A Father's Right to Brag

[Water Dragon]

I’m always reading posts about how good some people are and what they can do. Well, I want to brag too. About my oldest son. He is six years old, has been “training” on and off since he was three. He has recently expressed a strong interest in learning “Dad’s Kung Fu” So far, here is where he’s at:

My son is currently honing his skills on spontaneous attack and defense. He stops about 80 % of the shots I throw at him and deals extremely well with him. I am now hitting him about as hard as a 9 year old would and it doesn’t even phase him.

As far as attacking goes, we are working glove skills more than anything but I have recently started teaching him the concept of using his elbows (he split my lip with one last week) and hope to give him some shoulder strikes by years end. He now operates out of hazing his eyes and sees open windows on me. I’m very happy to say I don’t allow him to hit me anymore. I don’t need to, he slips his shots in very well.

As far as other weapons, he is getting comfortable launching a Thai Roundhouse. (SevenStar, I promised him you would show him how to get some power with it next time you’re up.) And is just beginning to get the idea of throwing. He can manipulate structure properly, but only if I show him the leverage points.

On the ground, he has a good Upa and a better sweep than I do, LOL. He can also pass a guard fairly well. He knows a few headlocks and collar chokes but no other submissions yet. I’m tinkering with the idea of teaching him the rear naked, but am still cautious about that one.

We’re going to keep working on spontaneous technique and start to work his footwork in from there. I’m hoping to start him on some basic power mechanics by time spring comes.

He’s also very hyped as I promised him that if he trains hard, he can come and fight my Teacher Myoung, My Siheng Joe, SevenStar, and maybe MonkeySlap in November. I’m not sure who’s more excited.
:cool:

[guohuen]

Wow! That's great! Sounds like he's really understanding the principles and not just parroting your moves.

[Suntzu]

that's good stuff… I'm tryin to teach my 11 year old cousin some stuff but she act like she don’t wanna learn… but she has flashes of brilliance… she has a lot of power and a leg kick that can put down some grown men… if I could just get her to focus she could be a champion... i have anothe lil cousin thats 2 right now that enjoys hitting on people... cant wait to get him started... no kids of my own so until the time i'm just gonna show other people kids how to tear stuff up and send them on there way to destroy there homes on stuff...

most lil kids I know are masters of the rear choke… they always 'sneakin' up on me tryin to choke me out…

[KC Elbows]

Very cool. More importantly, though: how's his posting ettiquete? Can he get 300 replies on a troll post? How about slipping colorful language past the censors? Does he say how sweet ninjas are, and try to kick his mother in the head? Have you taught him about astral spies? If he gets in an argument on one thread, does he make sure to start a new thread just for that argument? How often has he flamed Sifu Abel?:D

[MonkeySlap Too]

I was just bummed we couldn't schedule it last week. Ah, November we will bring your 6 year old over to the dark side of the force....

[Water Dragon]

Originally posted by MonkeySlap Too
I was just bummed we couldn't schedule it last week. Ah, November we will bring your 6 year old over to the dark side of the force....

Yup. The first of the next generation. and his Lil Bro wont be far behind!!!

KC Elbows, I would never introduce the boy to this place. The idea is to make him a GOOD fighter :p

[TaoBoy]

So, start training UFC fighters early out your way do we? :)

Good work - a good luck to the young one.

[Skarbromantis]

Brag on brother, your doing what i plan on doing with my
newborn, get them going young, my 13yrd old, started when he was 10, cant wait till he passes daddy, then i'll have my braging
rights. :D

Skard1

[SevenStar]

Great....another person who'll be able to beat up on me next year....

Good job bro, I can't wait to really start teaching my kid. He'll be 4 next month - I'll probably start shortly after that.

[Mr Punch]

Man, I can't wait til I have kids I can force to learn martial arts! I started my little sister on aikido, and I every time I go back I check that she's in good hands and that she's checking what works and what doesn't (an unfortunate pre-requisite of a lot of aiki!)... makes me really homesick even thinking about it... :( (wail I wanna beat up my sister again!!!)


Originally posted by Water Dragon
... I am now hitting him about as hard as a 9 year old would and it doesn’t even phase him...

This is the one thing that had me worried in your posts...! How do you know? How many 9 year olds did you have to beat up in your research? :D

[Water Dragon]

Get him some junior boxing gloves and square off. Let him hit you however he wants to. Every now and then just touch him with your glove. Very slowly start adding in some concepts and just a little sting on your punches, slow enough so he doesn't realize he's getting hit. Make it a big game.

Oh yeah, every lesson remind him it's never OK to hit if he's mad, only if someone tries to hit him first.

[dezhen2001]

wow, that sounds great man :)
good luck,

david

[Shadow Dragon]

Maybe we should create a junior tournament for KFO-Member
Rug-Rats.

Mine got the head butt, and some good punches down well.
Plus, he can squirm out of any hold I put him into.
:D :D

Time to award the BB and let him teach the fellow Kids at the creche.
:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Peace.

[David Jamieson]

A philosopher once said..."Give me the boy and I'll give you the Man"

A method ingrained is the one that sticks even when you don't know it's sticking.

[Shadow Dragon]

Originally posted by Kung Lek
A philosopher once said..."Give me the boy and I'll give you the Man"


Isn't that an old jewish proverb:

"Give me your Son at age 7 and I will make him a Man by age 14."

There was once a TV-program that interviewed Kids age 7 and than age 14 again to show how their viewpoints changed, it was conducted on a large variety of Kids in a few middle eastern and other Countries.
I think that program was based on this saying.
Sad fact was that some Kids never made it to age 14 due to the violence in the region.

Peace.

[David Jamieson]

Could be, I understood it to be from the Jesuits.

peace

[Royal Dragon]

Congratdulations WD!!!

My little girl loved the arts back when I was babysitting her by bringing her to the Kid's classes I taught. Because of her physical condition and natural athletic ability, she pretty much out fought even the older boys.

But alas, she got board and lost all interest. :(

She was born a Gymnast, and Daddy's kung Fu was just a passing phase to distract her for a wile. :(

She "Say's" she like eagle claw because she likes the fact that the Grand master is female, and she has a superhuman grip from doing Bars since she was 3, so I bought her a Lilly Lau video to work on. I figure I will work out one technique at a time and just "play" with it rather than try to teach her anything. Hopefully this will keep a bit of interest going.

[PHILBERT]

I myself can't wait to have kids of my own to teach. Once I started taking Wing Tsun I began writing in a journal of notes, drawings, theories, techniques, etc. I also have a good selection of books on other arts and (of course the largest) Wing Tsun along with training tapes. I cant wait though to have a kid to teach.

[rubthebuddha]

philbert,

can't wait to teach 'em wt either, but when would you start teaching yours? most intructors i know won't start teaching wt until someone's at least 12, just because a lot of the techniques really depend on precise movements, and tots bodies just aren't developed enough most the time.

water dragon,

that kicks ass. :)

[ewallace]

Don't know the exact details, but I remember hearing or reading something about parents (or close relatives for that matter) teaching children may not be the best thing for them. Seeing as the younger ones look up to you as an authority figure they may feel forced to learn and when they are a little older (as in the teen years) may totally rebel against what you are trying to teach.

I don't exactly agree with this but I thought I'd throw it out there since I remember hearing something about this very issue.

[PHILBERT]

rubthebuddha, I might begin teaching them some early techniques such as balance drills and some foot work. I wont let them know though Im teaching them Kung Fu (or I might, I dunno). If they take an interest in it at an early age I might begin teaching them minor stuff with the legs and wait for hands.