Karate kids

aefibird · Black Belt

Yesterday I went to a karate competition (broke my big toe in the kumite, but that's another story...) and there were loads of children there (as there usually are at karate comps). Some of them were as young as 4 or 5 and a lot of the children aged around 7/8 seemed to have black belts.

This got me thinking about children doing karate. What age do people think it's right to let children start training? Should they be training at all or should they have to wait until 16/18ish, say, to be able to begin the martial arts. I know a large proportion of most clubs are filled with junior students, but do people think this is right? My sensei refuses to take any child to teach under the age of 9. Is this a good age to start karate or not?
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"Was it really worth it? Only time and death may ever tell..." The Beautiful South - The Rose of My Cologne

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Hybrid · Orange Belt

Darce · Blue Belt

Luckily we don´t much mcdojos in Finland.
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Shukokai Karate, Orange belt ( 7. kyu)

Darce · Blue Belt

And in our dojo, you can begin when you are 7 years old. But you have to be 16 years old to get 2. dan or higher. If you get the 1st dan when under that age you have to update it from a junior belt to a "real black belt".
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Shukokai Karate, Orange belt ( 7. kyu)

Shorinryu Sensei · Black Belt

I used to teach kids (I don't any more) as young as 6, but advised the parents when they signed them up that (IMO) between the ages of 6 and 8 are "iffy" as to whether or not they will be able to do what I ask them to do.

I make sure they understand this, and also advise them that if I don't feel their son/daughter is ready, I will tell them so and they can pull them out of class.

Some kids you will know within the first couple of classes how they will do, others can take up to two months. Personally, any kid younger that 6 years old I would consider it to be babysitting (always exceptions of course), and you're taking kids that young for the money. Which is fine, if that's your thing..but not me.

As for belts, my personal philosophy is that I don't give black belts (junior or otherwise) to someone younger than 16..and they have to be a MATURE 16 year old at that. Not all 16 year olds are at the same maturity level by any means.

I think the perfect age for a person to start training is around 14-16 years old. But any age is fine.

Jey · White Belt

I started a year ago around the 15 and a half mark, and I feel that should I have started any earlier I wouldn't have bothered sticking with it. As it stands now, I understand more of my body and I am committed to keeping my fitness up.

Dispite not wanting to take gradings, I feel I started at the right age, and will continue karate for some time.

stl_karateka · Brown Belt

Depends on the kid! I know some 6 year olds that operate on a higher maturity level than some 9 year olds -- or 14 year olds for that matter!

My school in Rochester started kids at 4 -- but it wasn't all about the Benjamins --- for one thing...they were on a conditional contract. Also, we had a class that catered to the needs and abilities of 4-6 year olds. The focus was not so much to teach them the katas and self defense...but the focus was on balance, concentration, and memory....skills that they would utilize when they 'graduated' to the big kids class.

My current school takes kids at 6...sometimes I think my instructor wants to raise it --- but its a hard call cause the kids class all are expected to do the same thing --- most of the kids hang in there --- a few need extra attention.
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telsun · Green Belt

I started karate at 11 and am still doing it now 17 years later. I was mature for my age. I am now teaching my daughter, 5 years old, karate because she wants be be like me!!!!!??????
When I start my own dojo again I am unsure as to whether I will teach kids at all. If I do I will only take in a few as they can be extremely trying to teach, although extremely rewarding. The thing with teaching kids is that you can really only teach the superficial stuff, basically how to compete. I do think that they will benefit given the right instruction but the moral side of the arts is probably the most beneficial area on offer to them. Obviously if a child starts young and maintains their training all the superficial techniques will eventually become skillfull moves with depth.

Should a club take on a 5 year old? Well they can become very skilled in their movement and benefit greatly from training, so yes I think so. If the instructor is comfortable with it. Although as stated above it is unlikely that I will take any younger than 10. Should they receive BB at a young age? Erm......no, I don't think they can show the responsibility required for the grade............or can they?
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Shorinryu Sensei · Black Belt

CsrCrz88 · Yellow Belt

the youngest black i kno is 14. he's a 3rd dan too.

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