Got Kids? Judo know the half of it.
What prompted the Judo theme is that I got asked again by someone the other day about where to send their kids to train. That’s because I don’t teach anyone under the age of fifteen. You’d think, given my love for karate and, more recently, Krav Maga, I’d say the nearest karate or Krav school, but the answer I always give is Judo.
Reasons Judo For Kids Rules
Falling Safely
1. You learn how to fall safely in Judo (it’s called break-falling). Kids being kids, are going to fall off bicycles, out of trees, and just running along. Loads of them end up breaking their collar bones, arms, and legs as a result. By learning how to fall safely, they avoid the breaks (this is the same skill set used by stuntmen), which saves them pain and you the expense of taking care of said broken limb and the medical bills that come with it.
It’s Cheap
2. Judo is cheap!!! A lot of the McDojos lock people into expensive contracts and nickel-and-dime parents to death. Judo, by comparison, costs next to nothing.
We React How We Train
3. Perhaps the most important reason of all – you react how you train to react. If your lessons are all punching and kicking and you get into a fight, you’re going to punch and kick. That can lead to all sorts of legal ramifications for you and your child. The youth Judo program doesn’t teach joint locks or strangulation as the adult program does. It only teaches the throws and the pins, so your child will (hopefully) toss the bully and pin him until someone in authority arrives to break it up. The likelihood of there being any physical injury from throwing and pinning is minuscule as compared to the risk after punching and kicking someone.
A Tired Child Is A Happy Child
4. Judo will wear them out. A lot of the punching and kicking – especially in mid-air – serves to amp kids up and make them hyper. The grappling and throwing of Judo, on the other hand, is a total workout. You’re going one hundred percent against a fully resisting opponent, and it takes its toll fast.
They Might Make It To The Olympics
5. Judo is an Olympic sport. Tae Kwan Do has recently joined the fold of sports allowed in the Olympics, but Judo’s been in there for years and is very well respected. Who knows…maybe your kid will represent the country one day in Judo.
So, there you have it…five great reasons why Judo is for kids. It will provide a perfect base for them so, by the time they turn thirteen and can train with the likes of me, they’ll be great raw material to build from.
