Martial Arts Classes at an Early Age
There are numerous advantages to having your young child take martial arts lessons, so many parents wonder what the best age is to start a martial art.
It is normal to worry about the most suitable age to start their children in martial arts, especially in those where hitting is included (like in Muay Thai). This is why at Pinnacle Martial Arts Academy, we make sure to impart to our students that striking should not be done casually or simply because they are angry.
Believe it or not, your four-year-old can begin taking martial arts! We say it time and time again, safety is always considered during our Martial Arts program at our
Monroe martial arts studio, especially for our younger students.
Contact us today to learn how your child can get started with their martial arts journey!
What Age To Start Martial Arts Classes?
The short answer is that there is no perfect age to start martial arts training.
First and foremost, keep in mind that every child is unique. Children will progress along a similar path in terms of their development, but in reality, each child develops at their own rate. Just like not all five-year-olds can comprehend when and where to use their martial arts, not all of them can read chapter books. Thus, there is no ideal or standard age at which children should start learning healthy habits by becoming a martial artist.
Getting to know your child and their interests
Every child is unique, so it’s crucial to get to know yours and base your decision on whether or not they can comprehend why they are learning martial arts and when they can use them. Apart from that, you must also take into account their fitness level. At Pinnacle Martial Arts Academy, we make sure to teach kids why and when they would utilize their martial arts. This might be as early as four or as old as six, but you will succeed more if you base your choice on your child.
Learning Martial Arts at Aged Four to Five
The typical “youngest” age that most martial arts facilities will permit is four years old. Four-year-olds can follow simple instructions, have a good grasp of their gross motor skills, and can start to understand when and why they should utilize their martial arts.
Curiosity and Social Skills Development Stage
At this age, they develop curiosity and social skills and get the ability to briefly disengage from their parents to partake in social activities with children their age.
At Pinnacle Martial Arts Academy, your child will be establishing the groundwork for a successful future in their chosen discipline, and their time will be spent studying the essentials. We’ll see to it that they enjoy themselves and gain interpersonal skills, all the while learning the self defense actions that come with kids martial arts. For additional information, call our martial arts school.
Learning Martial Arts at Aged Six to Twelve
Children start to prefer rules and structure a little more, around six to eight. In a classroom atmosphere, they are receptive to the structure but still enjoy playing. Your six to twelve-year-old will demonstrate more discipline and dedication in a martial arts class with a good balance of the two.
Additionally, most kids at this age can easily distinguish when and why to practice martial arts by the time they are eight years old.
Fun fact: Jackie Chan began martial arts at seven, and Jet Li started learning wushu at eight.
Martial Arts Belt Promotion
Eight-year-olds are excellent candidates for any martial art with a belt promotion system since they start to appreciate structure and regulations a little more at this age. They can anticipate obstacles and goals, which helps develop motivation to strive toward reaching them. They start to comprehend that they may occasionally encounter difficulty or failure.
Starting at the Age of Thirteen to Young Adults
By the time they are thirteen years old, most children are motivated by their desires to start martial arts. They are discovering their inherent incentive to train rather than relying exclusively on parental encouragement. It is simpler to enroll and encourage regular attendance from your adolescent if you take advantage of their enthusiasm to learn a martial art.
Teenagers are quite social, so if they establish a social network at the gym, they will want to keep going and working hard for their friends as much as themselves.
What are the Benefits of Martial Arts on Younger Children?
Every child can benefit from martial arts. The ideal age for a child to start martial arts training will always rely on their disposition and how well they understand how to use their martial arts in everyday situations. Whatever age you choose to enroll your child in a martial arts program, the advantages of the activity will always outweigh the costs. Here are some of the benefits your child can get from training in martial arts:
- Strong awareness of self-control. One of the most significant game-changers for parents is seeing their children value and use self-discipline. It’s an essential part of taking responsibility for one’s actions and holding oneself accountable (or inactions). Through deeply ingrained beliefs passed down through previous generations of practitioners, martial arts, like tae kwon do, offer a profound method of assisting children in learning and appreciating these ideals. We teach kids that satisfaction must be earned and is not always immediate.
- Sustained boost to confidence and self-worth. As practitioners, we are more likely to face criticism from ourselves than from our allies or rivals. Through the practice of martial arts, we may overcome our negative self-judgment and put our attention on continuously growing and bettering ourselves. When children do something enjoyable in a supportive atmosphere, they often find comfort in the knowledge that they are improving their character through higher self-esteem and self-confidence.
- Improved physical fitness. This one should go without saying, but it’s still vital to mention because youngsters frequently need regular physical activity. Complex physical activities can help boost their coordination, as well. We believe it is crucial to support the child’s growth and improvement so they may reach the level where they can practice these routines with ease because they call for a particular amount of flexibility, strength, and coordination.
- Socialization. Socialization is challenging to teach and, thus, challenging to learn, particularly for younger children. That being said, it is typical to find that kids will adjust to the environment by learning how to communicate with one another when the aim of martial arts is to achieve a group of goals. They will gain socializing and leadership abilities over time, and they will also be able to comprehend and create their own goals, like earning a black belt. Martial arts can assist your child in learning these critical life skills at a young age. These abilities are crucial in our increasingly modern world.
Start your child’s martial arts training in Monroe, Louisiana, today!
Your child’s gross motor, social, physical, and listening abilities will dramatically improve regardless of when you introduce them to martial arts. They will develop greater self-control, perseverance, and practical self-defense abilities. All ages will gain from martial arts’ physical workouts, which build strong muscles, hearts, and brains.
Bring your child to one of Pinnacle Martial Arts Academy’s programs to give them a taste of what martial arts instruction looks like. Our trainers can help them figure out what the best martial art is for them. We offer:
- Kids Martial Arts
- Teens Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
- Kickboxing
- Judo