My family seems to think I'm kidding about wanting to get my kids into martial arts really early.BentMonk said:Lindsey, my youngest is testing for her yellow belt in kung fu on the 17th. ...If she ever has to say, "No." It will definitely mean "No."
I would not start a child any younger than nine or ten. Most kids younger than that just do not have the attention span needed to learn the material effectively. I'm sure you're already familiar with the benefits of MA training. I think every child should have some idea of how to take care of themselves, given the overwhelmingly freaky nature of the world today. If possible train with your child. Do not go to a school that has a huge kids program. These are day cares where the kids wear karate outfits. We do not have a separate kids program where I train. My daughter is learning the same techniques and material that I did. She can also apply them against a resisting opponent. I'm assuming you want the same for your child. IMO a good MA school does not do birthday parties and take field trips to the skating rink, but I've seen it here in Louisville. Also, if you're pretty sure you can take the instructor, or they have a belt test with a fee every couple of weeks...run. Ask a lot of questions and trust your gut. Sorry if this turned into a rant, but I have a major thing against MA schools that have thirteen year old black belts teaching class, while a fat guy with a lot of stripes on his belt walks around looking important.zeitgeist said:My family seems to think I'm kidding about wanting to get my kids into martial arts really early.
She's not due until April, so this might be a little early.
In your opinion, when does it start to become appropriate?
It sounds like you've got some time before you'll be looking in earnest, but I hope I've helped a little.No, no. It's all good. Sounds like sound advice.BentMonk said:I would not start a child any younger than nine or ten. Most kids younger than that just do not have the attention span needed to learn the material effectively. I'm sure you're already familiar with the benefits of MA training. I think every child should have some idea of how to take care of themselves, given the overwhelmingly freaky nature of the world today. If possible train with your child. Do not go to a school that has a huge kids program. These are day cares where the kids wear karate outfits. We do not have a separate kids program where I train. My daughter is learning the same techniques and material that I did. She can also apply them against a resisting opponent. I'm assuming you want the same for your child. IMO a good MA school does not do birthday parties and take field trips to the skating rink, but I've seen it here in Louisville. Also, if you're pretty sure you can take the instructor, or they have a belt test with a fee every couple of weeks...run. Ask a lot of questions and trust your gut. Sorry if this turned into a rant, but I have a major thing against MA schools that have thirteen year old black belts teaching class, while a fat guy with a lot of stripes on his belt walks around looking important.
Yeah, we tried.BentMonk said:I was noticing that the OP hadn't responded as well. Oh well...we tried. I like the new pic. I'm going to have to post some pics of my kiddos too. Lindsey, my youngest is testing for her yellow belt in kung fu on the 17th. I'll try and post a pic of her with black belt Dad. She's going to be a heart breaker and maybe a leg breaker lol. She's like her Dad and likes to play rough. lol I'm happy about that though. If she ever has to say, "No." It will definitely mean "No."
Thanks, I felt lucky that the picture turned out so nice after I took it and looked at it. I was like "wow, what a nice picture" haha. I have a ton of pictures posted (mostly of Eli) in the Family Album, but I guess you'd need more posts before you could see them. I'd love to see pics of your kids. A leg breaker lol. That's a good thing, nothing more important than being a strong woman.My daughter wanted to train. She began harassing me about it when she was eight. The general rule at my school is no kid under ten, but since I'd been training there for fifteen years and Lindsey is mature for her age, my instructor let her try it out. She went to about ten classes before we officially signed her up and bought a uniform. I wanted to make sure she wasn't going to get bored like her oldest brother did. Her Mom and I made it clear that signing up and getting a uniform meant that she was making a commitment that she would be expected to honor regardless of boredom. She had no qualms with this arrangement and has been going strong since. I think that if you make it a Dad and Daughter activity she'll view it as special time with you. Lindsey and I have our own pre-class routine. We have a light snack, get ready, and jam to some upbeat tunes on a CD I titled "Daddy & Lindsey's Going To Class CD". We sing, rock out and get pumped up for class. We had to use Mammaw's car last night and she doesn't have a CD player. Not to worry, Dad had the IPod and we still had our fun.zeitgeist said:No, no. It's all good. Sounds like sound advice.
If I could take the instructor... well, I'm big, but I've got a bad back and the last martial arts instruction I had was over 20 years ago. If I can take the instructor... :lol:
You said "If possible train with your child." That's been tremendously on my mind. I've thought that was a good idea from the first I ever considered it. You know, don't make it "You have to do this so you'll be safe!" but more along the lines of "something fun that we can learn together." If I can sell it that way, we can keep the ulterior motives (instilling in her a broader sense of discipline, responsibility... and the safety issues) a little less apparent but no less important.
You know, so it doesn't look like the whole thing is "'cause it'll build CHARACTER!"
And she'll probably be kicking my butt inside a year. :wink:
I hope you and your daughter have similar experiences. I'm happy I could help.
