Children’s Karate
Children’s Karate
Karate is a popular sport for kids and as most instructors would agree karate is more popular with children then with adults. One of the great things about karate is that it is an all-inclusive martial art, girls and boys train together with equal respect for each other and the inclusive is not only girls and boys but also includes all those with disabilities.
IWKA has many successful competitors in its children’s ranks. Many are winning medals at national as well as at international level. The IWKA instructors are dedicated to the welfare and excellence of its students, taking great care to nurture and cultivate the potential of its students. But most of all they must enjoy it and it needs to be fun. Research shows that kids as young as three can benefit from Karate. According to a study in The Sport Journal, martial arts can help kids as young as three years old improve their physical fitness, including coordination, flexibility, and strength.
From my experience children start karate for various reasons. Maybe it is because some of their friends are doing it or their parents want them to do it or it could be bullying.
But a highly likely reason is that they have just watched the karate kid or some other movie or programme involving some sort of karate or martial arts. For some others they just aren’t good at or have no interest in other sports.
Some parents send their children to karate because they feel that they lack discipline or need more structure in their lives.
Discipline, Respect & Fun
But karate is not a magic resolution for ill-mannered kids, as the instructor only has them for 1 or 2 hours a week, so this type of discipline lies with the parents. If the child can stick with the training and not be disruptive in the class, eventually you would hope that they would get an understanding of discipline and respect, and that it would enhance their physical, emotional, social, and intellectual abilities.
It is also important to keep children engaged during a class. Children are full of energy and wonder and get they get distracted very easily. The instructor’s tone and attitude during the class plus the activities and challenges that they present to children are important. We need to always remember that they are still kids. They want to have fun, and if they are having fun so are we.
Why Do Children Start a Karate Class?
One of the biggest misconceptions that children have when they start karate is that they will get good at fighting very quickly. What they fail to realise is that it takes a commitment to training and hard work. There are no short cuts to getting good at any aspect of karate, the student needs to turn up for training, practice at home and want to be good. Attitude is such an important attribute to success.
When children start training at an early age, it helps them to develop self-confidence and overcome shyness and it gives them the ability to work well with others. Children love physical activity and anything involving games, so karate needs to be fun. Sometimes children have a hard time with structure in a group environment, but karate gives them a strong desire to be less dependent on their parents or caregivers. It targets their stage of development and adapts to their social and intellectual curiosity. It also helps them to develop their motor skills, focus, attention, and perseverance.
I am a member of Ireland Wadokai Karate Association (IWKA), In the time that I have been with the organisation I have benefited a lot in form of my general fitness level and martial arts skills, we have regular squad training which is a great preparation for national and International competitions. In 2018 I was selected as part of the Irish team to compete in the wado Europeans in Portugal where I came 5th in the individual senior -75kg kumite and won bronze in team kumite. The following year in Hungary with the Irish kumite team we repeated the success with another European bronze medal.
With my involvement in karate and from my experience of travelling around the country and further afield, I have found that there is a sense of community that is unique to us. At the squad trainings and competitions, everyone is there to support each other. Before IWKA was founded, there weren’t many students at my parent club around my age, but since joining the association, I have made friends with people from all around the country. I am an Inclusive (special needs) instructor for IWKA and I am also a coach for the national Inclusive Karate team.