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Martial Arts Question of the Month
by Sachet, Team IronLife.com Staff Writer & Mod @ www.beyondmass.com
 Every month, I'll ask members on a few sites to give an opinion on articles or to give advice regarding training questions. This will give us all an opportunity to see varied opinions to the same topic. I'll also included site addys so if you see a response which sparks your interest, you can get in touch with that person directly, rather than PMing me for their board
But, if you have a suggestion for MA question topics.. please don't hesitate to leave me a PM at Ironlife.
Several respected members among our online communities have been contacted and asked to give their opinion on the following article. The article was written by Linda Formichelli and Jennifer Lawler, Ph.D., in regard to matching a child's personality type to a martial art.
<Kids, Which martial art's best?
by Linda Formichelli
It depends. Here's a quick guide to which style holds the most punch for your child.
With martial arts fueling the fun factor in kids' entertainment these days -- just check out Sandy the squirrel's moves on "Sponge Bob Square Pants" -- it's no surprise that children are flocking to martial arts classes. In fact, almost half of all martial arts practitioners are between 6 and 17 years old, says the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association.
Each art touts different benefits, from inner peace to self-defense, and can help kids in different ways. So which style is best for your child? We asked Jennifer Lawler, Ph.D., a second-degree black belt and the author of "The Martial Arts Encyclopedia and Dojo Wisdom: 100 Simple Ways to Become a Stronger, Calmer, More Courageous Person," to match personalities with martial arts:
The Bullied Kid The martial art: Aikido, a "soft style" art from Japan that uses the attacker's force against him .
"In aikido you don't hit and punch, so you won't get in trouble for fighting at school. But you'll be able to defend yourself by using your attacker's energy and momentum against him. Also, aikido teaches you to have a calm and impassive mind, so teasing bothers you less, and you don't react out of anger and fear."
The Chubby Kid The martial art: Tae kwon do, the Korean art of hand and foot fighting.
"The repetitive kicks and calisthenics of tae kwon do really help the kid burn calories, as do the sparring and the bag work. And it's fun, so the kid doesn't feel like he's getting a workout. If he's overweight and out of shape, the child can start slow -- that's to be expected -- but as he gets in better shape, the demands will increase, and he'll have to perform more difficult maneuvers."
The Ill-Mannered Kid The martial art: Traditional Okinawan karate, which stresses respect.
"In Okinawan karate, students are expected to perform certain courtesies, like bowing and not wearing shoes in the dojo [studio], whether or not they want to. The instructor may even remind children to thank their parents for bringing them to class! This structure helps children understand the importance of civility and to appreciate other people."
The Distracted Kid The martial art: Judo, dubbed "the way of gentleness".
"One whole class may be devoted to a single throw, which helps a child's attention span. The child doesn't have to memorize forms and break boards; she just has to learn the throws and then do them during randori, which is free-style sparring."
The Kid Who Needs to Find Inner Zen The martial art: Tai chi, a style of slow, connected movements used to reduce tension and clear the mind.
"Tai chi's flowing, stylized movements are like moving meditation. The '8-minute form' -- a series of connected movements that gives your whole body a gentle stretching and strengthening workout -- grounds and centers you and gets you ready for the day, or calms you and relaxes you for bed. Plus, many of the greatest martial arts teachers are tai chi practitioners."
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Gsus - Mod@ http://www.Ironlife.com
Lacey, I like the article, Jennifer Lawler show good points which some people miss about martial arts such as discipline, perseverance and respect which is a very high priority teaching in martial arts. I have met some parents who don't want their children at any martial arts class because they consider it violent but I think the way she put it sounds very interesting for child and parent. Jennifer actually point out the mental benefits as well as the physical.
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Coldstone - Respected Member@ http://www.beyondmass.com/forums/ http://www.beyondmass.com/forums/
This article is very interesting. It covers the very basics of what each martial art can offer, yet pretty informative regarding the mental aspects at the same time. The question over which martial art is best has been argued over and over through out years of past, but in this case, I believe that question is slightly different. This case concerns childhood in today's society with today's issues children are experiencing. The reasoning the author gave for which child should take what art are valid and to a point I do agree with her. What I don't really agree is that all those valid points that she has brought up, can and is offered by variety of martial arts. What a lot of people fail to realize is that a martial art may be called by a different name, may have different techniques and different ideas, but in the end, it all leads to the same path. In my opinion ALL martial arts are the same. An over weight child can get the same calisthenics from doing Tai Chi for 2 hours (Trust me, holding some of those positions, and going super slow is very tiring). So in conclusion, I believe that it's all dependent on what the child and the parents like instead. It took me over 14 years and several different arts to find a martial art (Aikido) that I love. I know kids, if they don't like it, then they're going to quit very quickly.
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Muay Thai Guy - Administrator @ http://www.Ironlife.com
I have always harbored respect for traditional martial arts. Starting Tae Kwon Do as a young teen to help me as I was a chubby child who lacked self confidence. Today I'm a Muay Thai Fighter and trainer. I teach kids Kick and Thai boxing out of the gym and from a child's perspective, I can say that Kickboxing offers them a complete package. For the kids, they find that the dynamic and upbeat nature of Kickboxing to be more fun than traditional martial arts. We get them fit and confident in themselves but teach them respect for each other, their elders but most of all, to respect themselves. Not only do the kids love learning the practical style of Kickboxing, they love it because it's "cool" and "Fashionable" now to do Kickboxing and Muay Thai over the more traditional arts.
I teach children from various backgrounds and physical ability. I've noticed that it helps children with coordination, strength and discipline but most of all, the kids have fun doing it!
