Martial Arts for Toddlers

[Darthwing Teorist]

my son headbutted me at 4 months and drew blood....

Same here, my daughter headbutted her mom when she was 4 months old and drew some blood.

I started teaching mine certain things: how to properly make a fist, I do smilie situps with her hoping that this will get her accustomed to roll a bit when she falls backwards and I also started rolling her over the shoulder (mom does not like it - it has to be approved by a pediatrician).

I believe that martial arts hold many benefits for kids in terms of good movement principles (efficient biomechanics), attribute development (strength, stamina), body awareness (improved proprioception), reflexes that may prevent or lessen injuries (like rolls, breakfalls and yielding). Martial arts sessions can also be used to impart certain values regarding self-defense as well as teaching protective behaviour: what to do when approached by a stranger or when one is bullied or bothered by other kids or even good old peer pressure. In fact, martial arts are a great opportunity to talk about violence and build a foundation to help the child become more self-confident and therefore less likely to fight.

Of course, you can do the above outside martial arts, but martial arts present a convenient teaching package. Obviously, you do not teach kids the things that you teach adults: you withdraw certain dangerous techniques (neck breaking is a big NO-NO), you do not talk about certain issues like killing while you should talk about things that adults take for granted like what to talk to adults about trouble between kids, what to do with different types of conflict: insults, sharing of toys etc.

I don't see anything wrong with teaching your child martial arts, if the kid is interested in doing what mom/dad does. It is wrong to push them though, especially since you can teach the same stuff outside martial arts, like Chris and Dave pointed out. However, teaching them some basic things, even certain self-defense stuff to use against bullies, does not take their innocence away as long as it is presented as a fun game, adapted to their age as opposed to a rigid training regimen (and even this can have benefits on certain kids, that need to learn to respect authority).

[shawnsegler]

I heard a nasty story about a silat man who taught his son all kinds of heavy duty stuff and when he was 8 the kid got into a fight, grabbed the other little boys johnson and did a pull/strike damaging the other little boy severely.

Play and wrestling and stuff are fine but teaching them really dangerous stuff is sick and wrong.

When I'm wrestling around with my son I have him try and find my balance and pull me over do kinds of push hands types of things to get him accustomed to moving around with force....and that's it. He enjoys it. I think he's getting something valuable out of it and that's it. I think the next thing I'ma try and sneak in on him is centerline concept, but that's about it for that kind of stuff.

Anyhooo...let kids be kids.

[GrahamB]

It's interesting to note the way toddlers 'hit' - it's Pi Chuan all the way.

[dragontigerpalm]

What Chris M. and Darth R&R said. One of the biggest mistakes even well intended parents can make is when they try to live or re-live their lives through their kids.

[Darthwing Teorist]

I heard a nasty story about a silat man who taught his son all kinds of heavy duty stuff and when he was 8 the kid got into a fight, grabbed the other little boys johnson and did a pull/strike damaging the other little boy severely.

Play and wrestling and stuff are fine but teaching them really dangerous stuff is sick and wrong.

When I'm wrestling around with my son I have him try and find my balance and pull me over do kinds of push hands types of things to get him accustomed to moving around with force....and that's it. He enjoys it. I think he's getting something valuable out of it and that's it. I think the next thing I'ma try and sneak in on him is centerline concept, but that's about it for that kind of stuff.

Anyhooo...let kids be kids.

Yes, I believe that kids will pick up a lot of stuff while playfighting with adults. My nephews in Romania loved to wrestle with me. I always made sure to let them win a bit but always come back and especially important, to surprise them so that they become cheating bastards.

One of them tried kicking my shin on purpose while we were playing soccer. Once he was done rolling around in the grass from pain, I showed him to kick so that he impacts with the outside muscle of the calf, not the shinbone.

[BruceP]

What Darth said.

Joints and connective tissues are easily damaged from even light bagwork and such.

Kids absolutely love playing with sticks though. Learning manipulations and retention skills is appropriate for all ages and can be kept fun and fresh for years..

[Doc Stier]

Interesting perspectives here to say the least!

I began working with all five of my children when they were old enough to regularly walk and run without loss of balance. The 'instruction' was always in the form of physical play. We played variations of a game of chase and tag in which I showed them how to turn, twist, dodge, duck, lean, bend, and spin to avoid getting tagged. If they slipped or tripped and fell to the ground, I showed them how to break their fall and roll to avoid injury. They each in turn became very difficult to catch or tag as time passed.

