A logical question that many people ask, but one that is actually impossible to answer simply, is: "What is the best martial art for children?". If you narrow the question down a little to: "What is the best martial art for MY child?", you might expect a somewhat more specific answer, but even then, no clear and honest answer is possible.
With more than 30 years of experience in various martial arts, as well as an above-average interest in martial arts in general, I will nevertheless try to answer this question substantively.
Choose a sport and club that suits your child
At our store, we also welcome adult men and women who ask which kickboxing club or boxing association is the best in the area. There is no simple, definitive answer to that either. The advice we always give is: visit several gyms, take a few trial lessons, and then choose what suits YOU best.
Any martial art they enjoy. Unless you find the 100 worst schools, your children will always get through it and learn something from it as well.
The same applies when choosing a martial art for children. Ultimately, it’s not just about the physical activity and the skills they learn, but also about your child enjoying going there. That doesn’t mean: "Let them only do what they enjoy.", quite the contrary. But just as with work, school, and many other things, everything ultimately goes much better when you enjoy it and have a genuine interest in it.
Almost all martial arts are suitable for children
You can also turn the question around very effectively: "Which martial art is not suitable for children?". That leaves much less, because no matter how you look at it, it is almost always positive to take your child to a martial arts school.
They will definitely develop many skills that will stay with them throughout their lives and prove useful. 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, while others like bananas.
What we always say is that one person feels comfortable at gym A, while another prefers gym B. And that’s perfectly fine!
The instructor is the most important factor in your choice!
However, be critical when choosing a martial arts school for your child. It is not a daycare center, and they are there to learn something, not merely to pass the time. Having fun is great, but it is and remains not the main point. A good coach knows how to combine teaching skills with discipline and a safe, pleasant environment.
Your child's age plays an important role
Your child's age also plays a major role, because although I am a fan of stand-up disciplines such as boxing, kickboxing, karate, and taekwon-do, I think that (young) children, from around the age of 4, benefit most from sports in which ground fighting or grappling also plays an important role: judo, wrestling, and grappling.
Children from around the age of 6 can do traditional martial arts such as karate and taekwon-do perfectly well, but be aware that many of these martial arts were not originally intended as sports for children.
That only happened later, with their introduction, commercialization, and popularization in the West. These martial arts will teach your child a great deal of discipline, manners, and perseverance. That is a huge plus and, by itself, reason enough to enroll your child at such a martial arts school or club.
Children's motor development phase and martial arts
However, the aforementioned martial arts very often have traditional forms, such as kata (in Japanese martial arts like Karate-do) and tul/poomsae (in taekwondo). These are impressive, difficult, and beautiful patterns that teach a series of movements in sequence.
However, the patterns and kata have too often become an end in themselves. The goal was to learn techniques, and the sequence was a teaching aid. Sometimes this aid has become the goal, which actually means losing sight of the original objective.
I once heard a karate master say: "Learn the kata, forget the kata..."
These patterns are indeed useful and valuable, but young children go through what is known as a "(pre-)motor development phase." This makes it very difficult for some children to remember and perform them correctly.
This motor development phase differs from child to child and can last until they are 6 or 7 years old, but it may also end a little earlier or later. These patterns are often required for the next milestone: an exam, diploma, or new belt color.
Accept that one child learns faster than another, and certainly do not regard that diploma or belt as an end in itself!
Krav Maga: gross motor skills
The fine motor skills involved in many martial arts are also a foundational aspect that differs between martial arts, combat sports, and forms of self-defense. Krav Maga, for example, very clearly has as its main principle: "in an emergency, people automatically revert to gross motor skills."
The idea behind this is that people revert to acting "naturally" in stressful and threatening situations. Fine motor skills are skipped, and survival mode takes over. This is therefore an important fundamental principle, which in my view makes Krav Maga very suitable when the sole aim is to become more resilient and self-confident.
Krav Maga is suitable for all ages, but we would advise waiting until your child is at least 6 or 7 years old.
Choose a better-known and popular 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 genuinely matters. There are undoubtedly very good exotic martial arts schools for children, but the chance is greater that there is a good karate club, boxing gym, or judo association nearby than one teaching Pencak Silat or an eccentric kung fu style.
It is advisable to take a trial class to discover which sport best suits your child's interests and personality.
Wherever you live, these days you can certainly find clubs and associations in the area offering the most popular sports for children (and adults): kickboxing, judo, karate, krav maga, and taekwondo.
In addition, in recent years MMA (and the UFC) have also given wrestling, BJJ, and grappling a huge boost. In a positive sense, this means that there is much more—and better-quality—training available.
Summary
To conclude and summarize the introduction above, we can actually give a few answers:
- At a young age, the specific martial art does not matter. Choose a gym that is affordable, easy to reach, and where the instructor gives you a good feeling.
- Any martial art they enjoy. Unless you really find the 100 worst schools, your children will always get through it and learn something from it as well.
- It is advisable to take a trial class to discover which sport best suits your child's interests and personality.
