Beginner level Karate Kids seem to be getting younger and younger nowadays. What is the right age to start the martial arts? Is your little one ready to become a karate kid?
As karate has become more popular over the years, kids of a younger age are getting started in the martial arts. There has of course been a strong influence from the Ninja Turtles and the Power Rangers but also with the ever expanding commercial karate schools, specialized programs for the little kids are becoming more and more popular. Programs with names such as Tiny Tigers, Little Ninjas or Little Dragons abound in most martial arts schools. So at what age are kids being accepted into these programs?
It seems that the age of 3 to 4 years old is the youngest age for kids to be accepted into a martial arts program. This basically coincides with the age that a child can begin pre-school and this is no coincidence. So if your child is around 4 years old then he or she will probably be accepted into your local martial arts school. However there are other factors that you should be aware of.
- Is this the first time your child has been involved in a group activity? If so be prepared for some initial nervousness and unwillingness to get out on the floor without you.
- Have you already taken your child to your local martial arts school to watch a class? If not, then do so as this is a great opportunity to pre-frame your child so he or she knows what is expected and what a karate school and karate class looks like.
- Do you have realistic expectations for your child? Karate for a 4-year old should be about coordination, focus and fun. It is not about self-defense or hard core discipline at this age. These aspects will be gradually introduced over time as they get older.
- Can your child stay focused for about a half-hour at a time? Most young kids have very short attention spans and consequently when teaching karate to a 4-year old an instructor needs to use a series of short but focused drills that flow from one to the other. Be sure to find an instructor who uses this type of method so that your child will maintain interest for the whole duration of the class.
- Can your child follow one or two-step instructions? Your child needs to be able to follow basic directions in order to function in the karate class.
If your child does not do this at home then it may be a sign that he or she will also struggle at first in the karate class. On the other hand a karate class may be the ideal place to help your child learn the value of structure and basic discipline.
All of the above points are just some ideas that you should ask yourself when thinking about enrolling your young child in a martial arts class. The bottom line is you probably won't know all of the answers unless you give it a go but at the very least you should have some ideas of what to expect and how you can help your child make a successful transition into a fun and very valuable activity.
Good luck and best wishes on your journey in karate.
Looking for custom Martial Arts T-Shirts, Cards or Gifts for your child? Martial Arts Gifts by Lora Severson Photography sells a wide variety of customizable apparel, bags, ornaments and more for your martial artist. A personalized martial arts gift is perfect for a birthday, holiday, belt rank promotion test or black belt test. Gifts suitable for all martial arts including karate, taekwondo, kung fu, judo or ju jitsu. All belt rank colors represented.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Is Your Child Ready To Become A Karate Kid?
Friday, April 25, 2014
Practicing Martial Arts As A Family
If you are like any good parent you no doubt enjoy spending time with your kids and sharing some quality activities with them. This may include kicking a soccer ball around the back yard, going to the local park for some pitching practice, or putting some cool music on in your front room and trying out your new hip-hop groove. However, how many actual opportunities are there for families to participate together in the same class doing something that is beneficial to all involved? The martial arts offer one such opportunity.
There is a phrase used in the martial arts industry and it says that, A family that kicks together, sticks together. This saying may sound a little cheesy, but more and more families are discovering the immeasurable benefits of sharing a common bond and a common activity between parents and children. So how exactly does martial arts practice provide these benefits?
Martial Arts is a challenging activity regardless of age. It offers a great workout, useful and practical self-defense skills, progressive content that is structured according to ability and a spiritual and philosophical side that can provide many other worthwhile benefits. Let's look at each of these things.
* Great workout
Martial Arts practice is an excellent workout. Within any lesson plan martial artists use multiple muscle groups and body parts in many different ways through the warm-up and warm-down activities and the various technique drills and partner work drills. It also gets your heart pumping which leads to increased cardio-vascular strength.
* Useful and practical self-defense skills
Self-defense is an integral part of the martial arts. Different martial arts will place a different level of emphasis on self-defense depending on the type of program they are offering but you can be sure that during your study you will learn some useful and practical skills that will be relevant to your age and ability.
