Picking out a style of karate for your child when you’re not too familiar with the martial art yourself can be daunting. We can help. First, karate, judo, taekwondo, and jiu-jitsu are all martial arts, and not different styles of the same thing. And, while karate was the most popular style a few decades ago, other types are now becoming more and more popular, making the possibilities much vaster.
Which should you choose? If you’re looking to select a class for your children, here’s what you need to know.
Movement for Young Kids:
No matter the type of art chosen, they all eventually involve sparring and complicated movements. But that’s all a bit much for young children who are learning the basics of coordination. Whichever martial art you choose, it should scale down in difficulty, meeting children where they are, and helping them develop basic balance, flexibility, strength and coordination. We like taekwondo for this because it scales well and focuses on movement in all four limbs. The instructors of our little dragon class in Kitchener and Waterloo offer our students individualized support. We tailor the class to give your child the right level of challenge.
The Potential to Grow:
When you choose a style for your young child, you’re likely also choosing the one they’ll stick with as an adolescent and perhaps even an adult. While some kids switch styles, most will stick with their first, wanting to focus on the martial art in which they have the most practice and skill. You, therefore, want to choose one which offers your child all the opportunities they might be interested in, including competition. If you choose taekwondo, your child can take the martial art as far as they like.
- The Kid’s Interests:
Kids taekwondo should put your kid’s preferences first. However, not all kids understand that there’s a difference between the different styles of martial arts. We suggest that you take your kid to a class to watch or to try and see if they truly enjoy the movements and structure of the class. It’s different from the movies!
Try Our Little Dragon Karate
At Dragon Taekwondo, we offer karate classes for kids in Oakville and Milton. We know your child will love them! Contact us with your questions or to sign up today, (647) 905-5886 or (647) 370-9759.