Martial Arts for Toddlers

[CaliG]

Any advice on how to train toddlers?

My little one likes to come up to my heavy bag and do looping palm strikes. Then I'll join her and play along, then she'll get excited and hit more and more. Sometimes she'll even get her body into it. Also I'll put my palm on her forehead and she'll smile and brush it off.

Then I found this the other day and I tried a little bit of it with my 1 and half year old and she loved it.

I'm sure gongfu families had their games for little kids too. Anyone know of some?

[Chris McKinley]

Bonding, socialization, coordination spatial learning are the most important aspects of activities for kids at that age. IMO, it shouldn't have anything at all to do with martial arts, since kids lack the ability to form abstractions, such as when and where it's appropriate to use certain kinds of "play". Teaching them to whack things is, to them, carte blanche approval for whacking in general and may result in behavior you weren't expecting.

Instead of starting with martial arts and wondering about how to "dumb down", so to speak, the movements and exercises of it so it's kid-friendly, I'd toss the whole martial arts idea altogether and simply focus on making movement in general into play. Kids at that age are still getting used to their nervous systems and to simply being able to perform isolated movements. Make that into a game and you'll have something both fun and useful. Any notions of connecting that to martial arts is only going to be happening in your own head anyway. Let kids be kids...innocence lasts for such an appallingly short time these days anyway, let 'em enjoy it while they can.

[GrahamB]

Bonding, socialization, coordination spatial learning are the most important aspects of activities for kids at that age. IMO, it shouldn't have anything at all to do with martial arts, since kids lack the ability to form abstractions, such as when and where it's appropriate to use certain kinds of "play". Teaching them to whack things is, to them, carte blanche approval for whacking in general and may result in behavior you weren't expecting.

Instead of starting with martial arts and wondering about how to "dumb down", so to speak, the movements and exercises of it so it's kid-friendly, I'd toss the whole martial arts idea altogether and simply focus on making movement in general into play. Kids at that age are still getting used to their nervous systems and to simply being able to perform isolated movements. Make that into a game and you'll have something both fun and useful. Any notions of connecting that to martial arts is only going to be happening in your own head anyway. Let kids be kids...innocence lasts for such an appallingly short time these days anyway, let 'em enjoy it while they can.

+ 1 million.

[Ian]

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/stua ... vital.html

[juz]

my son headbutted me at 4 months and drew blood...he's now 3 and a half and still frighteningly effective with his big head, which he has used twice discretely on other kids who have "tried it on"...he isn't pushy, lets other kids go first, and helps other kids up ladders/slides...
... funnily enough if he playfights his head is the one thing he doesn't use...but he has a limit...bless him....

Hitting can be problematic with children and so "training" a behaviour you want to avoid could be problematic...but I believe many kids (my son included) can make make greater distinctions between "acceptable and unnacceptable" behaviours than Piaget would give them credit for...

I can see how its different with girls, so when my daughter hits her 3rd birthday its off to "Little Ninjas" for her, just as soon as she's unwrapped her Bratz Kibutan and My Little Pony Pepper Spray...

[canard]

you could just take them to the park and play with them....you know - climb trees, roll on the ground, play hide and seek, chase after them and let them figure out how to move and pull and push and dodge getting tagged.

and then get them to practice 1000 jian point and stabs every day

[Darth Rock&Roll]

NO NO NO and NO.

1) a toddler should NOT be trained in any acts of violence

2) a human being is not developed in bone structure, muscularity or organ development until 18+ years

3) You risk damaging the child forever


the whole idea of teaching practical martial arts to children is downright stupid. Let them be kids and play! Why would you even want to introduce them to violence before they are at an age where they can even deal with violence.

[zenshiite]

My 3 year old needs no help right now, and I think if I taught him anything it'd just be asking for it. He already randomly hauls off and punches me in the face, and head butts when he's in a particularly foul mood(and he's got that huge hammer forehead to really do some damage with). Oddly, the only kid he hits regularly is his cousin and I think that's largely because the cousin has zero socialization skills because his parents are douchebags so he just walks up and takes toys and generally makes a nuisance of himself. So my son is like "fuck you" and hits him with shit because he's not cool.

That said, I think there could potentially be a usefulness to introducing young kids to martial arts in a very non-serious non-practical sort of way just to develop more of an interest for later in life. They are already introduced to martial arts and violence just in children's entertainment. Besides Wall-E my son's favorite movie is Kung Fu Panda. He likes TMNT and other stuff like that. Maybe you wouldn't want to teach them anything at like 2-4, but it could be a good idea to get them going on the discipline side of martial arts from 5 up or something. It might, then, also be a good idea to put them in a class and not do the teaching yourself. My kid, at least, is less inclined to listen to me with any kind of instruction on any matter than he is other adults. Even if I knew a whole lot about soccer, he'd never settle down enough to listen to me try to teach him anything about soccer. But he did great in his little toddler soccer class yesterday. I know he wouldn't be able to listen to me in a martial arts setting, but if I put him in some sort of kids class at a school of some sort... and I mean anything, TKD, karate or a place that teaches Shaolin for kids... I think he'd listen to those instructors better. Makes me wonder if I should get someone else to start teaching him how to play baseball, because he won't for one instant listen to be try to tell him to catch his wiffle ball with his little glove and then throw the damn thing with his ungloved throwing hand... he just tries to throw it with the glove!

[juz]

Oddly, the only kid he hits regularly is his cousin and I think that's largely because the cousin has zero socialization skills because his parents are douchebags so he just walks up and takes toys and generally makes a nuisance of himself. So my son is like "fuck you" and hits him with shit because he's not cool.

I hate to say it but isn't seeing your son lay out someone who's totally asking for it one of life's really guilty pleasures ...
( after counselling them in appropiate conflict resolution, of course...)

[canard]

NO NO NO and NO.

1) a toddler should NOT be trained in any acts of violence

2) a human being is not developed in bone structure, muscularity or organ development until 18+ years

3) You risk damaging the child forever


the whole idea of teaching practical martial arts to children is downright stupid. Let them be kids and play! Why would you even want to introduce them to violence before they are at an age where they can even deal with violence.

quit harshin' our buzz maaaaaaan

[jaskey]

agreed with just getting them active without violence. but is it possible to teach purely defensive techniques without the offense. blocks, neutralization, and dodging from the earliest age. that couldn't back fire could it?

[Darth Rock&Roll]

agreed with just getting them active without violence. but is it possible to teach purely defensive techniques without the offense. blocks, neutralization, and dodging from the earliest age. that couldn't back fire could it?

a 22 year old man versus your 4 year old son. what will the result be even if you train your kid in some defensive technique?
Your kid can't even outrun the guy.

It's a ridiculous and dangerous supposition. Unfortunately, there are people out there who think they can sell the idea to others that they should pay to "street proof" their kids. "Streetproofing" your kids amounts to be responsible for them, watch over them and ensure that they do not come to any harm. teaching them techniques or telling them to run and yell etc etc is a bloody waste of time and will create a totally false sense of security in everyone involved.

Just take care of your kids and keep them out of harms way.

[GrahamB]

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/stuart_brown_says_play_is_more_than_fun_it_s_vital.html

Great lecture - thanks.

[RobP2]

Just let kids play and be kids. Like Canard said, let them roll, climb, jump, fall over, get muddy and all the rest of it. They have the "natural movement" that everyone talks about so why on earth would you put them into "junior dragons" or some similar crap

[everything]

play. roll. mud. climb. jump. run. natural movements. sports. gymnastics.

there is certainly an ethical issue, too. my 5 year old is getting a mean overhand right. that is good but he's already gotten in trouble.