# Hi everyone!



## Aileen312 (Jul 3, 2014)

I hope everyone's doing great. I'm new to everything martial arts related and just wanting to learn more, mainly because I want to make a good decision about what to start my kids on. Once they're older they'll be able to do their own research and decisions but I think it's important to introduce them to physical fitness as early as possible so they'll develop flexibility and self discipline for whatever they choose to do later. Anyways, right now I'm leaning toward wushu for several reasons but definitely open to suggestions. I heard many people say it's more gymnastics than fighting, but I suppose that for preschoolers that's not a bad thing (not sure I want them learning how to kill with one strike at this age!) and once they're teens they can choose to make the transition toward muay thai, krav maga or whatever has usefulness for self defense. But I'm still not 100÷ sure where they'll be going and I'll need opinions on the teachers (si fu?) I might find in my area lol. Hugs to all!


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## jezr74 (Jul 3, 2014)

Welcome to MT Aileen.

How old are your kids? I think at very early stages, getting them active is a great idea. You will find most MA schools will have a program for younger ones. But there curriculum might be different and you'll need to speak wit the instructors to find out. I've encountered places that taught the kids to strike dangerously and manipulate joints aggressively, I took them out, as personally I didn't think it was age appropriate and can give a child a false sense of security, instead I look for schools that encouraged motor skills more and fitness. If it involves striking and kicking pads that's fine, what kids doesn't love that.

Good luck with your selection you have come to the right place for advice...


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## Aileen312 (Jul 3, 2014)

H jezr, thanks for the welcome  My kids are barely toddlers, just 4 and 3 so I'm not sure if even the oldest baby will be able to attend class yet or will have to wait. I just want to start researching so the decision won't be rushed. Yeah I know, certain techniques are just not for kids imo. Not that I don't want them tp be able to defend themselves but that can come in a few years lol


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## wingchun100 (Jul 3, 2014)

Welcome to the boards, and you heard right: having studied at a wu shu school, I can tell you it was pretty much useless for street defense. However, it did have me in the best shape of my life for a while...until I quit and got into wing chun. LOL


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## Aileen312 (Jul 3, 2014)

Hi wingchun! Yeah I guess by now I'm convinced that wu shu isn't going to make them great fighters, street-wise, but I'm hoping it could be a good foundation for whatever they may want to do next. I know what you mean about being in a good shape. I think athleticism is a good thing to develop, that's why I don't want them to go straight into the 'grappling type' martial arts. I don't mean to offend anyone (as I'm not in an optimal shape myself!) but I've seen folks in those categories who don't seem very fit or flexible at all ​. But I might be wrong, that's why I'm trying to get more info hehe


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## donald1 (Jul 3, 2014)

As long as the instructor is good at what he does.  It's okay if your not physically fit that's good but the first priorities are 
-effort,  it will always require effort 
-and be patient it takes time nobody becomes skilled over night 
The more skilled you get the more control you will need,  a strike powerful enough to kill can be necessary but should only be used if life feels threatened (it is a last resort) i respect your concern for your children's safety but i'm certain they will also teach techniques good to restrain the hostile without escalating violence. 
I enjoy martial arts they may come to enjoy martial arts,  there's a lot that can be learned through dedication,  effort,  and respect for others 
Best of luck


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## hoshin1600 (Jul 4, 2014)

hey Aileen,
i have been around martial arts for 30 + years and i have been asked questions about kids and martial arts a lot as will many of the posters here.  this is my advise.  my son is 4, i have taught 4 year olds and feel its a little to early for them to do martial arts.  i think 6 is a good age to start but each child is different.  first thing i always tell parents..your child will not learn to defend themselves!!!!  im sorry but its true.  children under the age of around 12 will not have the emotional development to comprehend the reality self defense, thus the training is more a form of "play".  as a parent you have to think of the reality as well. who do you want your child to defend themselves from?  another child in their social circle?  fighting is no longer the recomended or accepted response to bulling and you could have the school system breathing down on you.  most parents can not actually say they "want their child to beat up other kids".   did you want your child to defend themselves against adult kidnappers or something similar?  im sorry that is not going to happen. that scenario is just not possible.  my belief is that the only true self defense you can give a child is to teach them the abilty to say NO.   children are taught "to listen to and obey adults"  the child feels small and inferior to a grown up.  thus evil people find it very easy to prey on them.  the best defense is to teach the child to have confidence and find their own voice. to say no, even to adults.  most molestations are from people they know.  so be realistic on why you want your child to take up this activity.
next i would say go watch a class and decide if the instuctors are people you like and admire. you are trying to judge character.  remember this..your child will look up to their teacher. somtimes more so than you.  your child will copy their teachers behavior. they will imitate and repeat everything he or she says.  is this person someone you want your child to model themselves after?  
all that being said the style or system doesnt really matter. what matters is your expectaions and that the school you choose meets those expectations.

i hope this helps and i hope you find what your looking for.


