Is martial arts worth it?

[Anonymous]

Trying to get my 10-year-old son to try something new, and the only thing he's said 'maybe' to is martial arts/taekwondo. The two gyms I've contacted are upwards of $200/month. For parents who have done this, is it beneficial? How long did your kids stick with martial arts? Did they eventually age out and move on to other sports? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Yeah TKD is good for dressing up and chopping pine boards I guess. You gotta prepare your boy for some real tusslin. See if he's open to wrestlin/BJJ to start.

[Anonymous]

It's worth it if it is an enjoyable, non-screen activity for your kid and you can afford it.

[Anonymous]

I recommend jiu jitsu over taekwondo. Read about it. Good for confidence.

[Anonymous]

Good for midgets yes

[Anonymous]

My kid did it from maybe 8 to 13 or so? It was a little expensive but I think it was worthwhile.

[Anonymous]

My kids took it through our rec department and it was cheap. I guess you get what you pay for but it was helpful in finding out that my son really wasn't into it but my daughter is. She still does it through rec, but seems pretty happy with once a week and has been doing it for 3 years now. She's had the same (great) instructors and has competed in tournaments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good for midgets yes

Isn't it better to be bigger than your opponent in martial arts?

[Anonymous]

Price seems normal. Its an expensive sport. Worth it if your kids likes it.

[Anonymous]

It was amazing for my DCs confidence. She started at 6 and still practices, including teaching during school breaks, almost 15 years later.

If you’re looking for self defense techniques, I’d look elsewhere. Some dojangs teach some, but it’s not a focus (my kid could do it, but again…a decade plus of experience and extra instruction as an instructor…your average tween lower belt student won’t have that ability). For exercise, discipline and self confidence, IMO it’s an excellent option.

[Anonymous]

^^^ To be clear, I was referring specifically to Tae Kwon Do, not martial arts in general.

[Anonymous]

OP how many days a week? That's part of what pushes the cost up at most places because they want you to go 2-3x a week. Which, if it's your kid's only activity and they love it, might be worth it. If not, yes, it's a lot of money and might not be a big benefit.

I'd see if you can find a rec class or somewhere that will let you do once a week classes for some kind of introductory session (6 weeks is usually the right amount of time to know if they are going to stick with it) and then decided on the pricier studio after that. Or do the pricier studio but tell your son it's a trial period to see if you like it (the studio will 100% try to lock you in longterm, but everything is like that -- swim, dance, gymnastics, etc.).

[Anonymous]

You should be able to try at least once class for free. My kid does BJJ and you can try 3 free classes before committing. We pay $99 a month and can go 5 times a week for that price if we want to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was amazing for my DCs confidence. She started at 6 and still practices, including teaching during school breaks, almost 15 years later.

If you’re looking for self defense techniques, I’d look elsewhere. Some dojangs teach some, but it’s not a focus (my kid could do it, but again…a decade plus of experience and extra instruction as an instructor…your average tween lower belt student won’t have that ability). For exercise, discipline and self confidence, IMO it’s an excellent option.

Why is it better at building confidence than other activities or sports? Genuinely asking as we are considering this too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was amazing for my DCs confidence. She started at 6 and still practices, including teaching during school breaks, almost 15 years later.

If you’re looking for self defense techniques, I’d look elsewhere. Some dojangs teach some, but it’s not a focus (my kid could do it, but again…a decade plus of experience and extra instruction as an instructor…your average tween lower belt student won’t have that ability). For exercise, discipline and self confidence, IMO it’s an excellent option.

Why is it better at building confidence than other activities or sports? Genuinely asking as we are considering this too.

I'm a mom who took martial arts in my 40s. I feel much more confident about my ability to physically protect myself. I don't relish the idea of getting into a fight, but I feel less scared about it.

For the kids at my dojo, they take turns leading exercises at the front of the class and teaching younger students. They also see themselves progressing in skills through hard work. Learning to lead and mentoring others and mastering hard skills through hard work teaches confidence.