At what age
- Thread starter terryl965
- Start date
bushidomartialarts
Senior Master
Our 4-5 year old class is entirely SD free.
Our 6-9 year olds learn appropriate self defense: abduction resistance, bully escapes, environmental safety (crossing a street, first aid, fire safety,etc). The rest of the time is spent on basics, kata and athletics.
Our 10-14 year old class learns SD appropriate for that age: yeah, you're pobably going to get in a fight at some point during those years. No, you're not going to be justified in gouging out an eye or putting an elbow in their throat. So we focus on stunning shots, large joint manipulations, throws, stuff like that.
At 15 they start with the adult SD techniques.
Our 6-9 year olds learn appropriate self defense: abduction resistance, bully escapes, environmental safety (crossing a street, first aid, fire safety,etc). The rest of the time is spent on basics, kata and athletics.
Our 10-14 year old class learns SD appropriate for that age: yeah, you're pobably going to get in a fight at some point during those years. No, you're not going to be justified in gouging out an eye or putting an elbow in their throat. So we focus on stunning shots, large joint manipulations, throws, stuff like that.
At 15 they start with the adult SD techniques.
I start teaching it immediately, but as mentioned above, it comes in stages. I think the main difference between me and most commercial schools is that I teach it for effect from the beginning. Because my classes are kept small, almost as much of our time is centered around the responsibility of learning these things as the actual technique itself.
I think this is the way to go, sounds very like the way we teach. We start at 4 years with simple things which follow the police teaching they get in schools plus things they can manage at that age (they start 'proper' school here at 4 and half).
I'm gonna add to the chorus...
I think this is the way to go. I don't teach kids under 7 years old, and between 7 and 10 or so, it's a case-by-case decision. That said -- I teach any student appropriate self-defense skills. For the youngest kids (and some teenage girls, especially), a lot of that is that you CAN tell an adult "NO!" and who to run to for help. A few very basic ways to break grips, and similar material, also. As kids get older, the self defense training expands.
I guess it depends on your definition of "self-defense". When and how to run is a self-defense skill, as is knowing where to go. I teach that to students of all ages from day 1, but I emphasize it more with younger students. I also teach younger students to yell "not my parent" - because how many times have you seen a child screaming in the arms of an adult, and shrugged it off as a child having a tantrum? Usually it is - but not always. After that, they learn the curriculum, which contains a range of SD techniques - which ones I teach varies based on age, size, gender, and maturity, but, for example, as white belts, they all learn how to release from a single-hand grab to the wrist... but which releases I teach them vary.
Bret Hinds
Green Belt
We do not teach the children full contact maining strikes or death strikes.We have our little dragons and little tigers learn to get out of wrist graps and choke breaks,they are not strong punchers or kickers yet. The adult classes we teach right off. I also have some mentalty challanged adult students as well as some other issues. I do not teach more than I think that they are able to handle with care. All the best in the arts
