Childrens Martial Arts

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Hop over to The Martial Arts Vault and enjoy lots of free and cool stuff about self-defense and the martial arts.
In addition to the free stuff you may also find the occasional (and substantial) rebates to my e-books etc.

Here are two facts I consider vital pieces of information:

A. In general, martial arts are great for the vast majority of children.
B. Almost all martial arts claim they teach self-defense.

You can't really go much wrong in my opinion, if you pick a reputable martial arts club or school for self-improvement, discipline, fitness, improving gross and fine motor skills, setting and reaching goals - as well as a host of other positive things - for your child!

Self-defense however, is a different matter all together.
Consider some of the things it entails: Awareness; social skills; communication skills; evasive maneuvers; defensive, offensive and passive tactics; kicking, punching and grappling; stand-up and on the ground; short range, medium and long range; softer and harder; one on one and group situation; third party interventions ... the list goes on and on.
Furthermore - is self-defense automatically the same for children as for adults? I would dare say it is far from it by any standard!

Now, I urge you to read this and make up your own mind.

Am I to say this school was not teaching "proper" self-defense? No. I can't do that - all the time I don't know this art or school.
What I will say however is that there's obviously a huge gap between what the parent thought the child was getting, and what they actually got.
Please make sure that you educate yourself properly before signing anything.

Discussing the subject of having your children enrolled at a martial arts school, will usually bring about one of three responses.

These are commonly along the lines of:
1. "I love it, my youngest one has become much more focused at school", or
2. "No, I tried it, but it wasn't the right thing for my child", or
3. "Martial arts? I don't want them to become more violent and aggressive!"

Any concerns or objections that parents may have towards children learning martial arts, is not only legitimate and understandable - they are to be appreciated; after all your child are likely being taught - or will be most likely be taught...

Read this blog post and the news article it's based on to get a clearer picture of what we're talking about here.
Even though this particular post and article is about autistic children, I'm sure you get the idea :-)
Martial arts has proven to be a fantastic tool for children with conditions and diseases such as (but not limited to) ADHD, autism, cancer, Asberger syndrome, Downs syndrome, epilepsy and cerebral palsy.
I urge you to go to Inspirational Martial Arts Stories and read more about all the instances where martial arts have proven to be helpful - for kids and adults alike.

Just as it is with regular teachers and sports coaches, the vast majority of martial arts teachers and instructors are good people who wouldn't dream of hurting a child. They live and breath the kindness, respect and integrity that is deeply ingrained in all true martial arts.
However, there are those who take exception to that rule - people who pray on children.
Lately we have had a seemingly growing number of cases within the arts. Personally I tend to believe this is because more people are coming forward - not necessarily because it happens more often.
Whatever the case might be, I believe it's in your best interest also to keep an eye on this side of the story.
You can keep up to date on my blog Martial Arts Sources, or get more in depth information at Martial Arts News.
And for sure, don't hesitate to give me your feedback on this important topic!