Martial arts training for a kid.

[matrosov]

Hi guys loosely gun related topic. Looking for a martial arts training for my 10 year old son. By martial arts I mean practical self defense oriented martial arts dojos not mcdojos that are now it seems on every corner . Just to describe what I'm looking for back at his age when I started doing this stuff in Russia class lasted hour and a half to two hours, during the class we did at least 50 pushups for younger kids and 50 situps plus whole bunch of other body weight exercises,reps grew with age groups. With the first class you'd start on confidence partnered exercises one of them was you stand hands behind your head your partner slaps you on the face followed by punches to the stomach, you had to maintain a smile on your face. What was taught was not really any particular style, we learned anything and everything from combat sambo to wing chun to traditional boxing, with jiu jitsu in between. That type of martial arts. Do we have any schools in the area like this? Yes I get it insurance regulations child abuse regulations all that nice stuff but still want to find a school that will work his ass off for my money and teach him to work thru fear and obstacles. And of course teach him skills.

[P89]

I'm not in your area but IMHO...

I completely understand wanting to get your kid some training but I think 10 may be on the threshold of too young. All you may find is Karate for kids kind of classes. Have you considered maybe getting him involved in youth wrestling first? I say this because that would get him prepared and gain skill for the type of training he's going to face in a Dojo without the full body blows. Also, he'll be more receptive to training when the testosterone starts to kick in and will serve as an outlet for young man angst. Remember, you really don't start training until your first black belt and tournaments are nothing but a calculated game of tag. Times have changed from when we were young and the Dojo you're looking for might not exist anymore. There's still a few guys out there but you have to seek them out because they just won't offer to subject YOUR kid to that abuse. Whatever you do, don't force him.

Best of luck.

[Hodgie]

With the popularity of MMA, BJJ, and Boxing it should be fairly easy to find a school that will teach your son a real style of fighting and self defense. My Nephew started when he was 6 and a half years old and that kid can scrap now. Where I live it's nothing but chain karate stuff or one off dojo's but no BJJ, judo, wrestling or boxing which I hope changes in the next few years so I can get my kids involved.

[Krichardson]

There might be a Tiger Schulmann location near you.

[scruff]

That's what you want. What does your son want?

[matrosov]

That's what you want. What does your son want?

It's not a want it's a need really. He needs to start learning some dealing with adversity and working thru problems plus violence in a controlled environment. He is approaching that fine age and I'm already seeing stuff where his mouth might cause him consequences with peers who are twice the size of him. My bark carries the lesson so far since I don't hit my kids. I can teach him but my way would be way more painful and less fun than a good coach with a bunch of his peers. Knuckle push ups and hitting makiwara till your knuckles bleed is the way I learned but might be too much for him. The Tiger shulmans of the world don't sit well with me it's corporate and kata and milking money from the parents and less of putting blood sweat and tears into what you do.

[matrosov]

With the popularity of MMA, BJJ, and Boxing it should be fairly easy to find a school that will teach your son a real style of fighting and self defense. My Nephew started when he was 6 and a half years old and that kid can scrap now. Where I live it's nothing but chain karate stuff or one off dojo's but no BJJ, judo, wrestling or boxing which I hope changes in the next few years so I can get my kids involved.

I thought so too until I started looking around and found it's all about franchises and looking good and buying gear and screaming kiaaaah at the top of your lungs and less about actually working till your uniform drips with sweat . I don't want him competing I want him to learn self discipline and to walk away from the conflict knowing full well he can win it.

[Emptymag]

That's what you want. What does your son want?

When I was little, I was little, (I was also a year younger than everyone else in my class) and other kids picked on me and pushed me around.
My parents wanted me to take karate lessons and even took me to see a lesson being taught, hoping that would make me want to do it.
I refused. I'm glad they didn't force it.

Would I have been better off in life having been forced to go? Hard to say, but I doubt it.
One day after being "poked" by a bully on the bus I just "went off" and hit him back "American style" and the bullying stopped.
Saved my poor parents a lot of money. LOL

[scruff]

It's not a want it's a need really. He needs to start learning some dealing with adversity and working thru problems plus violence in a controlled environment. He is approaching that fine age and I'm already seeing stuff where his mouth might cause him consequences with peers who are twice the size of him. My bark carries the lesson so far since I don't hit my kids. I can teach him but my way would be way more painful and less fun than a good coach with a bunch of his peers. Knuckle push ups and hitting makiwara till your knuckles bleed is the way I learned but might be too much for him. The Tiger shulmans of the world don't sit well with me it's corporate and kata and milking money from the parents and less of putting blood sweat and tears into what you do.

Personally, I don't see how you would get a 10 year old to commit to years of blood, sweat and tears if it's not something he wants to do.

[Mitch10mm]

I’d say it’s very specific to the individual. Some of our greatest athletes never would have been if their parents hadn’t made them try and then made them stick with it. And they were glad their parents did.
It’s not much different than anything else a parent does to direct their kids in a certain direction. Of course I’m not talking about pageant moms and the angry father at Little League. I’m just saying some kids will sit on the sideline unless they are forced into the world. For most it’s fear and insecurity. Kids don’t understand that just about all their friends have the same