* Progressive content
This is a very important aspect of martial arts training because as you improve in ability and experience you will constantly be exposed to the next level of content. This will ensure that there is always something new to learn and always something different to practice. This progressive content is introduced systematically so as not to overwhelm beginning students and also in order to continually challenge intermediate and advanced students.
* Spirituality and Philosophy
There is some very valuable philosophy in the martial arts that is beneficial to both children and adults and the opportunity to study this as a family can lead to some very worthwhile and interesting discussions at the dinner table.
Each of these different aspects have relevance to all ages, and consequently parents and children are finding that the martial arts offer a very enjoyable and challenging family activity to all who participate. There is nothing like having a training partner to encourage you along the way and with Mom, Dad, Brother and Sister all training together, each individual will be able to bring different views of the same activity to the overall experience, which can only lead to better communication and understanding between family members.
Like anything else doing martial arts as a family will not be without its challenges, but in general there are only good things to say about the benefits of going to your local martial arts school and starting a journey as a family to improved health and fitness and fun times for all.
Good luck and best wishes on your journey in martial arts.
Looking for some unique custom martial arts gifts for your martial artist? Martial Arts Gifts by Lora Severson Photogrpahy has a great selection of customizable t-shirts, ornaments, cards and gifts for a belt rank promotion test, black belt test, birthday or holiday. Suitable for all martial arts including karate, taekwondo, kung fu, judo or ju jitsu. All belt rank colors are represented.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Save on Kids Clothes Today November 17th!
Save on kids specialty t-shirts, sweatshirts, onesies and bibs. All kids apparel is on sale today only at Cafepress.com. Save $5.00 on your purchase of $40.00 or more. Use coupon code DEMHOL4 at checkout to receive discount.
Get a jump start on your holiday gift giving today at Cafepress.com.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Martial Arts Benefits
Benefits of Martial Arts Training For Kids by John Parke
Admit it. When the going gets tough at home, we’ve all plopped the kids in front of the television and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, we can get started on dinner, maybe check email or sort that massive pile of laundry.
But when your five-year old yells at you “Mom, Kids Rule!” or your ten-year old horrifies you with language that would make a sailor blush, you realize there must be something amiss with what these “family programs” really teach our kids. And sadly, its happening all over the media today, from sports to cartoons, and our children are learning things that we, as parents, vowed we would never teach them. Old fashioned values like respect and self-discipline, seems to have been forgotten, replaced by the dreaded “bling bling” pop culture of today.
Just the thought of your angelic three-year old morphing into a designer-clad, smart-mouthed, money-worshipping, me-obsessed, lay-about is enough to make any parent consider that threatening military school brochure, but there is a solution out there to consider.
Martial Arts Training
From Ninja Turtles to The Karate Kid
You and your kids have all seen the flying kicks, battle cries and mighty chops of their favorite TV characters, as they beat the bad guys to submission – but, you may ask, how on earth can these acts of violence teach my child anything worthwhile?
First, know that what you see on television (save perhaps the Karate Kid) is a far cry from what real martial arts are all about. The fact is, martial arts training is based on non-violence.
Originating in Asia (mainly Japan, China and Korea, although Thailand and Vietnam have their own practices as well), martial arts range from a variety of types and styles, all of which are based on well-rounded, moral teachings. The beauty of learning martial arts is that it encompasses not just the physical aspect of the “sport”, but mental and emotional lessons as well.
Comparing that to other kid’s activities and sports, where fierce competitiveness and “winning at all costs” seems to be the order of the day, it’s not surprising that many children grapple with issues of self-esteem and misplaced aggression.
Now imagine your child actually learning valuable life lessons, skills that he will take throughout life, laying the foundation for a happy, well-adjusted and fulfilled adult life. If only karate for kids was popular in the 70’s, when I was growing up!
The Advantages
• Karate, and other martial arts for kids, builds confidence and self-esteem as well as self-discipline, respect, concentration and courtesy.
• Many martial arts schools also offer leadership courses for kids, in conjunction with their karate for kids programs, or similar lessons.
• Martial Arts is ideal for children who do not do well in team sports, giving them the ability to flourish this activity, while combining physical and mental practices.
• Many do not realize this, but it is a fact that martial arts training are safer than most school sports.