Similarly, we took turns standing with our back close to an outside wall or fence while the other threw a large, soft ball in an attempt to hit the person standing against the wall or fence. Again, they were encouraged to use natural movements to shift their weight to one side or the other while simultaneously leaning, twisting, turning, and so forth, to avoid being hit by the ball. The same movements were also used while the other person tried to maintain contact with one hand on their back while they quickly walked or ran around in an attempt to force the other to lose contact with them.

I also showed them how to use such evasive movements to avoid being pushed, slapped, tripped, kicked or grabbed, and how to quickly release themselves from wrist holds and other types of grabs, much to their mother's displeasure, since she was often unable to grab hold of them in order to make diaper changes or to get them dressed, and so forth. I gladly accepted the blame/credit for their slippery neutralization skills.

They loved these games, and acquired some genuine defensive evasive skills in the process, as well as a better overall level of health and fitness. Great fun for everyone!

Doc

[DeusTrismegistus]

Little boys will play fight anyways. Just let them do it. Thats MA training right there.

[Darthwing Teorist]

Nice responses. I just want to emphasize that for me playfighting IS martial arts. None of that bag hitting stuff is needed. Like Doc said, if you are a martial artist, you can show your kid various things while playing.

BTW, not all kids move in optimum manner. To my dad's desperation, I used to fall on my knees as a toddler. He tried correcting me, but it was hard. However, when my brother was born he started teaching him to reach with his hands before he banged his knees to the ground. Yes, kids move in a natural manner, but sometimes they have to be shown.

About sticks: I LOVED playing with sticks. I don't know if it is a guy thing though, I hope not.

[RobP2]

Hey - maybe adults could learn like this too

[cerebus]

Though I have no intention of ever having kids myself, I've always felt that, at the toddler age, judo is great. Not the joint locks or chokes, just simple takedowns, pins & reversals. Kids love to wrestle and it's not really violent.

This also has the benefit of teaching practical skills to defend themselves with on the playground. Afterall, any real fights on the playground almost always end up in wrestling on the ground and it is really scary for a little kid to get jumped by a bigger kid and pinned with their face in the dirt and not have a clue how to get out of it.

I have a cousin in Montreal whose husband is a Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu instructor, and they had their daughter going to Judo class as a toddler. They weren't going to teach her any of the more dangerous stuff 'til she started high school.

[Wanderingdragon]

The most important thing you can teach a child is howto use the weight. Beware the power of the tantrum, the kids crying and screaming and generally acting outyou've given them their last chance and finally you reach down to pick them up and carry them away because you're a giant from adult land, as soon as you try to lift they're legs dissappear and all of a sudden you're pulling on dead weight , maybe 26 lbs, but you weren't expecting it . Many a backs thrown out like that, to know how when and where to use this technique, at will, could be the difference between running to a store manager , cop , or just a safe adult ,and being a missing child in seconds. The other greatest weapon a child has is his grip if planted in the right place , grab a cheek when the giant lifts it and squeeze with every bit of baby strength you have , pull an ear or a nose these things hurt with very little pressure they too can give a child enough time to scream and holler before someone can discreetly cover their mouth s to muffle they're cries and draw attention. As far as fighting no kid should be taught to fight or expected to fight an adult, and any Martial art they are taught for sure will come out in rough housing with they're peers, here they can hurt someone they're own size as they don't no to control they're skills.

[Doc Stier]

As far as fighting no kid should be taught to fight or expected to fight an adult, and any Martial art they are taught for sure will come out in rough housing with they're peers, here they can hurt someone they're own size as they don't no to control they're skills.

I agree that children can't be expected to 'fight' an adult, but they can learn to be aware of their surroundings and to be a difficult target for a stranger to catch or grab and carry away.

I made certain that all of my kids understood that I disapproved of them hurting anyone simply because they disliked the other person's words or behavior, but I also made sure they understood that they have a right to defend themselves to the best of their ability if anyone was threatening them or trying to hurt them. I believe that kids learn to be aggressive and violent mostly through observing such behavior in their parents. As such, it is equally important to let them see gentleness and patience as a normal course in our interactions with personal belongings, animals and other people.

Doc

[everything]

dodgeball

my kids LOVE tag and dodgeball. really great for evasion.

judo

awesome for some kids. some kids are kinda too shy to do stuff, then they don't seem to learn much

[Darthwing Teorist]

I heard a nasty story about a silat man who taught his son all kinds of heavy duty stuff and when he was 8 the kid got into a fight, grabbed the other little boys johnson and did a pull/strike damaging the other little boy severely.

But think how much would martial skill advance in the world if all boys would be able to rip each other's johnsons off! There will be no more fake shit left in the world. It may also help curb the humanity's overpopulation problem.

patience as a normal course in our interactions with personal belongings

Guilty!