The Top Martial Arts For Children, Ages 2 to 18

When it comes to the time-consuming and occasionally expensive prospect of enrolling their kids in martial arts training, many parents are at a loss. This is made worse by the fact that they frequently lack knowledge of the specifics of the martial arts community. This parent’s guide to children’s martial arts is for you if this describes you.

Some people might not have even considered wrestling to be a martial art. It is one of the oldest sports on the list nevertheless, having originated in Greece and appeared in the first Olympic Games. Although it has no training in weapons or striking, it is still a viable alternative for cross-training for the proper child.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a form of martial arts that was developed by adapting Judo techniques to focus more on ground submissions. Beyond the lack of weapons or striking, it has serious faults. A key worry is the complete lack of global restrictions on teaching risky adult techniques to kids. These are in place in judo. BJJ is essentially Judo when appropriately adapted for younger children. Having said that, there is a good reason why it is one of the most popular teen trends. For more information, see the teen section.

Kickboxing shares several similarities with the top striking techniques on the list. However, it completely lacks grappling and weaponry, and many younger children find its training methods to be too severe. For most children until their adolescent years, the amount of contact and live resistance training required to become proficient in its narrow technique foundation is excessive. Whether it is the American or Thai variety, it is a fantastic choice for teenagers.

Kendo is a distinctive Japanese system that might not be available everywhere. The sport is highly ritualized, like fencing but with bamboo swords and armor. Although it might not be appropriate for all children, several middle and high schools utilize it to teach sportsmanship. It can be an extremely intriguing alternative.

If you were seeking for the MOST FUN martial art for kids, check out my article here now that you have the list of the BEST martial arts for kids.

Does the best martial art necessarily translate to the best for your kid?

No, not always. Every parent is aware of the similarities and distinctions their child shares with other children. I believe the remaining portions of this essay will better inform all parents and assist them in determining which fashion will suit their particular child the best. The top martial arts rankings for your child may fluctuate depending on their age, physical limits, interests, and a host of other factors.

It would be terrible to force a touch-phobic autistic child to do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or Judo.

The Ideal Martial Art for Young Children (2 – 4 years old)

When beginning martial arts training, these Little Ninjas, who range in age from two to four, have particular requirements and safety considerations. The most effective art for them will be focused on a more growth-oriented path rather than a purely character- and technically-focused objective.

It is actually more crucial at this age to teach kids the distinction between play, sport, and combat. In other words, youngsters need to be taught when it is “right to hit” targets and pads, as well as when to “not hit” their pals. A stuffy or a throwing dummy can also be thrown, but never your little sister.

For most children at this age, the distinction between truth and fiction is, at best, hazy. They aren’t intelligent enough to distinguish between violence and self-defense, so we shouldn’t either. The key to their effective utilization is the application of well-defined, basic strategies and guidelines.

The martial arts that are most appropriate for kids in this age range will put more of an emphasis on aspects of their mental, social, and physical development. Certain fashions will work considerably better for this than others. Parents who want to support their child’s growth should find the following information helpful.

The Best Toddler Martial Arts for Striking

These are our precious tiny ones, and they mimic everything they observe. They require wholesome role models at this point in their lives, boundaries that are strictly adhered to, and clear directives and objectives.

The best martial arts for toddlers in the striking category are described below.

KARATE For Children Ages 2 to 4

Karate is by far the winner of the top spot not because it is the greatest for every youngster at every stage of their lives. Karate is the finest martial art for kids since it is the most widely applicable style for most youngsters in their lower to intermediate years.

The emphasis on the all-around person is the cause of this. A Japanese Samurai ideal is to be proficient at many things yet lacking expertise in any one of them. If you only know how to kick and the time comes when takedowns are required, your expertise will be useless.

A child can find himself in a lot of pain if their only method of defense against a bully brandishing a stick is a boxing style predicated on exchanging blows. Similar to this, many grapplers have discovered that wrestling bare-chested on a concrete or gravel surface results in several weeks of quite severe agony.

Takedowns, hand blows, ground strikes, kicking techniques, and the use and defense of weapons are all combined in karate. Obviously, some Karate styles will be more practical than others, but generally speaking, most of them are at least ostensibly well-rounded.

In addition to its primary skill sets, learning karate has other advantages.

