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Thread: WHAT A GOOD AGE to START TRAINING?

  1. #1
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    Question WHAT A GOOD AGE to START TRAINING?

    I have recently been told that i am joining the fatherhood club. Excited can not even begin to explain what i am feeling. Being my first child i wanted to know what is a good age to start MA training? and what type of routine do some of you Sifu/Teachers use with your younger students. Thanks


    SHEN ZHOU
    "Learn to see a persons weak spots; even if a ready or on position is used."
    Lai Sifu

  2. #2
    I personally suggest 4-6 years old.
    but try to stretch the kid from maybe 1.5 to 2 yrs , kids are more flexible when so young and the earlier you start the easier it is for them.

  3. #3
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    8 -10.
    He most honors my style who learns under it to destroy the teacher. -- Walt Whitman

    Quote Originally Posted by David Jamieson View Post
    As a mod, I don't have to explain myself to you.

  4. #4
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    There are joint flexability techniques that must be started at least before age 6 in general. So I would go with the 4-6, but really it just depends on the parents. You in theory could start the little kid off as soon as they have a firm grasp of walking, and talking.
    A man has only one death. That death may be as weighty as Mt. Tai, or it may be as light as a goose feather. It all depends upon the way he uses it....
    ~Sima Qian

    Master pain, or pain will master you.
    ~PangQuan

    "Just do your practice. Who cares if someone else's practice is not traditional, or even fake? What does that have to do with you?"
    ~Gene "The Crotch Master" Ching

    You know you want to click me!!

  5. #5
    I'm not a father, nor am I married, but I've seen a five year old whip out forms like Fuk Fu like no tommorow. I think somewhere around the vicinity of that age is decent.

    Now, I'll hand you this: the kid was from China, and they're allegedly more obediant when coming from that culture, but I'm sure your kid could learn it just the same when he reaches that age.

    He also picked up on French very quickly. Kids are amazing!

  6. #6
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    between 11-13.

    Before that, just let them enjoy being children.
    I have no idea what WD is talking about.--Royal Dragon

  7. #7
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    Little kids can learn forms and sure, they're flexible, but they just don't understand the intent. I would prefer to start them later. We have kids class with 6-10 year olds, but the young ones just don't get it. They move well. But they just don't get it.

    I mean, how flexible do you really have to be? I can't do the splits but I can fight decently enough. If I could do the splits, I don't think it would make me fight any better.
    He most honors my style who learns under it to destroy the teacher. -- Walt Whitman

    Quote Originally Posted by David Jamieson View Post
    As a mod, I don't have to explain myself to you.

  8. #8
    So what if they don't get it? Think how much better they'll be when they do get it and they've already got a solid training base behind them. I say anything from 4 or 5 up is good.
    "i can barely click the link. but i way why stop drinking .... i got ... moe .. fcke me ..im out of it" - GDA on Traditional vs Modern Wushu
    ---------------------------------------------
    but what if the man of steel hasta fight another man of steel only that man of steel knows kung fu? - Kristoffer
    ---------------------------------------------
    How do you think monks/strippers got started before the internet? - Gene Ching
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    Find your peace in practice. - Gene Ching

  9. #9

    Thumbs up

    Just to clarify myself.
    I will elaborate my personal theory and experience.

    I believe that if you want the best for your child, stretching and flexibilty basics should be done early. I'm not necessarily bent on showing toddlers forms / kata but like Hearwa I have seen a 4/5 year old karateka do a really powerful form.

    Nevertheless , that's not my point. My point is that Children should/ or rather could be taught such basics as flexibilty early on. Even Shaolin Temple makes young children do that flexabilty form. It's not necessarily Martial in the strictest sense of the word , but it offers a really good foundation.

    When it comes to hardcore training, I believe that should be saved till later, i.e. Full Contact Fighting. Or any Weight Training
    as this might cause serious damage to the child and / or stunt thier growth.

    Some kids are more obedient than others , and I personally don't want to teach anybody's young children, as it is a big responsibilty. But I will teach my own children.

