know what Karate was, after seeing something on Shrek! I have never pushed him, but am totally supportive and if he keeps training hard, he could achieve a junior Balck Belt at 10yrs old.

Prior to Karate he was very meek and had had a couple of incidents at school that upset him (and us), but he's grown in confidence and respect and now gets no trouble at all. He never uses it for the sake of it, but defends himself when he needs to. There was a school bully who was causing a lot of problems with a lot of kids, who decided to have a 'pick on Bruno' moment - suffice to say that the bully ended up balling his eyes out with a nose bleed in front of everyone in the playground and now he's not quite as much of a bully as he used to be, and has never touched Bru since!

Where are you based, if you are S Manchester I can highly recommend a brilliant club?