Martial Arts

[Cheri_N]

I want my son to start karate or something similar but I am finding it difficult to find a Martial Arts centre that can accommodate him after hours. Does anyone know of a Martial Artscentre in JHB that offer lessons to young children after hours and / or weekends? He is almost 4, is he too young to start? Pros & cons for those in the know?

And which Martial Arts Discipline would you recommend? Karate, Judo, Kung fu etc?

 

[Picard]

4 is way too young. Why would you even consider it at his age?

Wait till he's about 10/11/12.

Even if he has a good instructor, having a superior fighting technique to any of his peers is just going to **** with his mind.

 

[Cheri_N]

4 is way too young. Why would you even consider it at his age?

Wait till he's about 10/11/12.

He wants to do it! He is always doing these moves (picked it up from my cousins - both of them started at age 9 around) and I think it be good for him overall

 

[D3x]

I started when I was 7 & its a great thing to do. It (Karate at least) taught me a few things that other kids my age only learned at a later stage in life. Respect, restraint & very importantly, self discipline & keeping fit is a great bonus.

Where about in JHB are you / would you prefer to send him?

 

[Geriatrix]

I want my son to start karate or something similar but I am finding it difficult to find a Martial Arts centre that can accommodate him after hours. Does anyone know of a Martial Artscentre in JHB that offer lessons to young children after hours and / or weekends? He is almost 4, is he too young to start? Pros & cons for those in the know?

And which Martial Arts Discipline would you recommend? Karate, Judo, Kung fu etc?

4 is a bit young but when he reaches around 5-6 take him to YMAA Kids Kung Fu. They've got an excellent kung fu program for kids.
From the site;

Kid’s Kung Fu is a versatile tool for developing a child’s flexibility, stamina, focus and proprioception. These goals are pursued in a relaxed but disciplined environment for kids ranging between the ages of 5-12 years.

Kung Fu literally means ‘time & energy’. As it takes a lot of time to master anything worthwhile, it is a good foundation for children to build their perseverance for later stages of life. The option for competing in forms and sparring will only be available once a student has achieved a certain level. It is imperative to set a good foundation before attempting competitions; otherwise their self confidence might be hindered.

The exercises and techniques are aimed at self development and self discipline. Naturally a child with this experience and understanding will be able to develop into a prominent martial artist with the capabilities to defend him/herself. The main goal of the training is not to develop a fighting mentality at such a young age but rather to develop their personal characteristics with an understanding of the martial moralities which include respect, righteousness, humility, trust and loyalty which are the moralities of deed and then will, endurance, perseverance, patience and courage which are the moralities of mind.

Kids Kung Fu is an all around tool for maintaining and developing strong minds and healthy bodies for the children of today.

 

[Ancalagon]

Ask an instructor whether he feels your child is too young. I dont think the risk of injury is great at that stage, but the instructor needs to be comfortable taking on your child. Young children cant concentrate as long as adults can, so they can be quite disruptive to classes. The instructor needs to be comfortable with that.

I did karate for 3 years, from when I was 12 to when I was 15. I enjoyed it and would recommend it. Its a good form of exercise, and its quite interesting to learn. I suppose different people would enjoy different parts of it - I enjoyed technique and kata. I wasnt much good at fighting - my reflexes suck.

 

[D3x]

Quite a few Dojo's take kids from 4 years old but majority start at 5.

I say wait until he is 5 & take him, who knows, he might not enjoy it even.

 

[Nanfeishen]

I want my son to start karate or something similar but I am finding it difficult to find a Martial Arts centre that can accommodate him after hours. Does anyone know of a Martial Artscentre in JHB that offer lessons to young children after hours and / or weekends? He is almost 4, is he too young to start? Pros & cons for those in the know?

And which Martial Arts Discipline would you recommend? Karate, Judo, Kung fu etc?

Go with the Karate, having been involved in Karate and then in Kung Fu for many years, for that age group, i would recommend Karate over other martial arts.
Many schools do offer regular kiddie classes, they more often than not have classes geared toward certain age groups, which means your youngster will mostly be in with other youngsters closer in age to himself.
The following 2 associations are reputable, and known for their quality instructorship, they have been around for a number of years. Give them a call for further more informed info:

http://www.karate.co.za/index.php?option=com_contact&view=category&catid=23&Itemid=13

http://wskfsa.co.za/dojos.asp

 

[AstroTurf]

I was keen to do Judo as a child, I was the youngest by around 2 years in my class so each session turned into a bullying session (in my mind) as all the kids were much bigger than me.

That was not good for my self confidence.

 

[Cheri_N]

I started when I was 7 & its a great thing to do. It (Karate at least) taught me a few things that other kids my age only learned at a later stage in life. Respect, restraint & very importantly, self discipline & keeping fit is a great bonus.

Where about in JHB are you / would you prefer to send him?

Exactly, I think he will benefit tremendously from doing karate . IMO it is way better than rugby or cricket. I am in the Northcliff area so would like to find a place closer to where I stay.

4 is a bit young but when he reaches around 5-6 take him to YMAA Kids Kung Fu. They've got an excellent kung fu program for kids.
From the site;

Thanks for the info!

Go with the Karate, having been involved in Karate and then in Kung Fu for many years, for that age group, i would recommend Karate over other martial arts.
Many schools do offer regular kiddie classes, they more often than not have classes geared toward certain age groups, which means your youngster will mostly be in with other youngsters closer in age to himself.
The following 2 associations are reputable, and known for their quality instructorship, they have been around for a number of years. Give them a call for further more informed info:

http://www.karate.co.za/index.php?option=com_contact&view=category&catid=23&Itemid=13

http://wskfsa.co.za/dojos.asp

Thanks, will do. I want to gather as much info as possible before enrolling him.

