5 Yr Old & Perhaps Karate?!?

My daughter is 7... and takes Karate. She LOVES it.
At her school, the starting age they allow is 5.
It is very good for discipline and physicality and learning appropriateness, self-control, etc. and is very beneficial in many ways.

But you have to choose a good school. Research it.

It is not about how 'strong' a person is or about 'winning'... it is about attitude as well. And if the Teacher(s) are good, they instill values in the children... the class, and about behavior and 'respect.'

It is good.... in that is teaches a child not about "fighting" but about control too... and discipline. About their body/strength/ability, and not using it in wrong ways. NOR is it allowed in school.... to cause trouble.

It might benefit him... as it does many kids.
For my girl, she asked for lessons. She wanted to take lessons. She loves it very much.

**Oh, I might add that one of my daughter's classmates, is a boy... a very big boy and very active, for his age... and thus, his Mom enrolled him in Karate so that he learns coordination/how to control his body/physicality etc. The boy enjoys it very much.

all the best,
Susan

I think the BIGGEST thing for him to get out of any martial arts is the MENTAL discipline of it. I think it would be a great idea. The other thing is, they will teach him how to use it PROPERLY and "set boundaries". It should also help him deal w/ other kids in a constructive way.

In my opinion, karate can actually be a very good thing for kids because it's not all about "wrestling" or "kicking butt". It helps with learning self control. Kids aren't allowed to just go around karate chopping each other. It's not WWE or F or whatever. There is a lot of restraint involved. And that's a good thing.
Some kids benefit from it greatly because they learn not to use their moves for harm.
I've known some kids that didn't handle the structure well. They couldn't sit and wait their turn or got too aggressive.
I don't think you'll know until you try. It may really help your son learn some restraint.

If he's not into this type of training, perhaps get him into track where he has to run his little legs off and learn about the shot put and discuss, etc. Something more physical if he's super energetic. Swimming might also be good. Getting their little tushies in organized activities can be really good.

Karate might teach him that being bigger doesn't always mean better. I've seen little kids be able to flip their instructors. As an exercise, and out of respect. It's not about fighting.

Some classes will give you a break in cost for so many sessions to let you figure out if it's a good fit. I've known kids that dropped out because sitting, listening and waiting their turn was not their thing. On the other hand, I've seen kids who were used to running amock really enjoying the structure.
Try some test lessons. At least in my area they do that so you don't have to commit to a schedule if it won't seem to work out.

I think it's worth a try and your son may really benefit from it.

Best wishes.

both of my older boys are more aggressive. One has some attention issues, but that's getting better with some OT. I think Karate or maybe a kids wrestling group would be good for him. A place to learn some control for himself and be with other kids who might be a little less wimpy. ;)
Our 2.5 yr old just loves wrestling like crazy, even tries to wrestle daddy who's a very big guy :)

Mom's of 150% boys unite LOL

hi :)...hes probley normal, with alil extra energy thrown in. its always so hard to really give a good answer on here, becuz we do Not know the full behavior/problem. is his aggression always just during play? just make sure hes not channeling other emotions into his aggression. Karate is good..but also wut about wrestling? they do have wrestling for children as young as 4 yrs. if your elem school doesn't know where, try your High school, they might know where to look. but with wut ever you do, try and talk to the place first, and see if they will let your child in a few lessons before you decide, sometimes that is a big commitment for lil kids ( specially once school starts up) and you will be fighting with him to go. So make sure he really enjoys it first. Good luck :)

My son is very aggressive and has ADHD and Asperger's. Karate has been VERY good for him. Find a good place, though. Karate does not make a kid more aggressive or more likely to get into fights -- it does the opposite. A good instructor will tell the kids to NEVER practice their karate moves outside of class. And to not even tell other kids at school they are taking it. It seems as though as soon other kids find out, the first thing they want to do is fight to see for themselves. A good karate place will teach kids how to control themselves, how to walk away from fights and teach that fighting should be a last resort and only as self-defense. The mental discipline karate teaches is invaluable for most kids.

My son, too, loves to wrestle. He's average in size, but surprisingly strong, so often he gets the upper hand. We've had to work on rules for wrestling - don't jump on the pile when others are wrestling, and, especially, stop when the others say stop. It's not easy, but it's gotten a lot better and there are fewer tears.

He started tae kwon do last year, when he was 6, and he's now a green belt. He really enjoys it! I think it has helped in many ways. It has given him an outlet for all his energy, helped him learn self control/discipline, and even increased his self confidence. (At the last tournament, he won first place in his age/belt bracket in forms!)

In addition, he's gotten a few bruises while sparring. (He's not very good at blocking, yet.) He really doesn't like getting hurt, and I think that's helping him learn empathy towards others who are hurt.

Good luck!
P.

Karate or Tae Kwon Do would be good for him. The issue with them tho is that there are high monthly dues and classes 3 days a week.

I'd also suggest gymnastics. It is great for little boys and teaches them a lot of control. Provides a great foundation for all future sports as well.

Karate or Taekwondo would be excellent for him. Not only do the Masters or Instructors teach the forms, kicks and punches, they teach about discipline, respect for oneself and others, perserverance and integrity.

My oldest daughter (12) is 2 belts away from being a Black Belt in Taekwondo. She loves it.