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Hody- Mod @ http://www.Ironlife.com
I believe that Dr. Jennifer Lawler tends to over analyze and complicates the process of finding the right martial art for your kid. With all due respect, her article reads more like a final PhD. thesis than a practical guide for finding the right martial art for your child.
I believe there’s a simpler and more common sense approach. Assuming that your child has expressed an interest in learning martial arts, I suggest you first check out what schools and styles are available in your area. Make a list of questions and start calling each school, asking them your questions. Once you are satisfied with their answers, go check out their kid’s classes and see how they are run and the environment and atmosphere of the school. At this point, I suggest that you go alone or with your spouse. Once you have narrowed the list of acceptable schools, then take your kid along and arrange to take a trial lesson.
I think it’s silly and overly academic to suggest certain temperaments and characteristics will determine which martial art will be better suited for your child. Dr. Jennifer Lawler cites the ill mannered or distracted kid being better suited for Okinawan Karate or Judo. I completely disagree. One concept of marital arts is that it allows an individual to focus their energy to develop themselves to the best of their abilities.
Rather than waste time trying to “play Freud” and peer into the mindset of the child, I feel it’s better to look at them physically. For example, if the child is short and obese, Tae-Kwon-Do might not be the best choice, since it’s primarily a kicking art. I’m not saying short and obese kids should never take Tae-Kwon-Do. What I am saying is that kids tend to either fall in love with something or quickly begin to hate it. More often than not, I believe the physical limitations of the short obese kid learning Tae-Kwon-Do would turn them off, rather than falling in love with it.
Let the child pick which martial art they want to do, after they have tried all the free trial lessons, at the various schools you have picked. In the end, their choice not yours, will better ensure their happiness and success in the marital arts.
Sure, most parents that follow the world of MMA/NHB would like to groom the next UFC or Pride Champ. However, starting them off in marital arts at an early age does not guarantee this. My father forced me to play baseball from an early age with hopes of me becoming a pro baseball player and winning the World Series. Instead, I quickly learned to hate baseball and refused to play. Picking the style of marital art your child will learn, could have the same affect.
Hody
Quote:
FContact - Mod @ http://www.beyondmass.com/forums/
The article does cover good points and various styles yet it fails to mention two styles which I believe are extremely successful in the real world not just in practice. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a form of grappling which derived from Japanese Judo but was developed for the smaller man. Contrary to Judo, Jiu-Jitsu uses more takedowns than throws to get an opponent to the floor. Once on the floor a practitioner can use a variety of locks to submit their opponent be it by a choke or some sort of lock on an arm, leg, or ankle. A child that is bullied might fight this style useful because as stated before it was developed for the smaller or weaker man which typically is the type of child that gets bullied.
Kickboxing is another style that not only has proven successful in actual competition but it definitely help the practitioner with fat loss and cardiovascular conditioning. It is fun and makes the practioner more versatile when having to attack. One may choose to throw punches, kicks, knees or a combination if forced to attack. Most martial arts teach the discipline of being calm in situations and not to react out of anger. They also teach the practitioner to use their skill only when provoked which is a very good lesson to learn and to use their skill with confidence.
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The_Medic - Mod @ http://www.extreme-athlete.com/
I love it !!! As a co-owner of a judo club here in the football dominated south, I think something like this is necessary to bring MA to the forefront of parents' minds ! Whether it be judo or tai chi ,,, martial arts is essential for the kids who don't excel at ''regular'' sports !!!
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XChoke03 - Adminstrator@ http://www.beyondmass.com/forums/
I do believe that the author is very intelligent and does give the proper ideals behind the martial arts mentioned. I think that Judo is without a doubt the very best martial art for children. It is by no way violent but does give the child a base in an art that can actually help in the real world. I feel the problem with many traditional martial arts is that they may instill false images of security. Traditional arts in America have been synonymous with pushing out ranks for time/money spent, verses actual proficiency. This has potential to lead to trouble. If you want the best Martial Art for your child find a recognized Judo instructor (which could take a bit of research) and visit their dojo, watch a class or two and see if you feel your child would enjoy it. The key is fun, if your child does not enjoy himself it will only be a negative experience and discourage him from attempting again in the future.
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DANABOLIC - Mod @ http://www.chemicalfitness.com/
The article above, although good intentions given, I think is a true representative of the outdated and backwards mentality of today's failing martial arts industry. Kids are smart. It takes them a very short amount of time to figure out the simplicity of things that seem complicated to us. To put it simple, the arts listed are outdated and proven in-effective in real situations. Any fighting art that caters to a certain body type or mindset is stuck in it's own ways. In a bar or playground, have you ever seen a Kung-fu'ish or high flying Chuck Norris type kick? Most fights happen in extremely close quarters, in a circle of people where it's hard to breathe and adrenaline pumping. One needs a quick and multi range combat system that also contains ground work when the fight goes to the ground. The student needs to be able to flow in and out of those ranges without surprise or shock. In 26 years of martial arts, I've never come across a better "self defense" system than Jeet Kune Do. In JKD, techniques are always updated, revised and practiced. JKD always evolves using the latest ring techniques, real weapons situations and street fighting methods. There are better systems for the ring like Muay Thai. But the best all around system for total self defense is Jeet Kune Do.
http://www.inosanto.com
http://www.jeetkunedo.org
A BIG thank you to the October participants for setting aside time to respond to the question and for being a part of this first edition. I had a great time corresponding with you!
~lacey
* Article by Sachet, Team IronLife.com Staff Writer & Mod @ www.beyondmass.com.
* Back to This Issue's Frontpage
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