The Martial Arts thread!

[borg]

TKD has been a good fit for the boys, transition form Kung Fu to TKD didnt seem too challenging for them. They have a great bunch of instructors @ their current club who place just as much importance on the kids as they do the senior belts.

[kemosabe]

My oldest is 3.5 years old -- what's a good age to start him off with learning martial arts?

For those who already have kids taking lessons, at what age did they start?

[Ratso]

did a 6 year stint with Kempo and loved it. Just got too beat up fighting full contact and too busy with work to continue to "study". Then a car accident did in a disk and shoulder. The golf game went too. My 5 year old will start this fall. I think the discipline and focus learned is unmatched.

[borg]

Originally posted by kemosabe
My oldest is 3.5 years old -- what's a good age to start him off with learning martial arts?

For those who already have kids taking lessons, at what age did they start?

It varies from school to school, Sifu Hilbig would not accept any students under six, she also required a student to be referred by another student in her school & the candidate must go through an interview process. I had contacts & enough referrals that she accepted thew boys to become part of her club even though my youngest was only 5 yrs old at the time.

Phoenix TKD has a Shadow Warriors program for 4 - 8 yr olds, no referrals or interviews required.

You have to check around & evaluate each school & MA disicipline & try to find one that would work for you & the kids. If you do sign up the kids for lessons at age 4, dont expect much as far as any immediate development. But the skills will come & you'll be amazed at the things that they will be able to do.......just have to have patience.

[borg]

Originally posted by Ratso
did a 6 year stint with Kempo and loved it. Just got too beat up fighting full contact and too busy with work to continue to "study". Then a car accident did in a disk and shoulder. The golf game went too. My 5 year old will start this fall. I think the discipline and focus learned is unmatched.

So sorry to hear........the golf too?!
That really $uck$

Their are so many upsides in taking MA that it is 1 of 3 mandatory skills that we wanted our kids to be exposed to & hope that they liked it enough to continue on for as long as they can. The other skills are 2) swimming & 3) Piano lessons.

They are involved in other activities but the 3 I listed are tops on our list, at this point they dont have a choice but to take the lessons. Thankfully they enjoy & excell at them so we're quite lucky, if on the other hand one or both of them indicate that he/they do not enjoy tennis or soccer, he/they are given the option whether to participate or not.

[Samuel2003]

Bill, I hear you! Sorry about your situation. Have you tried talking to your instructor? How about attending some "outside" seminars and learning different things?

BTW, cool pictures everyone!

Kemo, i think it all depends on the child. Maturity levels, discipline, attention spans, coordination, varies so much! I've started teaching my 2 year old stuff. She knows how to punch, kick, elbow, slap, tackle, head butt, throat and eye poke, but her form is Terrible and her Work Ethic sucks (rarely practices a technique more than 2-3 times without running off somewhere else)!

When my daughters get older, I'll definitely be teaching them edged weapons awareness and usage...

Ratso, BUMMER!

Borg, when I was a kid, my parents forced me and my brother to participate in So Many different activities (some I liked, some I hated) - we were busy all year, every year. It wasn't until later in life that I finally realized all they had done for me and fully appreciated all their efforts and sacrifices. I didn't start MA until my early teens but it's been the "thing" that I've stuck with the longest (approaching the big four oh).

[desertpilot]

This is a great thread, nice pics also.

When I was in my first year of college, I saw a karate demonstration during lunch time and got interested in it and joined their class at the college which also counted for physical ed credits. Gogu Ryu karate style is half rigid Japanese style for attacks and half soft Kung Fu style for defense.

I switched to Wing Chun - Gung Fu (Kung Fu) style for a year which also included college credits. My instructor was from Bruce Lee’s first Wing Chun school in Seattle.

In California, I joined a Kali – Jeet Kune Do (Filipino martial arts) class, it’s a combination of hand to hand combat, sticks, nunchaku, knife, swords (also Kris) also all other weapons and Mui Tai which is a Thailand kick boxing style. When I got less active, I just attended when there are guest grandmasters’ seminars. The owner and master of the dojo was a former Bruce Lee JKD disciple.

Now it’s my boys turn (8 & 5 y/o) if they want to join a class. I just moved in a new area, so far I’m still looking for a good school with a good program, it doesn’t matter what style, but I want to pick something that’s more efficient with minimal style. But if I was still in the L.A. (Calif.) area, I’ll sign my kids in Dan Inosanto’s Kali class, he’s also a former Bruce Lee JKD disciple/ instructor. Dan also worked on major Hollywood films as MA actor, choreographer and advisor on edged weapons, sticks and nunchakus.

[borg]

Samuel2003 & desertpilot, that's an impressive MA resume you two have, I think learning different disciplines enhances your skill & helps to develop a more complete understanding of the whole MA lifestyle & philosophy.

Yes my kids are very busy with all kinds of after school activities but TKD, swimming & piano lessons are the only constants in their agenda, that's 3 days out of the week . We ensure that they have plenty of time to play or just relax, it's important to strike a good balance between keeping them busy & rest & relaxation.

[Samuel2003]

Desert, we have similar backgrounds. I started studying with Guros Dan and Richard (Bustillo) back in 88 when they were still teaching under the same roof. When they went separate ways (Dan to Westchester and now Marina Del Rey and Richard to Torrance) I stuck with Richard cause he was closer to my house (and a little bit cheaper). I would still see Guro Dan every now and then at Guro Bud's (Thompson) place but I haven't trained with any of those guys for quite some time now (probably over 3 years). Along the way, I've been fortunate enough to study with quite a few other people in the FMA/JKD (and extended) family. Much of my attitudes and philosophies on MA training was formed from what I learned from them. Nowadays, I do a little training and teaching with guys at work and I try to attend as many seminars as possible (so much good instruction, so little time/money!). Isn't there an FMA/JKD school or two out there in Vegas (is that close to you)?

Borg, you and the other caring parents on this site should be commended with the effort you make in providing so much to your children! They are lucky to have you all as parents!

For everyone who takes MA for a practical self-defense purpose:
http://www.graugart.dk/temp/sbg.wmv (slow link but I'm pretty sure it works)
(Matt Thornton of Straight Blast Gym talking about "aliveness" in training)
or Google for sbg.wmv or sbg2.wmv


www.imbacademy.com
www.inosanto.com
www.dogbrothers.com
www.sayoc.com

gotta run right now, post more later

[borg]

It's great reading about other members varied experience in Martial Arts, I'm actually amazed at the numbers who participate......we're a tough bunch! Anyone reading this outside of this community will think twice before tangling with a Pilot owner.........we might never see anyone engage us in a roadrage altercation.