I knew this day would come

[Xue Sheng]

And after training over 30 years in MA I’m a nervous wreck. :anic:

My youngest wants to start martial arts and we are going to go check out a few schools this weekend.

 

[clfsean]

And after training over 30 years in MA I’m a nervous wreck. :anic:

My youngest wants to start martial arts and we are going to go check out a few schools this weekend.

Well for starters, make sure that you go somewhere that speaks properly!!!! :whip1: hehehehehehehehe

Has any kind of pre-determination been made or preference voiced by the youngling?

 

[Xue Sheng]

Well for starters, make sure that you go somewhere that speaks properly!!!! :whip1: hehehehehehehehe

Oh you mean my home where they speak proper MANDARIN!!!

Has any kind of pre-determination been made or preference voiced by the youngling?

All she knows is taijiquan and Kung Fu thanks to dad and Kung Fu Panda.

However there are no Kung Fu schools in my area that train young childern so we are likely looking at TKD or Karate to start.

 

[terryl965]

Well remember to ask all the right questions, like rank and linage.

 

[CoryKS]

Well remember to ask all the right questions, like rank and linage.

And how they feel about trees.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Xue in my opinion you should teach her yourself though I know from first hand experience how taxing that can be. Still when I look at my boy's and how far ahead of the curve they are from when I started training I know I have done the right thing so far! Just my 02.

 

[clfsean]

Oh you mean my home where they speak proper MANDARIN!!!

Oiy vey... I'll learn you yet...

All she knows is taijiquan and Kung Fu thanks to dad and Kung Fu Panda.

Nothing wrong with that at all!!

However there are no Kung Fu schools in my area that train young childern so we are likely looking at TKD or Karate to start.

Well find a good solid Okinawan style with quality background. Next best thing to SOUTHERN style TCMA. :uzi:

Although... TKD may be "fun" for her. The Okinawan stuff I don't believe (unless she's just into it like that) would be a "fun" style base for kids.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Xue in my opinion you should teach her yourself though I know from first hand experience how taxing that can be. Still when I look at my boy's and how far ahead of the curve they are from when I started training I know I have done the right thing so far! Just my 02.

Your 2 cents is much appreciated and thank you… and I would teach her but, as my wife pointed out, I am overly protective and this is my little girl we're talking about.

Per my wife, I would never make any money teaching MA because I am to serious.....except with our youngest daughter... there I'm not serious at all… I protect her to much. And she is right, I am overly protective of her and everyone (even her grandmothers) tells me that. At this point we are not even sure that I will be allowed to go watch a class she is in because I may get in the way. Later, after she is there a bit and if she likes it I may be allowed to go. But the initial visits are not happening without Dad.

I have taught her a couple of things over the years but not much and nothing difficult. She likes to do what she calls Kung Fu fighting at home with me but it is still just play and that is my fault. However she did manage to drop me once with a groin punch immediately followed by a groin kick I did not expect, (and for the record I did not get mad at her, I was impressed actually, in pain… but still impressed) but that was more of a function of size difference than intent. She wants to learn taiji too but at the moment due to the knee I can't show her. As soon as the knee is better though I will start training her Taiji and see if she has the patience for it, but at her age I doubt it, but I will keep at it. As she gets older and has more time in an MA school I will probably lighten up a bit and train her more but right now she is my little girl ad I just can’t do it.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Oiy vey... I'll learn you yet...

or I you :EG:

Well find a good solid Okinawan style with quality background. Next best thing to SOUTHERN style TCMA. :uzi:

Although... TKD may be "fun" for her. The Okinawan stuff I don't believe (unless she's just into it like that) would be a "fun" style base for kids.

I do honestly believe, for her, it would be best to approach it from the "fun" perspective at the moment and go from there.

Of the schools we are going to look at from a purely MA POV the Karate school would be best but I am not sure how she (or I) would handle that.

Of the TKD schools one of them deals a lot with children and I have to admit I would recommend it for kids as an intro....I would not recommend it for adults.

The others are all TKD and I do not know them...yet.

Frankly I wish I could get her into a Northern Shaolin because I think she would like the physicality of it and it but the only Northern Shaolin in the area will not train Children. The Kosho School I am going to check out next week might, but I am not sure about that either.

 

[blindsage]

Well, good luck. You said no Northern Shaolin w/ children's classes, any Hung Gar or Choy Lay Fut?

 

[Xue Sheng]

Well, good luck. You said no Northern Shaolin w/ children's classes, any Hung Gar or Choy Lay Fut?

