Which Martial Art is best for your kids?
You may be wondering whether it is beneficial for your child to start practising in martial arts. If so, then you may be searching for the martial art which is best for your child but struggling to see which one will suit them best.
Well in this post we will go through the importance of martial arts for kids and the different types of martial arts that are best to enrol your children in.
Why Martial arts are important for kids
Martial arts are very important for kids. Through practising martial arts your children will develop many skills that will be beneficial to them as an individual and for their future.
Each martial art can have its own unique benefits, which we will go over in each art form, but all will provide your kids with that extra confidence.
Regular training in martial arts will ensure that your child grows physically and mentally, helping them in the real world when they go off to pursue their dreams.
We will now go through just some of the most popular martial arts for kids and help you decide which martial art is best for your child!
Taekwondo for kids
Taekwondo has become one of the most popular martial arts for kids. Many practitioners start at a very young age and are able to develop into the martial art quickly. Taekwondo is a striking martial art which consists of kicks and punches.
This art form will teach your kids how to defend themselves effectively and give them the ability to strike. Through constant training they will develop speed, strength and flexibility.
Going up the belt ranks. Due to the nature of Taekwondo, kicks are very important, so a lot of drills will be used to help your kids improve their kicking technique and speed.
Taekwondo is also good for your kids if they are competitive. The martial art is now an Olympic sport which provides more motivation for your children if they have dreams of competing in the Olympics.
Sparring is safe for all ages, as equipment is worn to ensure the practitioners are protected from injuries.
Find out more about Taekwondo in our ‘What is Taekwondo’ blog post.
Karate for kids
Karate is one of the most practised martial arts in the world to this day. Due to its popularity in the 20th century, many people are familiar with the term karate when it comes to martial arts.
Karate is a great martial art that focuses more so on the individual. For your kids, Karate will provide a way of expressing themselves through the various forms they must practise.
The martial art adopted the belt system which makes it more enticing for children to practise. They are motivated to achieve their goals in the art, which is to continue to go up the belt ranks until they reach the prestigious black belt.
The martial art focuses on striking techniques, teaching your children how to defend themselves using their arms and legs.
Karate has also become an Olympic sport and will be a part of the Tokyo Olympics, which again provides motivation to any kids who aspire to be Olympians.
We will be releasing our ‘What is Karate?’ blog post soon. Make sure to subscribe to our blog to find out when it is out!
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ) for kids
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is one of the newer art forms that has emerged and become very popular over the last 30 years. The rapid growth of the martial art has been credited to the growth of mixed martial arts (subscribe to our blog to find out when we release the ‘What is MMA?’ blog post).
Unlike the two previous martial arts we have covered, BJJ is a grappling art. Instead of throwing strikes, your children will be learning how to defend themselves on the ground, learning ways in which to submit opponents through various joint locks and chokes.
This art is tricky for anyone when they start due to the technicality of the martial art. Through constant training, your children will start to adjust to the martial art.
It will improve their problem-solving skills and their attention to detail. Kids will be rewarded with belts to signify their skill level as they improve.
BJJ is also growing as a sport too with the number of competitions rising. Therefore, there will also be a chance for your children to test their skills amongst others similar to them.
The ‘What is BJJ?’ blog will be out soon, subscribe to know when!
Muay Thai for kids
If you have heard of Muay Thai before, you are probably thinking this art form is not suitable to kids at all. Usually, kids would start off in a martial art form such as Taekwondo or Karate and then transition into Muay Thai. However, Muay Thai is continuing to grow itself, making it safer for younger children too.
Muay Thai is striking martial art which also includes clinch work and sweeps (read our ‘What is Muay Thai?’ blog post to find out more).
The martial art is tough and will build up the mental and physical strength of your kids. There are no belt forms in Muay Thai gyms and kids will be able to see their progress through improved sparring and technique.
Sparring is common with Muay Thai as it helps to develop your skills in the art massively. For kids, it is now much safer with no head strikes allowed and body pads usually worn in competition.
Many people view the likes of Muay Thai as a much more efficient martial art to know, especially in real life situations, compared to the likes of Taekwondo and Karate.
Muay Thai is well known as a competitive sport, so the art is not short of competitions for your children to test themselves in.
Judo for kids
Judo is another popular grappling art. This again involves no striking whatsoever, making it popular for kids to practise. The whole point of Judo is to use your opponent’s momentum and weight against them when throwing them to the floor. Allowing this art to be suitable to kids of all ages.
Judo is in fact a predecessor to BJJ and can go hand in hand with each other. But when separating them, Judo focuses on using throws and pins to take your opponent to the ground, whereas BJJ focuses on mostly the ground game.
This has been an Olympic sport for over 40 years. Providing children with the motivation to compete in a martial art which has been established in the Olympics.
The ‘What is Judo?’ blog will be out soon, subscribe to know when!
Wrestling for kids
Wrestling is one of the oldest martial arts and sports in the world. The art form dates back to around 3000 BCE! It has been around for a long time and has developed into many different styles.
The aim of wrestling is to be able to use different takedowns, trips and throws to take your opponent to the ground. No strikes are thrown
Wrestling is popular in countries like America and Russia. In these areas, your kids’ schools may have a curriculum involving wrestling that they can enrol in.
This is again another tough art form where your kids will definitely develop mentally and physically significantly due to the toughness needed in wrestling. Competitions are vast too in the sport.
Wrestling is one of the oldest sports in the Olympics which could again inspire your children to be a part of an Olympic sport with a rich history.
Which martial art form should your kids do?
There is no right answer to this. Your children will have different preferences to what they enjoy and what they don’t. It may be best to speak to them and see what martial art interests them the most.
You could also trial a few lessons of each martial art as usually first lessons are free. This will help your kids to see if it is something they truly enjoy.
If they don’t enjoy it, they won’t try hard or be interested in it, so this is important! Be sure to check out our ‘MARTIAL ARTS…WHAT ARE THEY?’ post to gain a good understanding of other popular martial arts too!
If you have any questions on this post, the MILITAR MINDSET, martial arts in general or any other enquiries feel free to contact us.
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