Data from a study carried out by Italian researchers at the University of Palermo revealed that teaching kids karate greatly increased:

coordination, reflexes, memory, attention, and executive functioning

After considering everything, I advise beginning cross-training in more focused weapons and grappling arts around the time you reach your tween years. Karate is largely a striking art, so those who lack specialized training in grappling and weapon-based techniques could take advantage of flaws in these disciplines.

Kali, Karate, and Judo are taught in equal amounts to young students in the beginning of my kid’s karate classes. Children will continue their education after these foundational lessons with instructors who have the particular skills required for their age groups.

Visit my page on the value and character the practice of martial arts may provide to learn more about my teaching philosophy for karate. Visit this page for all the information on locating your Little Ninja Karate lessons to discover more specifics about classes for young children.

KUNG FU For Children Ages 2 to 4

In Chinese culture, kung fu is a more all-encompassing phrase. It is used for more than only martial arts. It is used for any type of ability or craft that has been well tuned.

Chinese Kung Fu is a kind of martial arts that emphasizes synchronized, fluid, and aesthetically pleasing movements. Unlike later systems like Karate and Taekwondo, it is based far more on circular motions.

If necessary modifications aren’t done, some of the approaches and teaching methods could be a little difficult for younger students. For kids who are inclined, it is a fantastic martial art form that, more so than most, parallels the art of dancing. It genuinely produces outstanding demo teams and exhibits.

Although many young students can effectively learn it, for some it may be considerably more of an uphill climb than the simpler forms of Karate and Taekwondo.

JUDO For Children Ages 2 to 4

There is basically only one option when discussing young children and fighting. One of the most important influences on the status of contemporary martial arts today is judo, an Olympic sport. Jigoro Kano and his branch of Jujutsu, Judo, owe a huge debt of appreciation to the entire sport branch of the martial arts.

This is also true of all belt ranking systems, which Kano created and first used for his Judo pupils.

Judo is clearly superior for young children when compared to the less regulated arts of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the Greek-founded sport wrestling method.

Judo’s moniker “The Gentle Art” has merit. It lacks attacks, weapons, and surrender moves for the arms, legs, or neck for younger kids. It is based on bringing the adversary to the ground and keeping them there until an adult shows up. Both the sporting and self-defense aspects apply here.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a fantastic martial art for adults and older teens that evolved from Judo. It is more grounded in the equation’s ground component. Its lack of protections for trainers who teach armlocks, leglocks, or choking methods is an issue for young children. These are the established, internationally recognized rules of judo.

Important Safety Bonus: Judo is especially beneficial for younger children because the majority of injuries at any age are caused by falling. Judo has a comprehensive curriculum built on how to take falls properly, and many other forms have imitated and adapted it. It is one among the top contenders for greatest child martial art just on the basis of this feature.

Judo excels in assisting young toddlers with their coordination and balance. It outperforms not only the majority of other martial arts, but also other pursuits that are known to provide these advantages.

My advice: For a coordinated, secure, and superior foundation in the martial arts for practically any child, I would highly recommend combining Judo with Karate. Both of these Japanese techniques offer fantastic opportunities for character growth, comprehensive instruction, and other advantages.

The Finest Children’s Weaponry

Infants with weapons? Is that actually a wise decision? You’d better think so. Tell a child they can never use a sword, and when you turn your back, every crayon and straw turns into one.

Simply put, they’ll do it at the incorrect times, in a risky manner, and with the incorrect tool. If you show them how to use a foam one and establish the restriction that it must only be used in martial arts class, you’ll have one content little munchkin.

The Takeaway From The Best Martial Art For Kids

I wish all parents the best of luck in their hunt for the ideal fit for their Little Ninja. The facts presented here should have helped you make a decision.

I offer Karate lessons to anyone looking to introduce the sport to young children. But I’ll be honest—not all kids enjoy my funny jokes and playful demeanor, and older kids find them to be quite quickly tiresome. I use a different teaching approach with the two younger age groups.

I offer this to show that when looking for the best martial arts for your child, it’s important to remember that a class can really be made or broken by the instructor. The knowledge on the best styles for the majority of youngsters will stay true even if one instructor of a technique didn’t seem to work. Simply look for a teacher who better suits your requirements.