Are you considering martial arts classes for your child or grandchild? Are you concerned about the level of bullying, hazing, and danger that your child could encounter as they enter school? Or, perhaps you're a concerned and proactive parent who's looking to help your son or daughter (yes, martial arts is great for girls too!) develop the positive traits of unshakeable confidence, discipline and self-control, and the positive mental attitude - benefit the martial arts have long been known for - that will allow them to be the successful adult you want them to grow up to become.

One of the most common questions that I'm asked on a regular basis concerns the best age to start a child in martial arts training. While every school is different, not just in the age that a child may start, but also in the type of program that is offered and what benefits that program will have on the child, will determine the best answer.  After all, I'm sure we can both agree that a "ground-and-pound" Brazilian jujitsu program, designed to produce competitive fighters, will be very different from a self-defense and personal development-oriented program like Ninjutsu (the self-defense and life mastery system of Japan's ancient Samurai & Ninja) will be - one designed to promote success traits and life skills, while teaching that martial arts should only be used for self-defense and the protection of others... and only as a last resort.

If the latter is what you're looking for, then this article is for you. And, as such, it's designed to give you sense of clarity on the subject, as well as to offer my opinion from the standpoint of self defense - rather than winning a trophy for beating someone up, or in how "cute" Johnny or Janey looks in his or her uniform!

If you're interested in learning more about this topic, and how the Warrior Concepts' Children's Martial Arts  Program might be able to help your child, feel free to download our complimentary youth martial arts program brochure here.

Martial Arts Classes for Children Based on More Than Age

While there are many schools doing things differently, children do better when they are grouped by common factors.  These factors include:

This means that, in addition to age ranges and the developmental stages that each brings, children's martial arts classes should also be divided according to what parents of each age-group is typically looking for at that age; as-well-as the kinds of safety and self-defense concerns and situations that children in age group might find themselves having to deal with.

Where parents of older children, say 7 or 8 to twelve year olds (and even teens) are looking to help their child develop greater confidence, self-discipline, respect, and the ability to resist negative peer pressure...

...parents with younger children are generally either looking to bring the shy child - one who could be easily targeted (because they shut down in strange situations) - out of his or her "shell;" or looking to calm and focus the hyper child, and to get help with reinforcing the manners and other success traits they're trying to instill at home.

Both, of course, are also concerned about the problems they see in the world, and want to make sure that their child doesn't become a victim of violence.  This table shows the typical reasons parents give for enrolling their child into our martial arts classes based on different age groups:

How Young Can You Start a Child in Martial Arts?

Again, this is one of the most common questions we get, especially from parents and grandparents of very young children, to which I generally suggest starting a child around the age of 3 1/2 or 4 years old depending, of course, on your child's development (ability to communicate, ability to participate in a group activity without constantly running back and forth to parents, etc.). While my own daughters began at 2 1/2, they were "home-trained" by me and didn't really enter the dojo ('martial arts training hall') setting until the age of 3 or 3 1/2. At this age, they are starting to develop a better attention span, memory retention, and the ability to communicate well and stay on topic.

That being said, it really depends on the child. However, the one thing that needs to be kept in mind is that the child is not an "adult-brain" in a child's body. I know how obvious that sounds, but you would be amazed by the number of people who believe that their children are learning certain lessons, like the "stranger rules," for the same reason that adults are teaching it.  And that's just the beginning of the confusion. Add to that the fact that most adults have no idea what to look for when it comes to self defense, or even where to begin, and you can end up with quite a mess.

I have another article on this for those who are interested in diving deeper into this critically important subject, but...

If you're really interested in helping your child with safety and how to avoid doing things that actually counter that goal, then you might be interested in my book, "10 Really Stupid Things Parents Do To Put Their Child In Danger (without knowing it)."  I know, long title, but it says it all.  Of course the choice is yours, but if you're serious about making them as safe as possible - I mean REALLY safe... then you may want to check it out.  You can download the book here.

What's Included In Martial Arts Classes for Younger Children?

So, the training for this age must be centered around the child's needs and what he or she may run into in a real-world incident, as well as in HOW that learn best at such a young age.  Contrary to popular belief and both teaching AND parenting styles... children are not adult brains in a smaller body!

We would never teach a child the same things, or in the same way that we teach adults because they are not going to get into a scientific "slug-fest" with another kid their age. It's just not going to happen.  On top of that, young children especially learn much better in game format than they do in a conventional classroom "lecture" format.

That means that training should focus on evasion and avoiding of things like:

And, especially for very young or smaller children, it should definitely include defenses for pick-up attacks where an adult abductor is trying to carry the child off, as well as skills and lessons for escaping and hiding tactics that use the child's smaller frame as an advantage over the larger body of an adult attacker, and...

Be FUN!

In addition, skills which focus on coordination, socialization, manners, respect, and discipline could (and should) be incorporated - skills that will serve to help your child be successful in all areas of life, and not just the martial arts.

Remember; your child, like all students of any age, has specific needs and dangers that must be accounted for and met when looking for a children's martial arts program.  This includes everything from intellectual understanding, to other things like:

• using a child's smaller physical size and strength
• developmental issues (like coordination, balance, etc.)
• overcoming a false sense of security (without scaring or making a child paranoid)
• preserving youthful innocence (while simultaneously teaching them what they need to know)
• etc.

Honestly... if you're looking for a sport or recreational form of martial arts for kids for your child to simply have fun with, practically any style or school will do. But, if you're a concerned parent who's looking for answers and a real-world self-defense and personal development education for your child - one that he or she will never get in any school or university they ever go to - then you need to know what to look for when evaluating a martial arts school advertising martial arts classes for children.

I hope I've given you more than a few things that will help in your search.

If you live in the Sunbury, Selinsgrove, or Lewisburg areas of east-central Pennsylvania and want more information about how the youth martial arts programs at Warrior Concepts' Black Belt & Life Mastery Academy might be able to help you help your child, feel free to call the Academy at (570) 884-1118, email us at info@warrior-concepts-online.com or, if you're on Facebook, IM us through the Warrior Concepts Black Belt & Life Mastery Academy page; and either I or one of our professional, friendly, and helpful staff members will be happy to help you.

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