Martial Arts - Los Angeles,CA

My daughter is 15 with a black belt in Tang Soo Do which is a Korean form. While training she also trained in the kempo style but did not continue with it, although she loves martial arts.

She trained about 6 yrs. She is very proud of her achievement. She does not advertise the fact that she is a black belt as she sees that as "bragging".

The training has been beneficial with her self esteem, confidence, perserverance. She goes back to the basics when making decisions.

She practices her martial arts but she is more active with her cheerleading (highest kick on the squad) and orchestra (violin).

If you asked her....she would certainly put in the hard work and effort it took to get where she is. She learned to never give up, no matter what.

I would watch out for places that want you to pay a lot o fmoney up front, watch to see if it is a "belt factory" or if the students are truly learning, are the students enjoying it?, etc.

Good luck.

Hi, S.C.!

My wife saw your question and asked me to help you out as much as I could.

I'm a martial arts instructor with a school in Encino. The youngest students I typically teach are 3 year-olds, though I have taught some 2.5'ers in the past.

In response to your 5 questions above, I will reference my own experiences, starting my training when I was a child:

1) My parents enrolled me when I was 9. I am now 33.

2) With a sizeable break in my college years, I have studied for about 20 years.

3) My parents enrolled me in a Kempo school because the teachers were very communicative and professional, and the school was near where we lived.

4) I learned perseverence, confidence, peacefulness, focus, and awareness... aside from all of the physical skills and conditioning the classes imparted.

5) I was a really shy and introverted kid. As my training progressed, I grew to be more assertive, and as such found it easier to make friends and resolve conflicts. In fact, the more I trained, the more confident I became, the more I projected that confidence, the less I was bullied... without having to actually throw any punches. I also speak for my students: they come in shy, they end up the paladins of the playground, dismissing bullies and leading their friends by example.

I also want to share two points, one from my life and one from my teaching organization.

One, I had a friendship that was one-sided and not really a friendship. The person used me -- and others -- to make himself feel better about his station in life. As much as I cared about this person, I realized that I had to let him go, as painful as it was and as long as our friendship had lasted. I credit the martial arts with giving me the strength to let this friend go.

Two, I teach for United Studios of Self Defense, at their Encino school. We half-jokingly say that while we teach people to defend themselves against bullies and such, really the most difficult opponent a person will face looks at them from the mirror. Honesty and integrity and ACCOUNTABILITY are cornerstones of our instruction. And we have another saying: "Don't mistake kindness for weakness." The power of the martial arts is that it teaches you to know yourself, to enhance your strengths and evolve or eliminate your limitations. It is truly the most magical undertaking a child can be a part of, and I wish my parents had enrolled me at 3 yrs. instead of at 9!

Please let me extend an offer to you:

I am willing to sponsor your child for a month of free private and group instruction at the school of your choice. The group classes are regularly scheduled, as in any activity, and the private instruction is a recurring appointment scheduled at your convenience.

Go to:

www.ussd.com

At the "Find a Studio" button, enter your ZIP code. This will give you a listing of the schools in your area. Please interview as many as you would like, and when you settle on the school for you, say:

"Sensei B. at the Encino school sponsored us for a free month of private and group classes."

That's it.

Or, you can call me at ###-###-####, and I can help to personally direct you to the school that is best suited for your family.

Thanks for reading my long-winded response, and I look forward to hearing from you!

In my experience- it is VERY different from art to art- they are NOT all alike- and VERY different from dojo to dojo. The thing about the Karate Kid style of learning vs. the Cobra Kai style is not really all that exaggerated!

My son has been taking aikido since he was about 5 1/2. Our dojo starts kids at ag 6- and even then, many are too young for it.

