At what age can I start my child on learning martial arts?

What is the best one to start with? Judo, Kick Boxing, Karate or another? I want my child to be able to defend herself in a street fight in case she is attacked. Just knowing one kind of traditional martial art is not effective enough during a street fight since anything goes when one is attacked. So I want my child to be able to successfully defend herself and put the attacker in the hospital for a LONG time. At what age and with what martial art form should she start? I heard the Judo is great to start with, then kick boxing and then later on Jiujutsu. I do appreciate the Traditional martial arts, but form my experience during hand to hand combat anything goes and it is best to know how to respond to various forms of fighting styles.

At what age can I start my child on learning martial arts?
"Teresa",





Your question is a bit perplexing.





At first you are asking for help in determining what age is best to start a child in martial arts, as if you have no knowledge of martial arts at all. Then you go into this discertation about the effectiveness of one art against another and how you want your daughter to "put the attacker in the hospital for a LONG time." Then you say that "from your experience during hand to hand combat anything goes and it is best to know how to respond to various forms of fighting styles."





I think you are putting us on. I just don't know what you're trying to prove. You don't sound like a mom.
Reply:I started my boy at 7
Reply:I took Okinawa Te karate and I thought it was great. But, you can start at about five.
Reply:I am not an expert on this, but I would suggest you call all the schools that you are interested in and ask them. My nephew is 8 and he has some friends that are younger than him in his school.





Goodluck and I hope your kid kicks azz.
Reply:It's much better for your child to learn to run fast and scream, or better yet to avoid a dangerous situation. Karate Kid is just a movie. The simple fact is if she tries to stay and fight instead of flee , she could get really seriously injured. Use Karate and martial arts for discipline training and physical fitness. No child will overpower a determined adult, no matter what fighting technique they know.
Reply:I started at 4 and have been doing it ever since. Its really up to the instructor as far as taking your child as a student. If she wants to do it, start ASAP:0)
Reply:Age 5 at most schools. I agree that Judo is the best to start with simply because it teaches defense. Also, have her run daily, that is also one of the best defenses.
Reply:You should have her do Aikido. Aikido is a lot different than most martial arts and even if you are small you can take someone big down. It's mainly focused in self defense and how to respond to someone grabbing you on the right hand, left hand, crosshands, with a knife, punching and stuff. You redirect their energy to get them in a wierd position so that you can punch them. My dad got to be a brown belt in Judo, but he thinks that Aikido is much more effective, and is now practicing Aikido. I think seven to ten is a good age.
Reply:I think ages 6 - 10 years old is a good time to start. The styles I would start with are wrestling and karate. As the child progresses in life, you could then move them into kickboxing and jujitsu.


Make it more of a learning/educational experience rather then making it all about competition.


Good Luck.
Reply:Tae-kwon-do...and it depends on where you go. Some places offer training as young as three.
Reply:i don't know what kind is the best to start with, but i think that people start their children as early as 4. the earlier you start them, the better....
Reply:A child can start to learn as soon as he/she can run without falling :) But for an actual number i've seen them as young as 5. i'm sure there are some starting younger than that.


Judo is a good way to go for close quarter brawls. It's basically in the same family as Jujitsu. A lot of throws and locks so its useful for practical applications. Especially for a girl who might be smaller than her attacker knowing how to use her opponents own weight against him is a plus. (There is also Aikido which focuses more on using the opponent's power (think steven segal) against him but these dojos aren't as easy to find as Judo) There is also Kempo which is sort of like a hybrid of Judo and Karate. Usually find Kempo dojos in temples *shrug* :)
Reply:why do you want your child to know violence do you know that if you teach him Martial arts it can lead to something far more painful and it can lead to severe injuries so the best thing to do is teach your child discipline instead of destruction.
Reply:You can start as early as the child is capable of following instructions. As for the system of fighting, I would focus on the school's or instructor's ability to manage small children. Personally, I wouldn't focus on the fighting style at such a young age, and I wouldn't overlook western systems like wrestling and boxing. I think it's more important for the child to learn principles like hard work, dedication, respect and discipline in a positive environment. With these values ingrained, your child will be well equipped for the future as both a fighter and a citizen.
Reply:All kids are different.


