thing, and I think it's a mistake. "
Joshua David Stein, who earned a black belt in aikido and currently practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the Sun Dojo in Brooklyn, agrees: "It pays to travel a little further to find a dojo with a legitimate sensei," says "No be afraid ⏤ and don't ⏤ look at the sensei's background. Who gave him his black belt? Who is actually teaching the class? "
Brett Ortler, who studied Judo and Jujitsu, adds: "The word sensei means 'old man', but it is often translated as 'teacher', and it is fitting here: essentially, you are choosing a teacher for your child."
Choose your Dojo carefully
Similarly, the most important tip that all the parents emphasized was to choose your dojo wisely. "The dojo has to be right for you and your child, and finding a good one can be difficult," says Ortler. They all recommended visiting various schools and taking advantage of free trials to observe classes ("just the feeling you get from one place is enough to keep you going," adds Bilski), as well as asking about injury rates, class sizes, and how belts are awarded. Even more important, suggests Marcus Rodriguez, whose 8-year-old son and his 5-year-old daughter practice Aikido in Atlanta, is looking at how established students responded to the instructor and how the instructor handled the students.
"Go to school, watch the class, watch the seniors," Ehrlich adds, "see if they look good or if they look sloppy, because that's an indication of how good the teacher is." He also suggests looking for red flags like students training too hard or hurting themselves and a violent atmosphere that is not conducive to learning. You don't necessarily need a lot of drill sergeant barks or a place where they're "creating a soldier mentality. You don't need people to beat you up to learn." He cautions against a “super macho, no pain, no gain” attitude and distrusts schools that seem to function more like fight clubs.
Even if you have a convenient local dojo, the goal is to find a place where you and your child feel comfortable. You want a place that they are excited to go to and want to return to every week, where they can develop a true love of art. Otherwise, they will eventually quit smoking.
Don't expect your child to be Bruce Lee after the first day, month, or even year
One of the biggest misconceptions about martial arts is that kids will get good at fighting very quickly. Parents often have unrealistic expectations of what martial arts is, says Ehrlich, "It's not going to turn your child into a ninja butt-kicking machine." At least not right away, that takes many years of practice. “People don't realize that it's not magic. It is hard work."
"Bruce Lee didn't become a tough guy in a day, and your son definitely won't," adds Rodriguez. “It's a long process and it doesn't really seem like much is happening for a while. But fast forward six months or a year and it can start to look like something you've seen before. "
Also, don't expect your undisciplined child to suddenly turn into a well-behaved child.
"Many parents think that if they send their children to karate or Tae Kwon Do, they will get discipline and that will help them with homework," says Ehrlich. "It's advertised that way, promoting self-control and discipline, because that's what parents want." In general, however, your child's character or personality is not going to completely change with a few months of activity after school. That doesn't mean you won't eventually help your child focus and become a better student, just don't expect immediate results.
Starting early helps eliminate fear of being hit
Naturally, this depends on the style of martial arts you choose, but the sooner you have your child train, the less fear he will have of being hit or thrown.
Beware of annual contracts and additional costs
Martial arts schools work much like gyms in that they often promote annual or long-term contracts, knowing full well that people quit or don't come infrequently. Be careful not to deposit too much money up front, especially if you are not sure your child will enjoy it or keep it.
"Be prepared for the added costs as well: belts, tryouts and tournaments," says James Goodman, whose son studied Tae Kwon Do for more than three years. “It is easy to fall into a 'contract' by accident if you are not careful. Read all. Always ask how to cancel and what is required. "All that said, he notes," Martial arts are not cheap, but they can be worth it in the long run. It created an environment for my son to understand the
thing, and I think it's a mistake. "
Joshua David Stein, who earned a black belt in aikido and currently practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the Sun Dojo in Brooklyn, agrees: "It pays to travel a little further to find a dojo with a legitimate sensei," says "No be afraid ⏤ and don't ⏤ look at the sensei's background. Who gave him his black belt? Who is actually teaching the class? "
Brett Ortler, who studied Judo and Jujitsu, adds: "The word sensei means 'old man', but it is often translated as 'teacher', and it is fitting here: essentially, you are choosing a teacher for your child."
Choose your Dojo carefully
Similarly, the most important tip that all the parents emphasized was to choose your dojo wisely. "The dojo has to be right for you and your child, and finding a good one can be difficult," says Ortler. They all recommended visiting various schools and taking advantage of free trials to observe classes ("just the feeling you get from one place is enough to keep you going," adds Bilski), as well as asking about injury rates, class sizes, and how belts are awarded. Even more important, suggests Marcus Rodriguez, whose 8-year-old son and his 5-year-old daughter practice Aikido in Atlanta, is looking at how established students responded to the instructor and how the instructor handled the students.
"Go to school, watch the class, watch the seniors," Ehrlich adds, "see if they look good or if they look sloppy, because that's an indication of how good the teacher is." He also suggests looking for red flags like students training too hard or hurting themselves and a violent atmosphere that is not conducive to learning. You don't necessarily need a lot of drill sergeant barks or a place where they're "creating a soldier mentality. You don't need people to beat you up to learn." He cautions against a “super macho, no pain, no gain” attitude and distrusts schools that seem to function more like fight clubs.
Even if you have a convenient local dojo, the goal is to find a place where you and your child feel comfortable. You want a place that they are excited to go to and want to return to every week, where they can develop a true love of art. Otherwise, they will eventually quit smoking.
Don't expect your child to be Bruce Lee after the first day, month, or even year
One of the biggest misconceptions about martial arts is that kids will get good at fighting very quickly. Parents often have unrealistic expectations of what martial arts is, says Ehrlich, "It's not going to turn your child into a ninja butt-kicking machine." At least not right away, that takes many years of practice. “People don't realize that it's not magic. It is hard work."
"Bruce Lee didn't become a tough guy in a day, and your son definitely won't," adds Rodriguez. “It's a long process and it doesn't really seem like much is happening for a while. But fast forward six months or a year and it can start to look like something you've seen before. "
Also, don't expect your undisciplined child to suddenly turn into a well-behaved child.
"Many parents think that if they send their children to karate or Tae Kwon Do, they will get discipline and that will help them with homework," says Ehrlich. "It's advertised that way, promoting self-control and discipline, because that's what parents want." In general, however, your child's character or personality is not going to completely change with a few months of activity after school. That doesn't mean you won't eventually help your child focus and become a better student, just don't expect immediate results.
Starting early helps eliminate fear of being hit
Naturally, this depends on the style of martial arts you choose, but the sooner you have your child train, the less fear he will have of being hit or thrown.
Beware of annual contracts and additional costs
Martial arts schools work much like gyms in that they often promote annual or long-term contracts, knowing full well that people quit or don't come infrequently. Be careful not to deposit too much money up front, especially if you are not sure your child will enjoy it or keep it.
"Be prepared for the added costs as well: belts, tryouts and tournaments," says James Goodman, whose son studied Tae Kwon Do for more than three years. “It is easy to fall into a 'contract' by accident if you are not careful. Read all. Always ask how to cancel and what is required. "All that said, he notes," Martial arts are not cheap, but they can be worth it in the long run. It created an environment for my son to understand the
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