Martial Arts Types For Kids And Your Questions

Herschel Lawhorn answers:

I own a kungfu martial arts school. We generally take kids 10 and up because kung fu requires mental focus that many kids are not capable of. We do have students that are 4, 6, and 7 who were accepted after being interviewed by the teacher. It sounds like your child has the mental capability to be in kungfu. You should make an appointment to talk to the instructor and let them see your child.

We send the hyperactive, high energy kids to the nearby karate school where they can run around like crazy and burn off energy for an hour before Mom or Dad picks them up.

The Shaolin Kung Fu is definitely the best long term martial art to sign your child up for. They will learn the physical and mental discipline that will take them through all the frustrations and emotional obstacles in life. At our school, we also teach them meditation and QiGong – working with the breath. They learn how to relax and calm themselves – a powerful skill to have in any confrontation. They learn how to heal themselves and how to heal others. They learn how to be a positive influence on everyone around them, inside the school and outside the school.

One word of caution. This applies to all martial arts schools. Some instructors are sadists. They enjoy extreme discipline and physically abusing their students. Make sure the school you are considering has an instructor with a passion for his art and a great deal of compassion for his students.