- The instructor is the most important factor in your choice!
Importance and rise of ground fighting
I have personally practiced Karate (Wado Ryu), boxing, kickboxing, and ITF Taekwon-do. When I was a teenager, the first UFC events were organized, and the legendary Fred Royers was still writing for the budo magazine Zendokan. Downloading or streaming was not an option, so whenever I could, I tried to find the video tapes of UFC 1, 2, and 3.
The world was shocked by what many practitioners of these styles had already known themselves: ground fighting and its associated techniques should not be underestimated! Judo had already been popular for years, but seemed soft compared with the harder styles that emerged, such as Thai boxing and kickboxing. Suddenly, however, the world got to see the effectiveness of judo, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu (BJJ). By now, several decades have passed, and the best fighters are trained in multiple fighting styles and ranges.
Judo and wrestling: an excellent foundation for children
This is an article in itself, so we will not go into the most effective fighting style ever any further now, because this article was about suitable martial arts for children. However, based on the two paragraphs above, we can conclude and say with certainty that it is extremely good for your child to start with a "ground" martial art such as judo or wrestling. Ideally, these martial arts should be combined with stand-up martial arts such as boxing and kickboxing, or traditional martial arts such as Karate or Taekwon-do.
Advocates of grappling and wrestling will argue the text below, and there is actually a lot to be said for that!
"Children should actually start with a wrestling art. Young children are usually not mature enough yet to know when to hold back when punching, and they can get into trouble at school if they start hitting or kicking other children."
A little obvious, but I would like to add that this of course also applies to sports such as grappling, judo, and wrestling. Throwing another child onto their back will not be appreciated at school either.
During the years I trained or taught at various gyms, I was impressed by judo’s professionalism compared with many other fighting styles.
Most judo instructors have completed thorough training, and the relatively large federation (JBN) provides the necessary knowledge regarding pedagogy and teaching methods. Fortunately, there were also organized teacher-training programs in Taekwondo, and kickboxing has undergone many developments in this area in recent years.
Traditional martial arts vs. more modern hard styles
I have practiced and taught various martial arts, and I am a great admirer of the philosophy behind many traditional martial arts. In general, there is a great deal of respect and proper conduct and discipline are held in high regard. In addition, I have always personally felt that traditional martial arts placed more emphasis on technique and execution.
That said, it is 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 fighter ever) also had a foundation and background in a traditional martial art: Karate.
In short, especially for children, I am in favor of introducing them to traditional martial arts if that option is available in your area. As they get older, let them try boxing, kickboxing, and MMA.
Karate, Judo, Taekwondo.
Karate, Judo, and Taekwondo teach discipline and, generally, integrity. At a young age, they also provide good fighting skills for standing up to bullies. A good instructor and gym will always give attention to this as well.
An argument found on Reddit: "I attend a karate school, but we also teach children practical self-defense alongside the curriculum (a kick to the groin and run, and you win—that sort of thing). Personally, I find that much more important for a 7-year-old than any kind of flashy 'art' wrestling. We also teach them 'strength for good'—don't bully other children, use your karate only for good things, etc."
Popular and suitable martial arts for children in brief:
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Judo
Judo is ideal for giving (very) young children a challenge. Judo is a complete training for body and mind. Children learn balance, coordination, discipline, respect, and perseverance. -
Karate
Karate is suitable for somewhat older children because of the muscle development and concentration it requires. It is a martial art in which 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 awareness, self-confidence, and resilience. If your child is suffering greatly from bullying or you simply want them to become much more resilient, Krav Maga is unquestionably the number one choice! -
Taekwon-do
Taekwondo is very similar to Karate (though don't let its founder hear that) and is a traditional yet modern martial art that is excellent for physical development and discipline. It is also a highly intensive and versatile martial art with many different facets. -
Kickboxing/Thai boxing
Kickboxing is probably the most popular martial art in the Netherlands at the moment. Although kickboxing used to have a rough (and sometimes problematic) image, it can now be practiced in almost every city and town. Even the largest mainstream fitness chains offer kickboxing classes. It is very suitable for all children and is a fun, active sport that is good for both fitness and self-defense. -
BJJ
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is related to the Japanese variant, which in turn is closely related to the popular and well-known Judo. This sport focuses on technique and strategy and discourages aggression. It helps children develop technical and mental skills in addition to physical strength. BJJ involves a great deal of what is known as "ground fighting."
Why martial arts are good for children
Whichever martial art you ultimately choose, your child will benefit enormously from it in their development and will gain social and physical skills that will serve them well. In addition, there is a good chance your child will make some great social connections along the way.
Some of the most obvious benefits that combat sports offer children:
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Physical development:
Your child will become stronger, fitter, more flexible, and develop better coordination. -
Mental skills:
Your child will learn discipline, concentration, perseverance, and self-control. -
Self-confidence:
Your child will become more resilient and self-confident and learn how to deal with difficult situations. -
Social skills:
Martial arts always promote mutual respect and the ability to interact with other children through training and exercises.
