8-Year-Old Martial Arts Champ

[Tez3]

From all the twirling, cartwheels, and screaming with almost every move I would venture a guess this was an ISKA event.
Not saying she was not good because she was darn good with what she did, but for myself there was way to much showmanship and not enough of what I would call swordsmanship.
Yes, I have a problem with a lot of acrobatics and baton techniques in weapons forms but that’s just my old school mentality.

I've only known the ISKA as a kickboxing organisatoin with a lot of pro fighters and fight nights, I've never seen kids at their fight nights and never anything like this, it's all kickboxing and Muay Thai. Perhaps it's a different organisation in the States?

 

[clfsean]

Craptacular martial arts ... nuff said.

 

[chinto]

well 8 year old black belt said it all... sad.. sorry but I find child black belts a very sick joke.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

I couldn't see the video, it said site not found but I'm with JudoChamp here, that just saying it's an 8 year old black belt was enough to form an opinion.

I'm not a fan of child black belts.

I too am not a fan of child black belts but in saying that, I would much rather see a dedicated, highly skilled child wearing a black belt than a lazy, unskilled adult wearing a black belt.

 

[Ken Morgan]

I too am not a fan of child black belts but in saying that, I would much rather see a dedicated, highly skilled child wearing a black belt than a lazy, unskilled adult wearing a black belt.

Agreed.
They can only learn what they are taught. If they are taught crap, then that is what they demonstrate.

 

[Thesemindz]

I don't think this is crap. I just don't consider it karate either. It's more like martial arts themed dance.

That being said, she's pretty damn good at her martial arts themed dance. I have a question for the sword stylists here. Obviously, this isn't real sword work, but wouldn't she still be pretty dangerous with a sword in her hand? I mean, at least compared to someone who doesn't know how to use one at all. She was twirling and spinning that weapon pretty quickly and she didn't drop the weapon or injure herself, and if her techniques are just for show, they also seem to have a strong amount of focus and intensity.

I'm not saying she's a real swordswoman. But do you think this kind of training gives her any martial skills at all? Could it maybe be a springboard to "real" sword training later in life? Or is it instilling bad habits that would make it more difficult to learn real combat skills? When I see the XMA empty hand stuff I generally think it's flashy and pretty and fun to watch, but the basics and stances are usually awful and I tend to think that a good tough brawler could wipe the floor with most of these screaming dancers.

I'd still rather have kids doing these kinds of activities than sitting on the couch eating potato chips though.


-Rob

 

[Ken Morgan]

Sorry crap was perhaps the wrong word to use. I agree with your assessment.

It’s like learning baseball and then cricket, there’s a bat, a ball, and you run. That’s about it for similarities, being good at one, does not mean you will be good at another. It all comes down to attitude, have the correct attitude, and you can learn anything reasonably well.

Learning any art you will always learn bad habits; you have to develop bad habits somewhere in your practice, the trick is to work them out through years of practice.

When I watch anyone do similar “sword work” as this girl was demonstrating, a little voice in my head keeps saying target, opening, target, opening. If you don’t know how to use a sword, she’s scary as hell, if you’ve done kendo for a year, you’re drooling because you just want to walk up and hit her.

 

[Tez3]

I too am not a fan of child black belts but in saying that, I would much rather see a dedicated, highly skilled child wearing a black belt than a lazy, unskilled adult wearing a black belt.

It depends, I think, on what the child is highly skilled at, if they are very good gymnasts and dancers but their instructors are saying it's martial arts, it's a shame for the kids to be mislead.

I love the lazy unskilled adult black belts, LOL, it's play time!!

 

[ralphmcpherson]

It depends, I think, on what the child is highly skilled at, if they are very good gymnasts and dancers but their instructors are saying it's martial arts, it's a shame for the kids to be mislead.

I love the lazy unskilled adult black belts, LOL, it's play time!!

It should be play time, but I find those sort of guys are always injured and are rarely, if ever, up to any sparring. They do love to wander around giving advice though

 

[Champ-Pain]

They love to wander around giving advice

They should listen to their own crappy advice - in view that nobody else wants to hear it.