Many dojos have classes for younger children, but again, IMO, they are just more like exercise classes at that point and your kid is MUCH more likely to burn out early on it. My son is now 10 and is the highest ranking kid student- the kids who were big when he started are now in high school and in the adult class. He LOVES aikido, and even when we moved out of the area our dojo is in, insisted on continuing. It has been constant all this time and it is absolutely great for self-confidence, integrity, respect and all the things you said above.

but- the key, most important thing is to find not just the martial art that fits your kids best, but also the DOJO and program that fits your kid best. What we love about our aikido dojo:

1)Our sensai is fantastic in every way. She is a woman and also a college professor and is totally devoted to aikido. Aikido is not the most common martial art- it is Japanese in origin and is all about balance, controlling the situation and is not about 'kung-fu' style kicking. It is all about respect and self-control and sensai asks a lot, even of the little kids- but they LOVE her. She and the other black belts who teach command not only respect but real affection and bring out the best in the kids every week.

2)Our dojo community is very small compared to a lot of martial arts schools. We have about 20 adults total, and maybe 10 kids at any given time, ages 6-14. Because of this, it really is a community. All the parents know each other at least on sight and we know and have at least met all the adult students. It is great to really KNOW who your child will interact with. Also of course, the class sizes are SMALL. Lots of individual attention to details- not 30 little kids in a line punching and doing kicks.

There is also a great cultural emphasis. Sensai trained in Japan and aikido in general is usually pretty 'old-school'. The children are all learning a lot of Japanese in the course of the teaching and we keep a lot of traditions- such as on New Years, the entire school meets to clean the dojo for the year, and sensai grinds rice with a mortar and pestle and we share food- it is a great party- but also with a serious meaning. A lot of what we do is like that and my son really likes it. We've all learned a LOT.

3)There is a huge emphisis in aikido on teaching. My son as senior student for the kids, now leads warm-ups and is often paired up with new or younger students to help them learn. This has been GREAT for him and again, as he has been challenged with these new responsibilities, he has been proud to take them on. As you progress at any level though the belts, you are constantly refining techniques you learned earlier- so my son at age 10 is doing many of the things much older students are doing. Some adults are just starting to learn- it is all about refining what you know. One of the main requirements to earn your hakima (final stage of black belt to be an official instructor) is to conduct tests, and especially to teach. It's a really positive system.

4)It has taught my son to concentrate and sit still and pay attention. But also, I have to say that at this point, having seen my 75 pound son send a grown man tumbling away from him, one of the best things is that he is not physically intimidated. If someone- adult or another child- grabbed his arm or got in his face, I feel very confident that his internal reflexes would kick in and he would know instinctively how to twist and get away from someone, push them off balance so he could run- or how to dodge a punch or pin someone if he had to. Our sensai always tells the children that they are studying to be samurai and samurai never seek out a fight. But if fighting is put upon them, they know how to take care of themselves and get away.

Again- it is very positive,it makes me feel like my son could handle a bad situation much better than many kids his age without panicking. I have seen a little girl in our class who at first was so scared and shy she would not even come onto the mat without her father with her- now it seems like she has just gotten more and more confident and has really opened up more each week! It's really great.

5) A non-competitive atmosphere. This is a BIG issue. Aikido is NOT a sport, so although they of course have seminars and training bouts, etc. you do not compete. If you are looking for your kids to gain confidence and social skills through martial arts, you do not want a sport or particularly a dojo whose main focus is competition. There isn't anything wrong with that- but you need to know going into it what their focus is. We have been very happy keeping this non-competitive. Also, I've noticed that all the kids in class are just REALLY supportive of each other. They don't rag each other or try to show who is best, etc. It is clear- if you do it right, you get a new rank with each test. If you don't, work harder and practice more and do it again.

6) For cost- at our dojo the fee for kids is $60 per month. Each week there are kids' classes on Monday and Wednesday nights, one Saturday morning and Open Mat on Saturdays for anyone who wants some extra practice. For your $60 you can come as often as you want in a month, which works out great. Some weeks when we are very busy, we might only make it once a week. But we almost always get to Saturday mornings and do Open Mat to practice up for tests. Kid's belt tests are always $25 and sensai never has anyone test unless she is very certain they know enough to pass. There is a formal ceremony to get new rank certificates and belts usually the following week. It really means a lot to the kids.

In comparison, at the tai kwon do place my nephew was at, they charge $50 per test and then you find out on a bulletin board who passes and who failed. He failed a major test and eventually dropped out partly from the way the other kids acted about it.