• Children with special needs, such as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), learning difficulties and hyperactivity are often recommended to participate in martial arts for kids because of the clear benefits in its structured training techniques.
Kung-Fu Master or Ninja Warrior?
Before you sign up Junior for the first martial arts class you see, take some time to check out the different methods available, and match it with what you know would suit your child best. This is a good way to avoid any problems that may sprout from a conflict of your child’s personality and the training techniques.
Is your little Zach a sensitive soul? Then maybe a class that doesn’t center on sparring (full-on kicks and punches training) but rather, slower, defensive maneuvers would fare better for him. Kids with an aggressive streak, however, may prefer the more forceful moves and thrive in competitive sparring.
Here’s a quick primer on the kid-friendly martial arts training you’re likely to find:
Martial Arts From Japan
Karate
• Uses defensive and aggressive moves
• Centers on building strength and endurance
• Involves chops, punches, kicks, strikes, blocking and sparring
• May use weapons
Jujitsu
• Uses defensive and aggressive moves
• Involves lots of sparring
• Teaches a fair amount of weapons training
Aikido
• Uses a more “spiritual” and harmonious style in redirecting the aggression of the attacker as the form of defense, using throws, pins, rolls etc.
• Taught on the premise of disabling an aggressor without attacking, through your individual inner energy
• Does not involve sparring or competitions
Judo
• Uses gentle, “wrestling-like” movements
• Considered one of the safest methods of martial arts
• Emphasizes physical control as well as mental development
• Engages in competitions
Martial Arts From China
Kung-Fu
• The generic term referring to Chinese martial arts with a variety of styles
• Involves attack movements as well as defensive techniques
• Teaches kicks, punches, chops, throws, falls, grappling, katas, leg sweeps and blows among others.
• Engages in sparring competitions
Martial Arts From Korea
Taekwondo
• Competitive in nature, involves techniques using elaborate footwork and unique high kicks.
• Emphasizes strength, force and attack methods.
• Engages in lots of sparring and competitions.
Choosing The Right Instruction
If you have an idea of the type of martial arts class you’d like your child to participate in, the next step would be to find the right school. Finding the right class that not only matches your child’s and your needs, in terms of teachers you feel comfortable with, the price, facilities and so on, are all important factors.
Say you’ve found a local place that specializes in Karate for Kids. What are the things you should look for?
1. Good Instructors
Check out their qualifications, teaching methods and watch carefully how they interact with the other children. It should be a fun learning experience!
2. Space and Safety
Obviously you would want to entrust your child in as establishment that is safe, well-maintained, and clean with ample space as well as decent facilities and equipment.
3. School Values
Different martial arts schools inevitably go by different values, for instance, one kid’s karate class may handle aggression in one way, while a judo class would have a different approach. Take some time to observe which school’s ideals match your family’s principles.
4. Prices and Schedules
Prices for martial arts training can vary according to school and location, so make sure you the instruction you choose represents fair value. Finding the most effective way to fit martial arts training into your family’s lifestyle is also essential, knowing what works best with your schedule and other activities.
Baby Blackbelts
Starting your child young in karate training is ideal (children as young as the age of four are usually accepted, as it is also a good way to hone fine motor skills), and lots of parents have found that in as little as a year, their children who were involved in martial arts had noticeably gained positive traits such as increased self-esteem, respect and overall physical fitness.
Many parents also opt to join a martial arts training program themselves, making it a great bonding experience for the entire family.
For more information, please go to our site: http://www.LloydIrvin.com - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Maryland (BJJ) and Muay Thai Boxing Maryland, Virginia and DC’s own Lloyd Irvin is a Brazilan Jiu-Jitsu, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (GJJ) and Grappling Hall of Fame Inductee. He is now offering Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Maryland and a FREE 30 Day Trial of his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Maryland (BJJ), Thai Kick Boxing , Maryland Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts program.
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com
For a complete selection of Martial Arts gifts including martial arts t-shirts, tote bags, keychains, greeting and congratulations cards visit Lora Severson Photography/Martial Arts at Zazzle.com. Customize Martial Arts products with specific martial art sport, name, school or team name.
