Choosing the Right Martial Arts Program for Your Child

It is difficult to pick the best activity for children to be involved in. As parents, we don't want to over schedule our kids, we want them to have fun, and we want them to learn. Martial arts classes are a wonderful way to educate kids while just letting them have fun. My kids take taekwondo classes but I didn't choose taekwondo because of that martial arts discipline, I chose it because it was the right place for the type of martial arts program we were looking for.

Choosing the Right Martial Arts Program: Is Your Child Interested?
My six year old son sat us down one night, turned off the T.V, and asked, "Mom, Dad, you can say yes, no, or we'll think about it. Can I take karate?" The seriousness of his demeanor had us worried and we were relieved that it was just an interest in martial arts.

This kind of self motivation is the biggest indicator that your child is interested in taking martial arts. We waited a couple of weeks to look into programs just to see if he brought it up again in order to make sure he was serious. He was serious and he also wanted his brother to join him.

Choosing the Right Martial Arts Program: The Price
Price is always first and foremost in many people's minds when they are looking for a martial arts program. A martial arts program is a long term commitment and if your child is serious, you can be looking at a minimum of three years to get to a black belt.

One deciding factor when we were looking at enrolling our kids in a martial arts program was the price. With two kids, we didn't want a huge bill every month. The master of the dojo offered to start our kids off with pay for one child and the other one can also take the class for free for the first twelve weeks. This discount was the thing that sealed the deal.

Choosing the Right Martial Arts Program: Class Times
After the price, class time is the second biggest deciding factor. Finding a martial arts class that fits into your family's schedule can be a challenge. The taekwondo class that we picked has flexible class times. Classes are offered four days a week at two different times.

We can decide which days we want to go to class on a weekly basis so if we are bogged down with homework one night, we can decide to go to class on a different day.

Choosing the Right Martial Arts Program: A Focus on Discipline and Respect
All four martial arts places that I called stated that their focus was on discipline. Only one place talked to me about how the discipline and respect of their program worked. Respect should come from discipline and not from fear. If your child is intimidated by the master then he will not learn and begin to resent going to class.

One dojo sent us a DVD highlighting their classes and services. The DVD showcased their best performers but did not go into what happens outside of the practice sessions.

The taekwondo masters at our dojo actually talk and listen to the kids. Early on in class the master asked my kids if they had been fighting with each other. When they said yes, he had them kneel down and talked to them about being brothers and loving each other. This conversation took ten minutes and they really listened to him.

Choosing the Right Martial Arts Program: Location
The location of your martial arts program is as important as the price and class times. I'm not talking about it being close to your home, I'm talking about what kind of building where the classes are held.

You can take martial arts classes at your local recreation center. These classes are normally for a certain number of weeks and at certain times. This option is great if you are just trialing a martial arts discipline and not really sure how serious your child is about the program.

You can find franchise martial arts programs in local strip malls. These are run by business owners who may or may not practice the martial arts discipline. These dojos are nice because they are easy to get to and organized.

Privately owned martial arts program is usually run by the master. If you choose this type of program you should look at the long term goals and company history. These dojos can be more selective with which students they want to teach.

Choosing the Right Martial Arts Program: Talk to the Masters
I called four local martial arts dojos. When I talked to the dojo I asked about class times, price, and expectations. All but one of the people I talked to gave me cursory answers.

The dojo that we enrolled our kids in was the one whose master took the time to explain how the training worked. He invited the kids to come in and participate in a trial class before we agreed to anything.

The master talks to my kids, not at them. He definitely makes a connection with them. He has also kept communication open with us, as parents. This communication is more important than just showing up at class time, going through the motions, and leaving.

Taekwondo classes are fun for my kids but they know what they can and cannot do. They learned quickly what is expected of them and how to behave. Martial arts can be a lifelong program and learning process if you find the right place for your child.