Our sensai lets kids try 3 weeks of classes before committing to anything, and does not require a gi until both you and she feel sure your child is going to continue with it. Be wary of any school who asks for a lot of $$ upfront or insists that you purchase an outfit or equipment before you are sure your child wants to do it.

Do some research about what KIND of martial art best suits what you want for your kids. You will most likely find a lot more tae kwon do places as it is probably the most popular, but again, visit all the places near you, watch some children's classes and ask questions! Too many parents don't do this and end up paying a lot of money only to have their kids just drop out or get frustrated. This can be a great great experience for your kids - but you have to make sure you have the right program and dojo! Good luck!

My daughter (now almost 13) started Karate when she was 6 (earliest they would take her). She received her Black Belt when she was 11 and then we had to move and she had to switch to Tae Kwon Do and now has a Jr. Black Belt (you cannot receive a Black Belt until you are 16 I believe) in that as well. When we started her, there were ALOT of choices in our town of places and styles. We actually went and watched how the instructors worked with the little kids and asked how many people had stayed with their instructor for more than 2 years, rather than worry about the "style" of martial arts. We liked the instructor at the Karate place the best and appreciated how he worked with the younger kids - very firm, but had patience and was a positive role model.

We started our daughter because we thought she would like it and to help her work on dicipline, self-control, and to be a leader. Karate achieved all of those things (and later Tae Kwon Do), but not as much as because of the style, but rather because of the teacher and his style and beliefs. We also made our initial decision based on the amount of tournaments that the studio did - we were not interested in having our daughter compete and the studio we chose rarely competed and only with older more accomplished students. Since we moved and started Tae Kwon Do, she has done one competition - it was very "Karate Kid" with some of the kids from the other studios behaviors (I can kick your a** behaviors).

At the end of every Tae Kwon Do session, our instructor has the kids recite the "commandments":

Loyalty to your country
Respect your parents
Faithfulness to your spouse
Respect your brothers and sisters
Loyalty to your friends
Respect your elders
Respect your teacher
Indomitable spirit
Loyalty to your school
Finish what you begin

(there is also never take a life unjustly - they never have the kids talk about that or say it)

He also asks the kids randomly to give real life examples of how they are practicing the commandments outside of the studio.

Good luck :)

Edited: As far as costs - a good studio will not ask you to make a large initial investment. They should allow you to do 2 - 4 months for a small flat fee and probably include the uniform. After that, it should be up to you how much equipment you want your child to have - we didn't start spending any "real" money until year 3 on sparring equipment/bow, and even then it wasn't "bad." I'd be willing to say that we have spent about $3500 (the very MOST would be $5000) total in 8 years and she has 2 customized uniforms, a customized bag, some special equipment, etc.

My daughter takes Karate. She used to take Tae Kwan Do. But that is not what she wanted or us. It was just the popular trendy thing kids were doing.

Each martial arts school... accepts children at certain ages. It has to do with motor skills and development and attention spans.

Next, we will probably have my son take karate with my daughter... when he turns 5. Which is the age this school takes kids. My son watches my daughter in class, and he enjoys it and can even do some moves already, just by his watching. He likes it.

Next, you have to choose a school that has the proper attitude. Good schools will teach Martial arts... which are the qualities you listed above in your post. You can always... go to the different schools and observe, and even have a free "trial" class. Most of them allow this. ALSO speak to the Teacher/owner of the school.. .and ask them question. ASK the other parents there, if they like the school... and their approaches AND their handling of the children. THIS is your responsibility as the Parent... to get an idea of which martial arts school, you think is best and best for your child.

Next, the costs vary. So ask them that too.

Next.... certain marital arts forms... are best for OLDER children (10+). Like jujitsu, judo, kendo, or certain forms of Karate. But the Owner/instructor will tell you that. IF they are professional and astute enough. So you ask the Teacher their recommendations.... that is your responsibility too.

It does not matter what character the child has... because martial arts is an evolving mastery of physical and mental skills. Not a one time attainment. It is about growth... overall.

