Finding the right youth martial arts program in Port Coquitlam can be as difficult as finding the right sport, tutor, or coach. While Martial arts can be a positive, healthy activity for the youth, there is also a broad array of martial arts options, it’s tough to pick the right one.
Each discipline requires slightly different skills and techniques, and your child will gravitate to one above the others. To help children chose the right discipline for them, Understand the philosophy and discipline for each and if you are looking at studios in your neighbourhood, ask about their specific ideals and goals for their students.
All martial arts classes will claim to instil some, if not all, of the following in your child:
- Confidence
- Focus
- Resilience
- Discipline
- Self-Defence skills
- Coordination
- Core Strength
- Respect
- Camaraderie
- Behaviour Issues
- Emotional
- Self Regulation
- Social Development
Finding the right studio and style
Each kind of martial arts has a different origin, style and technique.
But far more important than which form you select is the studio’s philosophy and teaching style. Ask studios about their approach rather than focusing too much on choosing one over the other.
Important considerations with martial arts for kids: Once you have found the right studio, or think you have, ask for your child to try it out.
Before committing to a studio, ask for a free trial class or purchase a five-class punch pass if possible. Even though the studio may have a stellar reputation, doesn’t mean the instructor is right for your child. With that in mind, it’s advisable to look for a school that offers different classes for different age groups rather than lumping five-year-old’s in with tweens. And you should be allowed to watch your child while they’re training, as no one can gage their responses better than a parent.
Ask yourself these questions while considering the appropriate class style:
- Does your child like to wrestle? If so, jiu-jitsu, sometimes called Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or BJJ, is a great way to go. Jiu-jitsu–Tied to Judo from Japan but brought to Brazil and popularized by the Gracie family, this features primarily ground movement, much of which has roots in wrestling. One of the key concepts of this is the art is that a smaller, less muscular person can compete against a larger, more muscular opponent by using these techniques.
- Is your child good at remembering choreographed movements? If so, traditional Japanese katas are a large component of most styles of Karate. Karate is probably the most well-known martial art. This art features a lot of kicking, punching, blocking and kata, which is a choreographed fighting form that is almost like a solo dance routine.
- Does your child prefer kicking over other movements? If so, taekwondo might be a better approach as kicks factor heavily in their curriculum. Taekwondo–From Korea. It features an emphasis on kicking and is one of the few styles included in the Olympics.
- Kung Fu–From China and similar to Karate techniques, are divided into four areas: striking, kicking, grappling and throwing, and seizing and locking the joints.
Points to remember when helping your child decided on a martial art:
- Philosophy
- Classes and sizes offered
- Trial pass
- Parent spectator
If you would like to learn more regarding our Youth Martial Arts Program in Port Coquitlam, book an information call or follow us on Facebook and visit us today!
