Picking the wrong martial arts school for your child can result in frustration and a loss of self confidence. A wide variety of martial arts are out there, and many parents wonder which one is right for their child. Much of the decision can be based on your child and their natural abilities. Factors that include their body type, attitude toward sparring and coordination level should come into play when choosing a martial arts school.
Know Your Child
When choosing a martial art for your child you should take into consideration the kind of child he is. If your child is not very flexible and a bit overweight you may want to skip martial arts that require a high level of acrobatics. This should rule out most Kung Fu schools, since this martial art requires an almost Olympic-level of acrobatic skills. Judo or karate may be more suited to your child's needs in this case.
Research Different Martial Arts
Like knowing your child, you should have a working understanding about what the focus is for various martial arts. Schools that teach styles such as Krav Maga may be a little more aggressive than you would like, since this fighting style focuses on disabling or deadly techniques. If your child is more concerned about self defense, however, you may find that Krav Maga fits the bill nicely.
Find Quality Instructor
Finding a quality instructor is much more important than the style of martial art. A good martial arts instructor will be happy to sit down with you for a while to learn as much as they can about your child. You can often go into a school and watch a children's class or two to get an idea about what's important to the instructor. If they're working almost exclusively on tournament or aggressive sport fighting techniques and your child is timid and afraid, this might not be the school for you.
Find Out About Organization
Good martial arts schools almost always belong to a larger organization. Whether you're choosing a martial art that focuses on kicks to the head, including TaeKwonDo, or you're interested in a gentler sport such as Tai Chi or Judo, ask the instructor about their training and whether they are still teaching under the umbrella of their instructor. A good instructor will teach the students, but when it comes time to promote them in rank they will defer to a more senior martial artist for promotion approval.
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