What's a good age for a child to start in martial arts? The age a child starts martial arts depends on the instructor. You know it depends on the teacher. I think you can teach kids martial arts at the...
You know it depends on the teacher. I think you can teach kids martial arts at the age of four. And then they should be working out and differentiating between linear and circular movements. They should be learning things about balance, getting in their body, the difference between right and left, how to standup straight, starting to teach about how their body works a little bit and getting them rolling and doing the basic techniques. I think the emphasis needs to be on blocking, starting to develop some power in their striking with air shields and pads and equipment like that. But the most important thing is that the teacher understands how to motivate children. That they're happy, the kids feel good in the class, not scared and that the kids understand that they are improving themselves by coming to class. They have a positive role model that empowers them, gets them excited, makes them feel good and starts to build their confidence and at the same time, is always driving that point home that this is about developing your character. This is what character is and martial arts will help you improve your character. It's not teaching you to be a bully or to get in fights. It's teaching you how to stay out of fights.
And as long as the teachers are doing things like that, I think they're in good shape. A lot of schools have become motivational daycare centers, which is really sad. They yell and scream and get the kids to yell yes sir. But if you interviewed the kid after class and asked them what the teacher was saying, they have no idea. When the teacher raises his voice at the end of the sentence, every kid screams yes sir. They have got 17-year-old kids teaching the class and training for a year. A 17-year-old doesn't have enough experience in life to be teaching the four-year-old and five-year-old. That is a real precious age and that 17-year-old just left that age a little while ago too.
We don't graduate a senior in high school and let them come back to teach senior students the next year.
It takes going to college and getting some life experience to come back and do something like that.
So that's a real precious age, but I think four years old is an age that for kids, if it's a solid program, can begin to explore martial arts.