Nope, nothin'

Actual CMA schools in the area amount to Wing Chun and Northern Shaolin and none teach childern.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

I disagree with teaching him yourself, at least not solely. Many of the positive things we get from martial arts we get from our relationship with our Sifu. Dads can't be Sifus. We can teach martial arts, but we're always Dad first.

You and I (and everbody else here) got so much out of martial arts. We wouldn't want our children to miss out on any part of that.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Well we will have to disagree on that one point! My kid's seem to understand and know the difference and many of the people that I personally know their children also seem to have figured it out as well. I could show a laundry list of dad's that have taught their kid's or wives, etc, (ie. Remy Presas, Dan Inosanto, Al Dacoscas, Helio Gracie and his entire family, General Choi, the Tortal Family, Master Humesky, our very own Terry Stoker, myself, etc, etc, etc. just to name a few) but if someone does not want to teach their kids, wife, significant other then I can understand! (it can be trying :)) Still it can be done and personally many a parent has by teaching their kid's first not had to go back and recorrect mistakes or bad habits that were allowed to slip with another instructor. Take another thing like dance I personally know several dance, gymnastics, piano instructors that also teach their kid's and they all seem to excel. Not to mention all of the dad's that have also taught football, baseball, basketball to their kid's as well as any other activity you could think of. My dad taught me many, many things including horse back riding and some shooting not to mention baseball, basketball, etc, etc. Actually I think the instructor student relationship is very,very strong when it is a family member. Quite a bit more than when it is not! Of course as they mature they will also need outside influence from other instructors because no one should only have just one martial instructor. No they need quite a bit more depth than that. Just my 02. as always!

 

[Bruno@MT]

Xue in my opinion you should teach her yourself though I know from first hand experience how taxing that can be. Still when I look at my boy's and how far ahead of the curve they are from when I started training I know I have done the right thing so far! Just my 02.

+1 on what he said. I hope I can teach my kids when they get old enough.
Although your personaliies have to be compatible for maintaining both the father / son and the teacher / student relationship.
I don't know if my daughters would be prepared to learn from me, but I am going to try to teach them if they let me.

Btw in Japanese arts it is fairly common for the parent to teach the kid MA. The son of Tanemura sensei (grandmaster of my art) is a high level shihan within the Genbukan, and according to my sensei, he is really really good.

 

[OnlyAnEgg]

Best of luck to this little dragon

 

[Xue Sheng]

+1 on what he said. I hope I can teach my kids when they get old enough.
Although your personaliies have to be compatible for maintaining both the father / son and the teacher / student relationship.
I don't know if my daughters would be prepared to learn from me, but I am going to try to teach them if they let me.

Btw in Japanese arts it is fairly common for the parent to teach the kid MA. The son of Tanemura sensei (grandmaster of my art) is a high level shihan within the Genbukan, and according to my sensei, he is really really good.

CMA lineage anyone

Most CMA styles were taught within the family in the past and to some extent still are; Chen, Yang, Li, Wu, Ip, Cheng, Chu, etc. William CC Chen taught both his daughter and son and they are both Sanshou medal winners. And as far as I know Yang Jwing Ming taught his kids too.

But then I am guessing none of them were/are as over protective as I am

 

[blindsage]

Many of the positive things we get from martial arts we get from our relationship with our Sifu. Dads can't be Sifus.

One of the meanings of sifu is father. As mentioned before, most styles were historically taught by fathers to their children.

 

[clfsean]

One of the meanings of sifu is father. As mentioned before, most styles were historically taught by fathers to their children.

Also historically the kids weren't nearly as materialized as they are now. Even comparatively. You got up... trained, worked, ate a little, trained, worked, ate a little, trained, slept. Repeat, not necessarily with a rinse. Or some semblance of that.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Best of luck to this little dragon

Absolutely that is what it is all about!

 

[bushidomartialarts]

Fair enough that sifu can mean father. I wouldn't trade my training experiences with my brother and son for anything in the world. But really, part of why our senseis/sifus/professors were so influential was that we weren't entirely, absolutely, 100% certain they wouldn't kill us.

Whether you're training your friends or close family, there's a level of familiarity that robs the students of something valuable. Any teacher who's had his or her own child in the classroom can tell you that.

My reasons for wanting my child to train with me are selfish reasons. My reasons for sending him out to train with other people (whom I trust and respect, of course) are less so.

Just my two cents.