Depending on the three "A's"


Attitude,Aptitude,Ability.


Some kids take to Martial Arts like a fish to water.


Others make excuses not to go to class.


It all depends on the child.


I suggest you do some checking,locate a "Good" school in your area and enroll your child on a trial basis.


If all they can talk about is class,they ask their friends to come and check out their school,can't get through a meal without talking about class,the kid has found something they really enjoy.


What to try first? Look at Karate schools to "test the waters" Once the little one is a Brown Belt look to Judo or


Jiu-Jitsu.





Average age to start: 6 to 10





Food for thought:http://www.stanford.edu/group/kenpo/kenp...
Reply:I usually want the child to be at least 5. Preschoolers generaslly can't understand the concept of "only for self defense". It is irresponsible to thaec a person how to fight if she can't understand when not to fight.
Reply:As soon as he/she is out of diapers, can walk and talk and understands the concept of respecting a master of the art he/she wishes to pursue.
Reply:If I were you, I'd tell them to run rather than stay and fight. With that kind of attitude, they have the chance to become a bully, even with you telling them not to.





Judo is the sport form of Juijitsu....so take Juijitsu if you can pick between the two. Like Kendo is the sport form of Kenjutsu.





Its up to the sensei, sifuu, teacher to decide what age they accept students.





The main thing to remember is not to overload her with stuff you like. It may turn out that she may not even like martial arts, in which case, forcing them to be in it would achieve nothing.





Sorry, it just seems like you are going to push her into it whether she wants to or not.





But I beg the question.....what is a little kid doing getting into a street fight? Schoolyard fights don't count as street fights, btw.





But anyway, my sensei and many other higher black belts have said that a usual fight goes to the ground really quick. So start her with juijitsu. Wrestling probably won't help her very much until they are on the ground. Since you can't kick in wrestling, I don't believe pure wrestlers would be used to somebody who might put their knee in the wrestlers face when they went for a double leg takedown.





And really, its about maturity. You should put her in when you think SHE is ready.
Reply:5 yr is the right age


i saw 1 thin guy who uses his finger technique and brake ribs of five guys who try to attack him


he did this in not more then1 minute


he knows kalari pattu


great martial artist


he look so thin that no one can say he is capable of doing something like that.
Reply:your child needs to be mentally mature enough to be able to understand what they are being taught. many children think that martial arts means that they can hurt others and get away with it. others waste class time and their parent's money. make sure your child understands what they are doing, and has the maturity to focus in on what they are learning. i reccommend ages 8-10 for starting.
Reply:My son started jujitsu at 5 and my daughter started at 4. The key was finding a balanced class that taught the martial art but also respected the ages. The instructor my kids are with is really good with children. He is patient but maintains discipline. He teaches in ways they can understand. He also incorporates fun activities like playing tag using positions.





I like the jujitsu because it is very effective in self defense. If they are bullied at school they can just hold a kid down without hurting them.





They also started taking Judo shortly after Jujitsu. Judo is more difficult for the kids to pick up for some reason. They continued with it but my oldest is just now a few years later starting to really do the throws with some precision. In the Jujitsu he has great fundamentals. His knowledge base is advanced for his age. He can routinely beat larger kids then him especially if they have less experience.





They also take a kickboxing class for kids that is just once a week. No sparring just for fun.





