TRAINING YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE MARTIAL ARTS

Any parent can tell you that training children in any endeavor is a time consuming task requiring patience and discipline. This is also true in training children in the martial arts. The question is often asked "At what age should a child begin training in the Martial Arts". While there is no correct answer to this question, there is a practical answer. A child younger than 5 years is unable to perform most of the basic types of training drills utilized in the Martial Arts. There are exceptions i.e. hard working four year olds who clearly profit from Martial Arts training, however as a general rule a child should start their training sometime after their fifth birthday. A child most often begins training because the parents perceive a benefit for the child in martial arts training. Since the child has no idea what is involved in Martial Arts training, a desire to please his/her parents initially motivates the child. Because the Karate teacher (Sensei) has the task of enlightening children so that their motivation and martial skills grow, this strong desire to please (approval seeking) is the most valuable asset the Sensei possesses in the Dojo. Let's discuss each of these areas:

Motivation: The child has a fragile ego, possibly a poor self-image, and no idea of how to master a physical skill. The child perceives the dojo as another classroom and the child’s behavior is consistent with the child's perception of acceptable classroom behavior. The martial arts concepts of discipline, respect, physical conditioning, repetitive training, and technique development are difficult for the child to grasp. The Sensei uses a series of exercises and games to improve the abilities of the child in these areas, thereby strengthening the child’s body, improving the child's motor skills, and improving the child's self-confidence. During this process, the Sensei articulates in language that the children understand the type of behavior expected in the Dojo. If the Sensei is successful, the children modify their behavior to meet the requirements articulated by the Sensei. As the child modifies his/her behavior, they are able to achieve the Martial Arts tasks set out for them by the Sensei. These challenges may be successfully completing summersaults, learning to count in Japanese, or they may be as small as stepping back into a backstance. As the child's skill level improves, the Sensei provides the child the increasingly difficult task of learning the kata and one-steps necessary to progress in rank.

For the very young student (ages 4-9), expectedly slow progress during formative training can cause potential problems. The very young child's lack of experience in muscle strengthening, motor skills development, and confidence building often causes problems. Acquiring these new skills can lead frustration in the child and parent who believes progress should be more rapid. The parent and Sensei can solve this problem with patience mixed with encouragement. The parent’s reinforcement by asking the child to demonstrate what he or she is currently studying and then praise the child for his/her performance is essential. The Sensei provides encouragement and praise to the child in front of the other class members, thus strengthening the child's motivation to achieve. A Sensei cannot force feed martial skills to a child. All involved with a child’s martial education must recognize this and give each child time to grow at his or her own pace.

Martial Skills: The first task the Sensei faces in a child’s martial education is to teach the child to follow directions. The Sensei must do this in a positive way to avoid injuring the child's motivation. For example, when a child talks in class a Sensei doesn't say "Billy, shut up and pay attention" but "Billy, stay focused". The Sensei explains to the class that talking during a lesson shows a lack of respect for him or herself as well as for the other students who want to learn the lesson. A Sensei must also explain to the child why absolute attention is demanded to keep the class safe. In this way, the child learns, without diminishing his or her motivation, that discipline and respect are necessary qualities in the Dojo. Another aspect of the child's training that occurs concurrently with behavioral discipline is muscle strengthening and motor skills development. Here again, there are potential problems. Heavy calisthenics is simply beyond the motivational endurance of a child. In fact, heavy calisthenics is often beyond the motivational endurance of an adult. To overcome this, the Sensei uses carefully structured games such as "Jump over the pads", "Backfist the flying pad", or "Catch the medicine ball" to build and develop leg strength, eye-hand coordination, and arm muscles. These games are a necessary part of the child developing enough strength and eye-hand coordination to successfully train in the martial arts.

Confidence: Developing and enhancing confidence is another goal of martial training in a young child. The child gains confidence as he/she achieves martial goals. Overcoming fear is a major challenge to achieving confidence. Studying martial arts presents the child with numerous fears and opportunities to overcome those fears. Systematically, the child will learn to break down difficult tasks into smaller pieces. So, it is important that the Sensei gives accomplishable tasks early in the child's training. Examples of tasks that help build a child's confidence are summersaults on the mats, jump over the Bo, and kumite with the Sensei.

Particularly in the formative years of 4-9, it is especially important to pay close attention to children having difficulty in motivation, acquiring martial skills, and developing healthy self-confidence. The Sensei and parents share the responsibility in reinforcing the positive lessons learned in martial arts training. Patience is a virtue in life as well as in martial arts training. Do not expect a child’s physical, mental, and emotional abilities to all develop at the same rate. Always reinforce good effort, behavior, and performance. Remember the old axiom – praise in public, criticize in private. Encouraging phrases such as "You did great", or "I know you can do it" will go a long way toward convincing the child that he or she can achieve abilities far beyond the child’s realization, and will eliminate the child’s fears that come with martial arts training.