A logical question many people ask, but one that's virtually impossible to answer with a simple answer, is: "What's the best martial art for children?" If you narrow the question down a bit to: "What's the best martial art for MY child?", you might expect a more comprehensive answer, but even then, there's no clear and straightforward answer.
With over 30 years of experience in various combat sports and martial arts, and a more than average interest in martial arts in general, I will nevertheless attempt to answer this question substantively.
Choose a sport and club that suits your child
We also get adult men and women visiting our store who ask about the best kickboxing club or boxing association in the area. There's no simple answer to that either. Our advice is always: visit a few gyms, take a few trial lessons, and then choose what suits YOU best.
Any martial art they like. Unless you find the 100 worst schools, your kids will always get through it and learn something too.
The same goes for choosing a (martial) sport for children. Ultimately, it's not just about the physical activity and the skills learned, but also about your child enjoying it. This doesn't mean, "Just let them do what they enjoy," quite the opposite. But just like with work, school, and many other things, it ultimately goes much better if you enjoy it and are genuinely interested.
Almost all martial arts are suitable for children
You could also easily turn the question around: "Which martial art isn't suitable for children?" That leaves much less to consider, because whichever way you look at it, it's almost always a positive thing to take your child to a martial arts school.
He or she will certainly acquire a wealth of skills that will stay with them and prove useful throughout their lives, whether it's judo or kickboxing, krav maga or taekwon-do.
Find the right club and instructor (M/F)
A more important question is finding the right gym/club and instructor for your child (or yourself). Some people like spinach, others like bananas.
What we'll always say is that one person feels comfortable at gym A and another at gym B. And that's perfectly fine!
The instructor is the most important subject of your choice!
However, be critical when choosing a gym for your child. It's not a daycare center, and they're there to learn, not just to pass the time. While socializing is nice, it's not the main focus. A good trainer will know how to combine skill transfer with discipline and a safe and pleasant environment.
Your child's age plays an important role
Your child's age also plays a big role, because although I'm a fan of stand-up disciplines like boxing, kickboxing, karate and taekwon-do, I think (young) children, from the age of 4 or so , benefit most from sports where ground fighting or falling also plays an important role: judo, wrestling and grappling.
Children aged six and above can easily participate in traditional martial arts such as Karate and Taekwon-do, but be aware that many of these martial arts were not originally intended as sports for children.
That only happened later (with its introduction, commercialization, and popularization in the West). These martial arts will teach your child a great deal of discipline, manners, and perseverance. That's a huge plus and reason enough in itself to have your child join such a gym or club.
Motor development in children and martial arts
However, the aforementioned martial arts often incorporate traditional styles, such as kata (in Japanese martial arts like karate-do) and tulsa/poomsae (in Taekwondo). These are impressive, challenging, and beautiful patterns that teach a series of movements in sequence.
However, patterns and kata have too often become an end in themselves. The goal was to learn techniques, and the sequence was a teaching aid. This aid has sometimes become the goal, and that is actually defeating the purpose.
I once heard a karate master say, "Learn the kata, forget the kata..."
These patterns are indeed useful and valuable, but young children have something of a "(pre-)motor stage." This makes it very difficult for some children to remember and execute them properly.
This motor development phase varies from child to child and can last until they are 6 or 7 years old, but can also last a little earlier or later. These patterns are often required for the next milestone: an exam, diploma, or a new belt color.
Accept that one child learns faster than another, and certainly don't see that diploma or bracelet as a goal in itself!
Krav Maga: gross motor skills
Fine motor skills in many combat sports are also a starting point that varies depending on the martial art, combat sport, or self-defense discipline. Krav Maga, for example, has a very clear core principle: "in an emergency, one automatically relies on gross motor skills."
The idea behind this is that people revert to "natural" behavior in stressful and threatening situations. Fine motor skills are bypassed, and survival mode takes over. This is therefore an important fundamental principle, which, in my view, makes Krav Maga very suitable for purely building resilience and self-confidence.
Krav Maga is suitable for all ages, but we would advise waiting until your child is at least 6 or 7 years old.
Find a more well-known and popular combat sport or martial art
Personally, I also believe in competition and the law of large numbers. When choosing a martial art for yourself or your child, I think this really matters. While there may be some excellent, exotic gyms for children, you're more likely to find a good karate club, boxing school, or judo club nearby than one that teaches Pencak Silat or some eccentric kung fu style.
It is recommended to take a trial lesson to discover which sport best suits your child's interests and character.
Wherever you live, these days you're sure to find clubs and associations in your area that offer the most popular sports for children (and adults): kickboxing, judo, karate, krav maga and taekwondo.
In addition, wrestling, BJJ, and grappling have also seen a huge increase in popularity in recent years thanks to MMA (and the UFC). This is a positive development, meaning there's a much wider (and higher-quality) selection available.
Summary
To conclude and summarize the above introduction, we can actually give a few answers:
- At a young age, the specific martial art doesn't matter. Choose a gym that's affordable, easy to get to, and where the instructor makes you feel comfortable.
- Any martial art they like. Unless you're really looking for the 100 worst schools, your kids will always get through it and learn something too.
- It is recommended to take a trial lesson to discover which sport best suits your child's interests and character.
- The instructor is the most important subject of your choice!
Importance and rise of ground fighting
I personally practiced karate (Wado Ryu), boxing, kickboxing, and ITF Taekwon-Do. When I was a teenager, the first UFCs were organized, and the legendary Fred Royers was still writing for the budo magazine Zendokan. Downloading or streaming wasn't an option, so I tried to find the videotapes of UFC 1, 2, and 3 wherever I could.