Yeah don't listen to the people that say you have to pick one. That is old thinking, The new way of thinking is learnign more than one style.
Reply:This right here is a fake **** question and the veil is very thin.
Reply:Probably at 5 years old. And up, of course!
Reply:I would have to say it depends on the child. I have taught children as young as 5 years old but I started learning martial arts at 4 years old from my father. I was still very playful with a low attention span but learned how to start building a foundation through stances, punching, and kicking. I did not start learning actual self-defense techniques until I was about 7. Most children have very small attention spans at a young age and others are very concentrated in the learning process. Discipline plays another major role in your child's learning capacity. It is easier for an instructor to break bad habits early in the child's development but the parents have to be able to continue down the path the instructor has started. Girls have a tendency to mature sooner than boys and may take to the martial arts at earlier ages. Since most fights go to the ground, I would have to say BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) would be a good place for a child to start. Balance is less of an issue but leverage is a key aspect teaching a child to be comfortable on the ground (especially good for females in rape prevention) and also teaches him/her to use leverage and pure technique and not strength. This takes out the desire to muscle through everything as most of us westerners do naturally. BJJ will give your child confidence but it is not an end all solution to martial arts study. As far as stand-up self-defense goes, I would have to recommend American Kenpo Karate from the Ed Parker variety. It is an art that has evolved into some of the nastiest and most realisitic self-defense taught for modern time attacks. I would stay clear of traditional schools if self-defense is what you are looking for. Most of these schools are close minded believing that their art is the end all to everything claiming to be better than all other arts. As far as your child putting an attacker in the hospital for a very long time, that is your emotions controlling your thoughts (you thinking of what you would want to happen to anyone who attacks your child) and not rational in today's society, especially with dealing with the law. The martial arts is used for defense only and should never be misused. I hope this helps you in your search to find a suitable school for your child.
Reply:WOW some people want to parent the world.. sheesh.








5 -7 ish is fine for martial arts, basically first or second grade in school. They have some basic social development.





Karate teaches focus, and for kids with A.D.D. its a VERY VERY good way to help the kid learn to focus and trains them to continue working at something.





Being able to defend himself is a far lesser reward compared to what they will get from most any school that really cares about training kids. Just beware of any schools with a 2 year black belt program.





I personally like the Ed Parker kenpo for kids.
Reply:Most respectable dojos won't even give your kid the time of day under the age of 6 and there's a lot more to it than just kicking azz and taking names. A true self defense program should also teach your kids the danger signs that a situation is not one you want to be in and how to avoid them in the first place. Also many schools and day cares have a zero tolerance policy toward fighting so you'll need an instructor who understands this.





Also Anything does not go when you're attacked. You may want to bone up on your use of force laws. Odd as it may sound even street fights have rules and knowing them means the difference between getting out of a bad situation and banging out license plates for 20 years.





Sorry but the self defense pool has been peed in. In a fight everybody even the perpetrator is going to hollar self defense. Police and judges are well aware of this and a good prosecutor will do everything possible to scuttle your self defense claim so you had best have all your **** in a stack and be able to back up your claims. You have be able to show that you did what you could to de-escalate the situation and that everything you did was in the realm of legality.





As for those who chant the cyberwarrior mantra "Better to be judged by 12 than carried by six" I say good luck because the next 12 will be the twelve lifers raping you in the prison shower.





Deny reality at your own peril. If you think I'm harsh wait until you or your daughter are standing tall before a judge or magistrate.
Reply:We currently have 3 students 6 and under at our Tae Kwon Do Dojang. As long as they know their left from their right, and are able to learn what they are being shown, they are welcome as students. I was instructing a 4-year-old girl last Monday, and started her off with basic stances and kicks. She did really well, but learning her form and one-steps will be the true test for her. Good luck.
Reply:if you are looking for real life fighting and not performing and looks, take up kung fu or boxing. kung fu teaches pretty much everything all martial arts have including using everyday tools for weaponry and chinese culture. boxing or kick boxing teachers conditioning and strenghth but so does kung fu. if you take boxing, i wouldnt recommend something different from american boxing and take muay thai boxing, it is very nice in conditioning like kicking a hard block 1000 times a day and it also includes elbows, knees, kicks, and punches not like american kickboxing. also jiujutsu is good if you like to have the ground as your home where when the enemy steps in you are ready to joint lock them. kung fu also has weaponry, hands, punches, knees, elbow, jointlocking, grappling. though, it also has forms like karate and most moartial arts. usually a schools allows students from ages 4 to 70 but in different classes. i would recommend having ur son start at teenhood because thats when people choose their so life you dont waste money. at teen hood, you will stick to what you choose. also, I MUST WARN YOU to not join dojos with only 3 to 7 to 20 students. these are the cheapo classes that people learned their martial art from a recreation center and opened up a school for profit. find a school that has a lot of culture and decoration to shown prosperity with students up 40 because those are the ones that teach how to avoid a fighting situation because that is most important. if there is an option to not fight then take it.

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