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Karate Kids
Children and Martial Arts By Carma Haley
"Our son is 8 years old. He started karate at age 7 and now has his green belt," says Anne Trudelle, an occupational nurse from Port Perry, Ontario, Canada. "The reason we put our son in karate was threefold: to increase his self-confidence and thereby his focus on scholastic skills, increase his social awareness in that if ever confronted, he was in receipt of the knowledge of how to protect himself and others from danger. He also showed interest in traditional karate. Notice there is no mention of competitions; there are none in Shotokan. This appealed to me."
Parents can visit various martial arts facilities where they can view the techniques, class sizes and levels of participation to aid in determining which style and program best suits their child. Instructors are often open to answering any questions and addressing concerns that may be brought by parents. "Parents need to locate a studio in their area and go, sit and just watch," says Roberson. "I would recommend going at least twice and watching. There are a few important tips that I encourage all parents to watch for. Check to ensure that a black belt instructor, or at least a very high ranking brown belt, is teaching the very young. Ensure that the instructor is not promoting fighting for ages 4 to 6. This is not an appropriate skill for this age group to be learning. The concept of "sparring" or fighting is reserved only for older students who understand the philosophy of sparring. Parents need to trust their intuition. For very young students, the instructor should be incorporating lots of games and activities into their workouts. If it feels that the instructor is not having fun and enjoying his young students, then this is not an appropriate environment for kids and parents need to keep looking."
In addition to building confidence and self-esteem, classes in martial arts offers other benefits as well. According to Roberson, children with learning difficulty, such as ADHD, hyperactivity or behavior problems, can benefit from the structure learning program that martial arts training offers. Parents of ADHD children tend to agree. "Our son, David, participated i tae kwon do from ages 9 to 11," says Karen Jenista, a housewife from Colorado Springs, Colo. "His psychologist recommended a form of martial arts to instill self-discipline and self-esteem in David, issues that were present due to his ADHD. David progressed to the green-belt level. Participating in tae kwon do did give David confidence -- in himself and his abilities. I think it really helped him to have visible proof of his ability -- the different colored belts and the awards of his achievements."