It's common wisdom in Western culture that studying martial arts is good for children. However, the common wisdom has little to say about what kind of martial art is a better choice. In truth, no martial art is really "better" or "better for children" than another. However, you may find that the flavor of tae kwon do or karate better suits your child's personality and physique, or your own ethics.
Availability
Convenience and availability are important to families. If you have children, the difference between martial arts lessons within a mile of your home and driving 30 minutes to class can be the difference between doing it and staying home. In general, tae kwon do is more common than karate in most communities. Tae kwon do also has many national organizations, meaning your child is more likely to find similar instruction if your family moves.
Physicality
Tae kwon do is characterized by dramatic motion, whirling kicks and flying leaps. Although karate includes some jumping kicks, it also emphasizes rootedness, patience and closeness to the ground. Active, athletic children may like tae kwon do better, while studious and patient students might prefer karate. Or you might want to follow the exact opposite idea to encourage a child to expand his horizons.
Ethics
Both karate and tae kwon do come with an integral set of ethical values. Tae kwon do follows the creed of integrity, courtesy, perseverance, indomitable spirit and self-control. Karate's creed is less formalized, but stresses citizenship, self-control, respect for elders and teachers, and humility. Although neither creed is necessarily better for children than the other, you may find that one meshes more easily with your own family's ethics, values or religious faith.
Frequency of Reinforcement
Tae kwon do training is traditionally split between many colored belts and often awards tape stripes between belt ranks. This leads to frequent reinforcement of effort and keeps students excited. Traditional karate awards fewer belts and requires longer waits between testing for rank. For most children, the tae kwon do model is the most engaging. However, many karate schools have adopted more frequent reinforcement in an attempt to model the strong commercial success of tae kwon do.
The Teacher is Everything
Ultimately, your choice of a martial art for your child won't matter as much as the quality of the people teaching class at an individual dojo. If you want your child to take tae kwon do, but the local school is taught by somebody you don't like and trust, you should look at the karate school down the street. A positive relationship between your child and his martial arts teacher is priceless. It should take precedence over any small difference in style.
References
- "Karate for Kids"; Robin Rielly; 2004
- Human Weapon Taekwondo: Taekwondo Student's Oath
- "Bushido, The Soul of Japan"; Inazo Nitobe; 2002
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