Karate/Martial Arts for Six Year Old

nchunt101

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Long story short I have a six year old stepson who wants to take karate. Part of me thinks this is a really good idea being that it will teach him some responsibility,self defense etc. That said would Scouting serve him better as it seems to be more well rounded and honestly I would enjoy participating in camp outs etc. Also if he is going to do the martial art thing what type offers the most practical and effective self defense.
 
My son (9) has been taking tae Kwon do for 4 years now. He loves it, we love the respect, discipline it teaches.
 
Long story short I have a six year old stepson who wants to take karate. Part of me thinks this is a really good idea being that it will teach him some responsibility,self defense etc. That said would Scouting serve him better as it seems to be more well rounded and honestly I would enjoy participating in camp outs etc. Also if he is going to do the martial art thing what type offers the most practical and effective self defense.
Sadly enough scouting is far removed from what it once was. While there are scholarship opportunities in scouting there are probably equally as many if not more for different types of martial arts. I am not trying to down scouting at all but we were looking at this for our son and the organization does not seem to be what it used to be. It seems like a lot of the pride and joy and ruggedness that was once in scouting has been removed and that it has become a shell of its previous existence. Now I am not saying all scouting groups are this way but locally that has been my experience.
 
Years ago, I knew a Kenpo teacher that ran an excellent kids class. One of the things he did was require them to bring in a paper signed by their teacher and parents saying they were behaving at home and school, before allowing them to advance in rank. I would judge by the teacher more than the art.
 
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Got my son into Tang Soo Do when he was 6. He earned his black belt by age 9. 2nd dan at 11. Nobody ever tried anything more than once on him at school. The morons that thought they had something to prove picked him because he was always the tallest in the class. And always regretted that choice.
I started going to class with him. Our school had kids classes and all ages classes. That way the kids learned to use the techniques against adults too. Not just people their own size.

My son, at age 12, flying side kick through 4 boards jumping over 3 students.
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Sadly enough scouting is far removed from what it once was.

This has been my experience as well. My boys (10 & 8) did scouts last year and hated it. All of the brochures and hype is around campouts and whittling with a REAL knife...in reality our experience was coloring, reading and nothing physical.

That being said, it's very likely a Troop to Troop difference. I'm sure there are troops that are well organized and have a great time. You aren't required to go to the troop at your school/church, etc. You can shop around for a good one.

My boys also did karate and LOVED it. It's physical, it's social. It has the respect/discipline aspects. It has cool uniforms. Etc.

You can always go camping as a family without being in a scout troop...
 
I studied karate. I highly recommend it for kids for building self-confidence, self-discipline and respect.
But, go watch a few classes before signing up. Every teacher is different. Some are excellent at teaching kids, some so-so.
My teachers never tolerated any bullies, and required good behavior in and out of the dojo.

Scouting is very different than it was back in the 60's and 70's.
 
As @noway2 said...judge the teacher. All Martial Arts have several things in common: discipline, respect, self defense applications.
And most teachers are of high moral character...but there are some who are not while there are others who stand head and shoulders above the rest.
My advice to you is to 1) not pigeon hole yourself into thinking one art is 'better' than another and 2) visit the school multiple times and observe the instructor with his students...especially on a day where a student or two are frustrating him.

Judge the teacher by his requirements, words, and deeds. You'll find the right fit.
 
My step daughter has been taking martial arts(tae kwon do) for 13 yrs and has only had to use it one time. And that was defending a friend from a bully. It was well worth the money.
 
Taekwondo, karate, make good ones to start with. I took both for several years when I was little. When I turn 18 I took 2 years of hapkido. Loved it but not for people that like to hurt people just to hurt them if you know what I mean.
 
Years ago, I knew a Kenpo teacher that ran an excellent kids class. One of the things he did was require them to bring in a paper signed by their teacher and parents saying they were behaving at home and school, before allowing them to advance in rank. I would judge by the teacher more than the art.

My son's place does the same thing before testing for another belt. There is a form for parents and a form for teachers. My son received his provisional black belt this past December at age 9. He cannot move up to hapkido until he is 13, but he has already said he wants to do that also.
 
Did martial arts as a kid, but that was years ago.


What do some of you feel are requirements to achieve a black belt (sorry, seeing several here post about sub-10 year olds acquiring this), or what it represents.
 
Thanks for the input. I am glad to hear that martial arts are a good thing. I have to admit I was a bit dubious due to the fact when I hear karate I think Elvis. Shame about the Scouts---I was hoping to get him more interested in shooting/hunting/fishing outdoors. Thus far he has expressed little to no interest and I know me dragging him along with me will likely sour him on it for good.
elvis.jpg
 
Did martial arts as a kid, but that was years ago.


What do some of you feel are requirements to achieve a black belt (sorry, seeing several here post about sub-10 year olds acquiring this), or what it represents.
So, short answer....
Requirements for sub-teen Shodans should be mastery of technique within their age limitations. Shodans for teens and above should be much more stringent with added emphasis on the mind and spirit.

Long winded answer...

Years ago, I had a teacher who had an exceedingly traditional (Japanese) view of Shodan, the first black belt rank. It translates literally as 'beginning degree' in Japanese.
Martial Arts are about mastery of your mind, body, and spirit. He believed, as do I, that a black belt merely signifed a certain level of technical expertise of body control and movement while the true mastery of ones self, especially the mind and spirit, came in the upper ranks following Shodan.
Most people treat black belt as the end game, when it is really only the first step in a very long journey.

