Pros and Cons of Wu Shu for smaller kids?

[Aileen312]

Hi all! I've been looking to start my kids in, most likely, Wu Shu, but most of the opinions I came across on the internet so far are pretty pessimistic about its usefulness. I guess by now I'm pretty convinced that it won't make my children great fighters and that if they want to be able to defend themselves they'll have to get involved in an additional MA. But ... I still think it might be worth it for a preschooler to start off with something acrobatic that can condition their bodies to be flexible and train their reflexes and then at, say 12 years old, get started on a MA that's more focused on defense.

I understand why a 17 year old going away for college might want to go straight for a more aggressive MA that might prepare them to protect themselves in the near future, but being that my kids are so much younger, I feel like a gymnastics type MA might bring more benefits. Also, there's definitely something to be said for the aesthetics of it. When some people say wu shu is flashy, it makes it sound like that's a negative aspect. I mean maybe they're just trying to say that those acrobatics aren't going to be good against an attacker (point taken) but one has to respect the level of physical fitness and conditioning it takes. For example, being in my early 30's I feel like I might be able to learn some grappling techniques (even if I won't become an expert or master) but I just can't picture myself reaching the level of flexibility and agility that are common in quality wu shu competitions. I remember being about 17 and my mom saying to me "you're too young for almost everything I can think of, except starting out in competitive gymnastics."

Anyways, what are your thoughts on wu shu for young ones? and, alternatively, what would be the cons of starting off with it versus TKD or Karate? What would you start your kids with MA-wise at the preschool age? Any thoughts appreciated

ps: My children are half Chinese so choosing a Chinese MA is a way for them to learn more about their heritage but I'm not closed off about other origin MAs.

 

[clfsean]

Hi all! I've been looking to start my kids in, most likely, Wu Shu, but most of the opinions I came across on the internet so far are pretty pessimistic about its usefulness. I guess by now I'm pretty convinced that it won't make my children great fighters and that if they want to be able to defend themselves they'll have to get involved in an additional MA. But ... I still think it might be worth it for a preschooler to start off with something acrobatic that can condition their bodies to be flexible and train their reflexes and then at, say 12 years old, get started on a MA that's more focused on defense.

Well... it's not incorrect in the large picture. Modern or PRC wushu is highly stylized as a sporting event. There you have generally two major divisions... forms and fighting. They're pretty much, but not always, mutually exclusive. Here in the US whether or not a Sanda (fighting) program is offered depends largely on the coach & the coach's background. It is a good way to start kids off because of the training regimen they have to go through which will build speed, strength, flexibility, etc... And that's not to say they can't knock the snot out of a person with what they learn, it's just not how they learn. PRC wushu turns out incredible athletes.

I understand why a 17 year old going away for college might want to go straight for a more aggressive MA that might prepare them to protect themselves in the near future, but being that my kids are so much younger, I feel like a gymnastics type MA might bring more benefits. Also, there's definitely something to be said for the aesthetics of it. When some people say wu shu is flashy, it makes it sound like that's a negative aspect. I mean maybe they're just trying to say that those acrobatics aren't going to be good against an attacker (point taken) but one has to respect the level of physical fitness and conditioning it takes. For example, being in my early 30's I feel like I might be able to learn some grappling techniques (even if I won't become an expert or master) but I just can't picture myself reaching the level of flexibility and agility that are common in quality wu shu competitions. I remember being about 17 and my mom saying to me "you're too young for almost everything I can think of, except starting out in competitive gymnastics."

See above.

Anyways, what are your thoughts on wu shu for young ones? and, alternatively, what would be the cons of starting off with it versus TKD or Karate? What would you start your kids with MA-wise at the preschool age? Any thoughts appreciated

Honestly the biggest difference with young kids is preference & cash. Many, many, many commercial schools take little kids & test them every couple of weeks for whatever the stripe of the day is or whatever. Those are called McDojo/McDojang/McKwoon ... whatever fits your MA background is. I'd look for a program with few belts/rank denominators and instead has a focused training program that does test when a real milestone has been reached in learning/training, not when it's time to pay the bills that month.

ps: My children are half Chinese so choosing a Chinese MA is a way for them to learn more about their heritage but I'm not closed off about other origin MAs.

That also should weigh in if that's what you're after.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

If you want to learn

- ballroom dancing, you should start with Waltz step, fox step, box step, cha cha step, ...
- CMA, you should start with horse stance, bow arrow stance, golden rooster stance, 7 stars stance, ...

Those are the foundation and building blocks. After you are good in those, it will be easier for you to learn anything in the future. If you use Wushu as your starting point for your CMA training, you can always move into TCMA training in the future.

 

[WaterGal]

If your kids are in preschool, I think your big issue isn't about whether Wu Shu is more useful than TKD or Karate. It's going to be finding a school that will a) accept kids that young, and b) actually teach them something. Kids that age have really short attention spans and are still developing basic motor skills and coordination, so teaching them martial arts is pretty challenging and slow going, and a lot of more serious schools won't do it.

I'd recommend you look at what schools are in your area and see what they offer to kids your age. Do a little research about those styles, and then go watch a class or two. See how the class is run, and what results they're getting from the kids. Do they spend most of the class having the kids play games, or are they learning actual techniques and forms? Are the kids learning?