My daughter again, takes Karate. The school is good and has been around for years... the class is comprised of mixed ages including adults. The Teachers do not "baby" the children... but they also are not harsh. So realize that. The style of teaching... is not like preschool. This is martial arts. My daughter, on HER own... asked to take classes. She LOVES it. She really loves it. And we are proud of her. We let her go at her own pace and don't pressure her NOR compare her ability to other kids... this is NOT about "competition"... but a personal accomplishment.

Martial arts is great for kids. And as a Mom, I like that my daughter will be able to defend herself... as she masters it. And she has the ability to do so, if she needs to.

My daughter's school, is NOT about the money or getting a new belt color or about being trendy. This is a martial arts school. The teachers have seen GENERATIONS go through their classes. They do it because they love teaching and love helping kids and adults. They don't treat it as a "business." They even teach underprivileged kids for free.

All the best,
Susan

4 years old is not too young to start martial arts. Most schools will teach self-control, self-discipline, respect, physicall fitness, fun, etc. The just have varying philosophies on the amount of emphasis they put on each of those criteria. My son started TaeKwonDo when he was 10. He's now 15 and is a 2nd degree black belt and being asked to teach classes at the school.

Remember, the majority (if not all) of these schools are businesses. They want students to join much like a gym. They all should offer a week worth of sessions at no cost to individuals who make it clear they are looking for a school for their child. This will give you a chance to watch the instructors in action, observe the students for their overall satisfaction of the classes, talk to parents and get their opinions, and review the financial responsibilities of membership. You should see happy faces coming in the door and leaving after class is over, moderate control during class (students should not be talking while instructor is), instructors should appear prepared to teach class (set curriculum - no making it up as they go), etc. By the end of the week, you should have a feel for the sort of school would work best for your daughter.

Good luck!

4 is not to young, my husband is a black belt in Kempo Karate both our boys started learning at a very young age, our oldest now 26 is pursuing the UFC Ultimate Fighting Champions, it's mixed martial arts so any of it can be benificial to her later on. J.

Both of my son's attended Red Dragon Karate in Glendora. One was 4 and they other 5 when they started. They received their black belts at the age of 9 to 9.5. It was such a great experience for them. Gave them confidence to be in front of a group of people, great physical shape and discipline. I highly recommend it.They teach them all the things above that you stated and it is a very positive experience. Good luck.

My son started at karate at 3 years old in preschool and then at 5 we put him in Team Karate Center in Woodland Hills - I can't remember the type of karate they do. A bunch of preschool friends went there so we tried it. I think they start their Little Ninja program around 4 years old. It's been wonderful. My son is 7 1/2 now and has been going at least twice a week since he was 5. He graduated from Little Ninjas in June with a "black stripe belt" and has moved on to the more advanced program where they actually work towards a real black belt. He has learned discipline, balance and it's really helped his self esteem. Each class the little kids get in front of the class and lead the others in some activity. My son goes back to Little Ninjas to help his old Sensei teach the little kids. We love it - it's been a great experience. There are girls and boys in each class (and I think the girls are more coordinated!)

Hope this helps!

Our son took taekwondo when he was four. It was great at first, but he lost interest in about four months ... about a month after when we could return the $400 starter kit of equipment for a refund (yes, it's that pricey, so be prepared). We chose the class after my husband met an instructor and was impressed by the positive teachings (everything you've mentioned).

Martial arts can be great, but just be prepared for the potential cost. I'm not sure if all forms are as expensive as taekwondo was, but we took a real financial hit for something that didn't work out in the long run.

We started my son at age 3.5years in Tae Kwon Do. He loved it and continued with it for almost a year. But due to budgetary reasons, we had to stop the lessons. We didn't have to pay for any supplies, just the monthly tuition. I really liked our school. It was close to our house, and my son responded very well to the instructor. He commanded them in a gentle but firm way. My son is now 5 and still knows all the drills that he learned and keeps asking to go back. In Aug when he starts Kindergarten and we no longer have to pay for preschool, we will probably sign him up again.

We put our daughter in Karate right before her 3rd birthday! She will be 6 yrs old in a few months and is still in it! My other daughter will start this summer. While in karate she has learned how to focus, memorize and concentrate better. We put her in it not only because she wanted to but because we feel knowing how to protect and stand up for yourself is very important! I hope this helps with your question.
J.