I was keen to do Judo as a child, I was the youngest by around 2 years in my class so each session turned into a bullying session (in my mind) as all the kids were much bigger than me.

That was not good for my self confidence.

LOL I don't think that will be a problem for him. He is very big for his age - he wears 5-6 year old clothes and his best friend is 5 and he can take him on in a fighting (read play) match .

 

[Cheri_N]

Ask an instructor whether he feels your child is too young. I dont think the risk of injury is great at that stage, but the instructor needs to be comfortable taking on your child. Young children cant concentrate as long as adults can, so they can be quite disruptive to classes. The instructor needs to be comfortable with that.

I did karate for 3 years, from when I was 12 to when I was 15. I enjoyed it and would recommend it. Its a good form of exercise, and its quite interesting to learn. I suppose different people would enjoy different parts of it - I enjoyed technique and kata. I wasnt much good at fighting - my reflexes suck.

Injury? Injury? I thought it is a disciplined sport LOL

I think he would love the fighting part of it

 

[Djtay]

I want my son to start karate or something similar but I am finding it difficult to find a Martial Arts centre that can accommodate him after hours. Does anyone know of a Martial Artscentre in JHB that offer lessons to young children after hours and / or weekends? He is almost 4, is he too young to start? Pros & cons for those in the know?

And which Martial Arts Discipline would you recommend? Karate, Judo, Kung fu etc?

Karate is a waste of time. BJJ FTW.

Probably have to wait till he's a bit older though.

 

[Palimino]

I want my son to start karate or something similar but I am finding it difficult to find a Martial Arts centre that can accommodate him after hours. Does anyone know of a Martial Artscentre in JHB that offer lessons to young children after hours and / or weekends? He is almost 4, is he too young to start? Pros & cons for those in the know?

And which Martial Arts Discipline would you recommend? Karate, Judo, Kung fu etc?

Judo. At his age, he would practice a lot of falls – the younger the better until it’s instinctive. Much more useful in later life than fighting only (rugby players do this fall training, for eg.) Try the YMCA.

 

[AstroTurf]

Aikido?

 

[Cheri_N]

Judo. At his age, he would practice a lot of falls – the younger the better until it’s instinctive. Much more useful in later life than fighting only (rugby players do this fall training, for eg.) Try the YMCA.

Aikido?

What is the difference between the respective disciplines?

 

[AstroTurf]

http://www.aikido.org.za/

"If your heart is large enough to envelop your adversaries, you can see right through them and avoid their attacks. And once you envelop them, you will be able to guide them along the path indicated to you by heaven and earth. "
Morihei Ueshiba

 

[Pitbull]

4 is way too young. Why would you even consider it at his age?

Wait till he's about 10/11/12.

Even if he has a good instructor, having a superior fighting technique to any of his peers is just going to **** with his mind.

One is never too young to get fit and keep fit

It's easier for a kid of 4 to get fit and stay fit than a kid of 10 or 11

 

[Kilgore_Trout_Redux]

I don't know much about martial arts but I recall someone telling me that karate is the best base from which to learn other martial arts. Something about good form or structure or something. Can someone more knowledgable comment?

 

[Pitbull]

I don't know much about martial arts but I recall someone telling me that karate is the best base from which to learn other martial arts. Something about good form or structure or something. Can someone more knowledgable comment?

The things kids learn from any martial arts form cannot be refuted. It does nothing but good for them and their self esteem. I say go for it, get him in there as soon as possible. He will be very fit, he'll have a very good self esteem and he'll learn respect without it having to be moered into him

 

[Ancalagon]

Injury? Injury? I thought it is a disciplined sport LOL

I think he would love the fighting part of it

Well its a contact sport. Accidents can and do happen, and remember it involves punching and kicking. During training, you usually wont have any serious contact occurring. I dont think they would allow young children to go all out actually. In competition, everyone has to wear gloves, gumguards and body armour, so the risk of injury is reduced. Again, I'd be surprised if thats even an option for such a young age (entering fighting competitions).

Anyway, point being, its a contact sport. I never had any injuries at all in 3 years, but I did accidently cause one (which I felt very guilty about). And that one actually occurred during the warm up, anyway...

What is the difference between the respective disciplines?

Off the top of my head....

Karate means empty hand. There are many, many different styles of karate, each influenced by its founder and subsequent members. Some styles of karate emphasize different things, such as kata,others emphasize combat, others strike a balance. Some styles go for rigid forms and stances, others use more free flow techniques that feel more natural.

The style I did was one of the more rigid ones (Shukokai) with a balance between combat and kata. Kata are demonstrations basically.

Some of the more interesting and enjoyable sessions were when we had a jujitsu trainer come in for a lesson. Our sensei (Don Gold) was a famous martial arts and self defense instructor, so he always had interesting things to say about self defense and getting out of situations.

Aikido is a softer style and doesnt really involve any or many strikes. Its all about using an opponents momentum and force against him - directing his energy away from you rather than striking back. Throws, grapples etc. Breathing is very important to all martial arts, but I think its even more important for Aikido. They also teach the use of the sword (although more than likely you will only get to handle wooden ones).

Dont know much about Kung Fu other than its Chinese in origin whereas Karate and Aikido are Japanese in origin.