Or any sports/hobbies/education.

How do you determine  what you will expose  your son to?


I never did martial arts? But I want to have my boy try it. Do I force him when he's old enough? Do you make him stay with it even if he doesnt want to?

I played all kinds of soorts  but never martial arts. Wish I would have.
But I don't want to make my son live out all my "dreams".

Anyway, thoughts from a new dad. Would like your opinions.

Wrestling they start at 5.

Little early imho wait until 8-10 kids burn out. Unless they love it right off the bat, then they can wrestle Saturday and Sunday year round.

Bjj is the same.

No better way to make a tough kid than individual combat with clear winners and losers in a brutal environment.

I dint really read past the first line of the op.

Grappling. Judo is also an excellent one to start early. Young bodies can handle the abuse and it's something you can build upon with other MA's.


Look at Ronda....she dominates because her Judo is so good.

My son and I took tae kwon do together for 2 years. He was tired of it but I enjoyed it so kept it up. He played soccer when he was younger. He wasn't a jock and I didn't push him. I played 3 sports and don't have to live vicariously through my son. He's awesome just like he is and his chars are higher than mine on Warcraft.

Yeah, he's a newborn. Just something I have been thinking about as a larger topic of how to be a good parent but not an overbearing asshole.

And not just in relationship to sports but all education.

Your post makes a lot of sense and makes me "stress" about it less. I think each kid is their own personality and will "find their own way".

I just want to introduce a lot of stuff and build a good foundation.

Anyway, thanks. That was a good post.

I took my oldest to a kempo karate school down the street from our house. Its a family place where kids and adults alike learn together. I took my oldest who was 4 at the time to watch a black belt demonstratilon and he was instantly excited. Hes now 5 1/2 and will be getting his orange belt soon!

Op take your kid up to a school and have him watch for an hour. Most places will let you sign up for a trial week or so to see if they are interested. But it will be your job to teach him to honor his commitment on the days he doesn't want to go.

My son started TaeKwonDo at 6 and earned his junior black belt at 10.  He has to wait until he is 15 to test for his full black belt so he started Kendo a month ago in addition to the TaeKwonDo.   I have done it along with him, I am 2 belts away from black (longer curriculum) and on my 2nd gup in Kendo.  I probably spend more time in 6 months with him doing things than my Dad spent with me my entire childhood.  

I also bought a 20 foot Center Console and we fish every other weekend.  

My son started TKD at 7 and earned a black belt, then went on to take a year of Krav Maga as a teenager.  After that he got into club team and high school swimming and didn't have the time or energy for martial arts.

We're starting our 5 year old son in a variety of activities. Football this summer, the occasional horseback riding lesson, and planning on martial arts sometime this month or next. If he expresses an interest in learning, we let him try it out. While we don't plan on forcing him to stay with something he hates, we do insist that if he starts something, he sticks with it long enough to at least learn the basics.

If I had a son he would be wrestling or boxing. Most martial arts suck as far as actually learning to fight and move, boxing and wrestling are where it's at and they actually involve fitness and athletic movement. I went to two martial arts places when I was younger and the sparring they do is a joke. Whatever you do go to a few different places and watch the guys working out, then decide what you want to spend your money money and kids time on.

BJJ is great!

The absolute best cardio workout you could ask for, and is very "gentle".

Lots of fun drills for kids, they naturally like to wrestle around. It gives them technique and structure that will last the rest of their lives.

I imagine its also a big benefit to start them young while they have lots of flexibility. Most guys that get into it later in life have a lot of catching up to do on that front.

That was hilarious.  Thanks for that!

My son's and I have done Judo for almost four years now.  It's their only sport.

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BJJ//boxing and some sort of team sport of their choice; football/soccer/baseball/basketball. Knowing how to work well in a team environment is invaluable in the adult world IMHO. then again...


<-------- Doesn't have kids. But if I did this is what they would be doing.

My 4yr. old daughter starts BJJ next wk.  I train BJJ and Muay Thai.  

Been around kids in the dojo for yrs. and have seen some spectacular failures.

Make sure they understand why they are there and how learning a martial art can benefit them.  Explain that bumps, bruises, and rough days are part of the territory as is being bested by an opponent.  Have a long talk about how being able to defend themselves will help them with bullies, peer pressure, etc.  Being able to stand up to someone and get physical is a huge psychological boost to a child.  Most kids worry about getting hit.  Explain it will happen, it will hurt, and they will LOVE it!  Once they learn getting hit/kicked isn't so bad, it goes a long way.  

Explain the discipline that will be expected of them in the dojo.  A fun, but somewhat stern, lecture about how they are expected to listen and do as told, period.  

Kids entering martial arts benefit from being given the big picture on how the art will change them and make them more confident and self-reliant based on the skills they will acquire.  

I have seen many eyes light up when they are told they can learn to stop a bully or punk cold.  

You must present the training as positive but be realistic about the bumps, bruises, falls, injuries, etc.  I have noticed that telling them they, "Will love getting hit and kicked and will probably smile even when it hurts" makes them understand what they will have to go through to achieve their goal.  By doing this you are also conditioning them to take a positive attitude when it gets tough.  Tell them the bruises and black eyes are something to be proud of.

That's my purse!

I don't know you!

I'm of the opinion that BJJ is the most practical and effective martial arts form out there. Find a studio that teaches a combative version instead of a competition version.  Maybe get some Muay Thai in there too. Judo is a worthwhile art to study as well.

Played any kickball today Bobby?

I played a few sports when I was younger, but none very long. My parents never forced me to stick with any of them. I know I wouldn't have enjoyed a martial art; just wasn't my thing when I was younger.

My oldest just started soccer. I'd like him to play a sport, but I'm not going to be dragging him kicking and screaming to practice for the next 10 years if he hates it. Life is too short.

It's pretty much all we do, we do a tournament every other month, so in addition to regular classes there are sparring classes.  TKD in Florida is very competitive, even more so since it became an olympic sport.  Some schools teach very little of the art, (traditional taekwondo has far more hapkido and techniques than sport taekwondo) and concentrate more on the sport aspect (looking at you TKD schools in Miami ).  We do both so it takes two kinds of classes, very different focus.

We also run 5k+ every other day and run in 10k races so I guess that's a sport (track) he is getting good at as well.

I don't see much value in baseball, football (yeah no I have seen the results), soccer, etc. he has tried each and gone back to TKD.  If he is inclined he can do martial arts for the rest of his life - I see TKD as a good base, very few people are still playing baseball past 18.

Added:  In so far as being on a team, he is on a sparring team and has been with these kids for over 4 years.  

Not sure what else I can do, we fish - fresh and salt, hunt, go shooting, run, practice martial arts - there is only so much time in a week.   When you throw in school we are pretty much busy every day of the week.

About TKD not being useful, a lot of MMA's top fighters are grounded in TKD.

http://www.insidemma.com.au/fighters/701-mmas-best-taekwondo-fighters  

When he gets older I will suggest he does more bjj or jujitsu / hapkido and start a box regimine, he is still a little guy to me.

Oh and TKD sparring matches are non-stop and brutal, not like karate where everything stops on a point.  It's full contact with kicks to the head allowed.