I have issues with dojo's that award Shodans to anyone sub-teenager. Smaller kids, unless they are a phenom, simply do not have the same strength, balance, quickness, fluidity, control, or precision commonly found in teenagers. Watch a 10 y/o and a 15 y/o who both have two years experience execute a round kick and tell me which one is more precise, fluid, and controlled. Yep, you guessed it, even though both are far from perfect.
Now, if a school awards smaller kids their Shodan, and then drops their ranking back down, to say blue or green, when they move from one age group to the next, I can get behind that for a couple of reasons.
First, you are telling the kid that while he has made improvement up to this point, his technique needs refined if he is to be at the same level as the bigger kids as well as working on the mind and spirit portions.
Secondly, kids need reinforcement they are doing good at things or they will lose interest. Enter the belt system. It helps keep the kids interested by providing tangible goals to achieve.

Interestingly enough, I saw reason one play out in my school. A ten y/o was awarded his Shodan and at 12 moved to the teen classes. His rank was dropped to blue and his momma raised hell at our Master. He said sure, he can keep his black belt if he can prove he deserves it. Our Master immediately called randori (free practice/sparring) and mommy's little angel proceeded to get trounced by the purple and brown belts.
By the end of the session, the kid was begging for a green belt and forgiveness while momma didnt have a word to say lol


Edited because I can't spell lol
 
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Thank you for your time in answering that.

The dojo that I I practiced at as a kid was very stringent with their belts, no kids were becoming black belts etc
 
Thank you for your time in answering that.

The dojo that I I practiced at as a kid was very stringent with their belts, no kids were becoming black belts etc
No problem at all. The Arts are a big reason I am who I am today and even though I no longer practice, I remain passionate.
I can't speak for all, but I can speak for myself and my Master on this particular topic, and these are his teachings.
 
Martial arts. You can take your kid camping anytime. My youngest was picked on in school. We put him in one of my old high school buddies classes. He wasn't into forms as much as he was into teaching how to end a fight quickly. The bullies learned pretty fast that he was no longer a kid to mess with.
 
Long story short I have a six year old stepson who wants to take karate. Part of me thinks this is a really good idea being that it will teach him some responsibility,self defense etc. That said would Scouting serve him better as it seems to be more well rounded and honestly I would enjoy participating in camp outs etc. Also if he is going to do the martial art thing what type offers the most practical and effective self defense.
At 6 don't worry about the most practical and effective self defense. Put him in something that's fun, interesting, and good exercise.

I recommend Taekwondo based or similar. The kids love the fancy kicks. Later maybe during middle school / preteen, see if he is interested in something like Jujutsu and practical self defense. The taekwondo agility will serve him well when he starts learning more practical self defense when he is more mature.

As far as the Boy Scouts, both churches in this area have dropped them. They've lost some of their traditional family values.
 
Martial Arts, absolutely. I can teach my boy anything he'll learn in scouting. I've taken Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, Jui-jit-su, Shotokan, and Shorin-ryu/Kobudo (moved about a bit in the military). My wife, my youngest, and myself, are in Shorin-ryu/Kobudo (weapons). Obviously that is my personal choice; but all of the styles have something to offer. The main thing is to find a good school, and most of them are. I would shop around a lot, and observe several classes, before committing; and I would steer away from those schools which demand long-term contracts, and seem to be unduly interested in money, showy demonstrations, and tournaments.
 
Check out Cobra Kai, theyre really good!

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I've done both. I started with Cub Scouts, then Webelos, Boy Scouts and Explorers and loved it. We went camping every single month. It was great. Unfortunately, the PC types have taken over, but it was great when I was young.

Then during high school, I started studying Kenpo. Some people are gym rats, I was a dojo rat, eventually becoming a full time instructor, although I haven't trained diligently in years.

There are a lot of good styles and each has their advantages and disadvantages. Others have said it is the instructor, not the style. I agree 100%!

If I were looking for a school for a youngster that was dear to me, I wouldn't decide on a style. Instead I would attend a tournament or two. Most are attended by most of the schools in the general area, but there are some good schools that don't place an emphasis on tournament competition. Don't just decide based on which schools take the most trophies, but just as important (maybe more) is the attitude and demeanor of the students.

Do be prepared for an all day affair! Usually, the events for lower ranks and younger students are held first. A tournament might begin at 9am and by 11am, those cute 8 year old yellow belts are on their way home. Still, you want to stay all the way through the black belt competitions. Those are the ones that are going to be teaching your stepson!

The thing you want to keep a sharp eye out for are bad attitudes and poor sportsmanship. In every organization I have ever been a part of, family, schools, churches, Scouts, companies I've worked with and for, the culture is directly attributable to the leadership that is provided, or sometimes not provided. That doesn't mean that emotions won't play out. After all, I've never been to a tournament that handed out participation trophies. Each competitor should want to win. But if you see bad attitudes or poor sportsmanship (I've been to dozens and it is extremely rare but can happen) that aren't addressed immediately and forcefully, you might want to scratch that school off your list.

Good luck!
 
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