    Children grow, and that complicates learning motion co-ordination , because each time they grow thier motor skills have to adapt to thier new bodies. Having a basic training regiment for kids (perhaps flexibilty, stances, basic blocking , punching ,kicking, basic forms) more often than not helps to alleviate this problem.
    And the children really benefit from this when they are older. I have personally seen this, so I can attest.

    Shen Zhou, you will be responsible for the discipline of your own child/ children, parenting plays a major role in a childs development. I encourage you to be a good parent and teach your child the martial arts.

    WD,
    The statement that a child should allowed to be a child is a very strange one. I'm sure you would send your child to elementary school to get an elementary education, so why not the same for the martial arts? Unless you are running a strict Chinese Opera styled house I don't see the benefit of keeping your child away from martial arts.
    It is PROVEN that excercize and physical activity helps to stimulate the mind. Why deprive your child of that? Martial Arts if taught right is a vehicle for discipline and Focus.
    Last edited by Starchaser107; 01-25-2005 at 03:15 PM.

  10. #10
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    Originally posted by Starchaser107

    WD,
    The statement that a child should allowed to be a child is a very strange one. I'm sure you would send your child to elementary school to get an elementary education, so why not the same for the martial arts? Unless you are running a strict Chinese Opera styled house I don't see the benefit of keeping your child away from martial arts.
    It is PROVEN that excercize and physical activity helps to stimulate the mind. Why deprive your child of that? Martial Arts if taught right is a vehicle for discipline and Focus.
    Not saying anything about physical activity, just saying that I think 11-13 is the best age to start children training. That's my opinion based on my experience w/ my oldest son and other children I've seen training.

    If you want to put the kid into a Tae Kwon Do or kids Karate class, that's fine. I prefer to wait until my son is older and not build bad habits though.
    I have no idea what WD is talking about.--Royal Dragon

  11. #11
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    IMO, 10 for MA training, and acrobatics/stretching before that.

    You can start conditioning the body and attitude before you being the martial aspect of training.

    We all know that developing bad habits while learning your basics can screw up your arts. Best to wait (once again, IMO) until the child really understands what he'she is doing before beinning the real training.

    Grats on your fatherhood, btw.
    Steel sharpens on rock. Man sharpens on man.

  12. #12

    WD

    In your profile you have listed yourself as "Shuai Chiao/Muay Thai/BJJ " and under your avatar you have " Vale Tudo"

    In My experience I understand these to be for the most part Full Contact Sports/Arts

    and if you had read my post you would realize that I am in agreement with you for the most part.

    However , I am under the impression that Shen Zhou ( the person who wrote this post) is a disciple of Preying Mantis, which is a form of Chinese Kung Fu.
    There are many aspects to Chinese Kung Fu and not all of them involve going full contact.
    I fail to see how in this particular instance (Shen Zhou's child) starting early would develop bad habits.

    No offense to you WD, and your respective arts. And I totally understand not wanting to involve young children in activities that might do more harm than good.

  13. #13
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    That's the beauty of this place. There's a lot of different people coming from a lot of different spots. Opinions were asked for, I gave mine. If you want to take my opinion, I'll even give you a grain of salt to go with it.
    I have no idea what WD is talking about.--Royal Dragon

  14. #14
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    If we are talking traditional chinese training, then you start your child off when it is physically able to begin anything, you dont start with punches, kicks, or anything like that. Remember old school traditional style you will start off with about 3 years of basic stance training movement and flexability. This is easy to teach a child (especially over 3 year period) so you can start at 5-6 and then around 8-9 start the martial qualities, by that time their stance, footwork, and flexability will give them quite a LARGE edge over the other kids who are just starting their Ma Bu. This is traditional.
    A man has only one death. That death may be as weighty as Mt. Tai, or it may be as light as a goose feather. It all depends upon the way he uses it....
    ~Sima Qian

    Master pain, or pain will master you.
    ~PangQuan

    "Just do your practice. Who cares if someone else's practice is not traditional, or even fake? What does that have to do with you?"
    ~Gene "The Crotch Master" Ching

    You know you want to click me!!

  15. #15

    Thumbs up

    lol

    okay fair enough.

    My opinion plus grain of salt is , if you're going to give your opinion on something make sure it's relevant.
    It's like giving Swimming advice to a Race Car Driver.

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