The world was shocked by what many of the practitioners of these styles already knew: ground fighting and its associated techniques should not be underestimated! Judo had been popular for years before, but seemed soft compared to the harder styles emerging, such as Thai boxing and kickboxing. Suddenly, however, the world was able to see the effectiveness of judo, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu (BJJ). Meanwhile, decades have passed, and the best fighters are trained in multiple fighting styles and distances.
Judo and wrestling are an excellent foundation for children
This is a separate article, so we won't delve into the most effective fighting style ever, as this was about suitable martial arts for children. However, we can conclude from the previous two paragraphs, and say with certainty, that it's incredibly beneficial for your child to start with a ground combat sport like judo and wrestling. Ideally, combine these fighting styles with standing combat sports like boxing and kickboxing, or traditional martial arts like karate or taekwon-do.
Proponents of grappling and wrestling will argue the following text, and there's actually a lot to be said for that!
"Children should really start wrestling. Young children are usually not mature enough to know when to hold back from hitting, and they can get into trouble at school if they start hitting or kicking other children."
A bit lame, but I'd like to add that this obviously also applies to sports like grappling, judo, and wrestling. Throwing another child on their back won't be appreciated at school either.
Over the years that I've trained or taught in various gyms, I've been impressed by the professionalism of judo compared to many other fighting styles.
Most judo instructors have undergone thorough training, and the relatively large judo federation (JBN) provides the necessary knowledge regarding pedagogy and didactics. Fortunately, there were also organized teacher training programs in taekwondo, and kickboxing has also seen significant developments in this area in recent years.
Traditional martial arts vs. more modern hard styles
I've practiced and taught various martial arts and I'm a great admirer of the philosophy behind many traditional martial arts. Generally, there's a great deal of respect , and etiquette and discipline are highly valued. Furthermore, I've always felt that traditional martial arts placed more emphasis on technique and execution.
That being said, it's fantastic if you can later incorporate this technique into "harder" fighting styles, where more is allowed: kickboxing, Thai boxing, and even MMA. George St. Pierre (one of the best, perhaps the very best UFC fighters ever) also had a foundation and background in a traditional martial art: karate.
In short, I'm a proponent of introducing children to traditional martial arts, especially if you have the opportunity. As they get older, introduce them to boxing, kickboxing, and MMA.
Karate, Judo, Taekwondo.
Karate, judo, and taekwondo teach discipline and integrity. At a young age, they also teach good fighting skills to stand up to bullies. A good instructor and gym will always pay attention to this.
An argument found on Reddit: "I go to a karate school, but we also teach kids practical self-defense in addition to the curriculum (kick in the groin and run and win, that sort of thing). Personally, I find that much more important for a 7-year-old than any kind of flashy wrestling 'art'. We also teach them 'strength for good'—don't bully other kids, only use your karate for good, etc. "
Popular and suitable martial arts for children in short:
- Judo
Judo is ideal for challenging (very) young children. Judo is a complete workout for body and mind. Children learn balance, coordination, discipline, respect, and perseverance. - Karate
Karate is suitable for slightly older children because of the muscle development and concentration it requires. It's a martial art where maintaining balance and coordinating movements are very important. - Krav Maga
Krav Maga focuses on practical self-defense, recognizing danger, and avoiding bullying. It increases children's alertness, self-confidence, and resilience. If your child is struggling with bullying or you simply want them to become more resilient, Krav Maga is the absolute number one choice! - Taekwon-do
Taekwondo is very similar to karate (yes, don't even let the founder hear that) and is a traditional, yet modern, martial art that is very beneficial for physical development and discipline. It's also a very intensive and broad combat sport with many different facets. - Kickboxing/Thai boxing
Kickboxing is probably the most popular combat sport in the Netherlands right now. While it used to have a rough (and sometimes even a bit rough) image, it's now practiced in almost every town and village. Even the largest mainstream fitness chains offer classes. It's perfect for all children and a fun and active sport that's good for both fitness and self-defense. - BJJ
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is related to the Japanese form, which in turn is closely related to the popular and well-known Judo. This sport focuses on technique and strategy, and curbs aggression. It helps children develop technical and mental skills in addition to physical strength. BJJ features a great deal of ground fighting.
Why Martial Arts and Combat Sports Are Good for Kids
Whichever martial art or combat sport you ultimately choose, your child will benefit enormously from it in their development and will gain valuable (social and physical) skills. Moreover, there's a good chance your child will also make some enjoyable social connections.
Some of the most obvious benefits that martial arts offer children:
- Physical development:
Your child will become stronger, fitter, more flexible and develop better coordination. - Mental skills:
Your child learns discipline, concentration, perseverance and self-control. - Self-confidence:
Your child will become more resilient and self-confident and will learn to deal with unpleasant situations. - Social skills:
Combat sports and martial arts always promote mutual respect and the ability to interact with other children (through training and exercises).
External sources:
- Reddit: Best martial art for young kids
- Reddit: What is the most suitable martial art to get my kids into?
- Sports & Exercise Knowledge Base - Motor development of 0-6 year olds
- All about sports - Your child in martial arts a good idea
More information:
- Info: Kickboxing clubs in the Netherlands
- Info: Boxing clubs in the Netherlands
- Blog: More background information on martial arts and combat sports
- Blog: Martial Arts for kids: learning, laughing and yet a bit serious
- Blog: Why Martial Arts Are So Good for Kids
- Blog: Benefits of Kickboxing for Kids
- Krav Maga Union - Your fighting journey starts here
View everything for children in our webshop:
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