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## Cirdan (Jul 4, 2014)

Welcome to MT Aileen.

4 years old is for most too early for regular MA classes, 6-8 is the age when coordination is developed enough. Some places do have classes for even younger kids, mostly play which is perfectly fine.


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## Aileen312 (Jul 4, 2014)

HI donald, hoshin and cirdan  Yeah I wasn' t sure if 4 would be old enough to start. I found a teacher that takes them from 5 so I might just wait it out and go with her. She comes from the PRC where she's supposed to have won several competitions so I figure she must be alright  

I guess what I want for my kids right now is to get them into the habit of working out and being physically fit. I know they won't be able to defend from a grown up and at their age bullying isn't as common. It's more about the physical conditioning. That's why I'm leaning more and more toward wushu even though some people seem negative about it, especially on Yahoo Answers lol. They say it's too flashy and no good for fights. I guess I'm not expecting my kids to be in fights until they're much older, and really kids this age can't do much damage to each other lol


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## donald1 (Jul 4, 2014)

I won't put down wushu like some people have done in the past.  In my opinion its the simple moves that are effective because they work and are quicker since there easier.  A good flashy kick looks interesting might even hurt more but a simple kick will get the job done too. a lot of people comment in negative ways(disrespectful)  if someone has never tried a specific style then how can they judge if it is good or not?  They probably never tried it or used it effectively. 

It is probably a good way for physical fitness.
Best of luck


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## jks9199 (Jul 4, 2014)

Honestly -- I'd wait on martial arts.  My kid's five -- and I've played with him and shown him some things, but not taught him.  They need a better attention span than they tend to have at that age, and some other skills that just come with development time.  I'd recommend something along the lines of The Little Gym or Gymboree or Toddlin Time for them, instead.  They have programs that are tailored to the kid's developmental abilities, that they kids have a lot fun at.  I've named them only because I'm directly familiar with what they do; there are plenty of others out there.  Visit, watch a class at your kid's level, and pick one that fits your kid's personality.

When they're a little older  -- closer to 7 or 8 -- start visiting martial art schools.  Honestly - a lot of the tae kwon do schools out there have really done a good job developing programs for kids.  How the programs relate to "real" martial arts training is a source of endless debate -- but a lot of them have really developed good programs for kids.  Again, it's a process of visiting and assessing the fit.


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## donnaTKD (Jul 4, 2014)

hiya 

i've seen kids of 5 and 6 learning muay thai in my school   looked like they were really into it and the instructor always gave out a warning at the end of the session that they were never to use their skills outside of the gym - not sure if that works or not.  they'll learn discipline, agility, speed, when to do what and when to walk away, they'll get structure into their routines and a way of doing things that they automatically transfer to other things and it's not all outright violence - muay thai is far more athletic than most and it's not all UFC and cage fighting or fighting in the ring either.  your kids will grow up with a platform from where if they choose can compete at local and national level.  you just gotta find the right school.

one other point about MT is that after a session your kids are less likely to be any hassle to you cos all their energy will have been used up   i "teach" my neice and it's given like me a structure to her days


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## Aileen312 (Jul 5, 2014)

Hi donald, that's true. Sometimes I express opinions about stuff that then I realize I don't know enough about but I guess it's human nature to do that lol They do have a point that if there is wrestling involved or whatever, it probably doesn't help much to know wushu but that type of knowledge can be gained from other MAs they might decide to take later. 

Hi Jks, I know what you mean about attention span. It seems it might be a better idea to have him start around 6 but I was a little clueless about the right age to start a sport like this lol

Hi donna! You know, I was considering Muay Thai as one of my first choices but then I figured it might be a little too aggressive for the little tots lol, but I guess that if the class is tailored to suit them that's fine. I don't know too much about MT, even less than I do about Chinese MA which is a lot to say. I do like Tony Jaa but I heard he's more of a gymnast, though he does use quite a bit of muay thai right? it definitely seems cool


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## donnaTKD (Jul 5, 2014)

i train and fight Muay Thai (thai kickboxing) - both in the ring and the cage  

 the standard training is more akin to high impact circuit training cos you gotta have the flexibilty, stamina and speed to carry it out   your kids will learn the fundamentals of boxing and the work ethic that goes with it

the training for MT starts with circuit training then moves into punching / kicking pads (not other people - that's for fight club) where your kids will learn how to not hurt themselves and do things in the correct manner it provides structure to their training cos everything has to be done in a certain way or it just won't work.

try them with MT and i bet that both of them will love it   i trained TKD for a while but it just didn't give me the sort of workout that MT does so i stayed total MT  and i've not regretted that decision.

as a RDX sponsored gear tester i can say that the RDX 6oz kids gloves are a work of art - they even do them in pink tooif you got a daughter


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