Kids learn martial arts in different ways. It is the instructors job to discover how best to reach a child.

I’ve spent the last two decades teaching martial arts to children. There have been many days when I got in my car after class, and said to myself, “I don’t think I reached anybody today”. Other days I drove home with a beaming smile on my face, knowing I made a big impact that day on the life of a child or two. Luckily those kind of days outnumber the others. Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned about teaching martial arts to kids.

All kids learn at a different pace.

Some students pick up the technique the first time you show it to them. Other students might require you to explain it ten times before they understand. This does not make them stupid. People just differ in the way they process information. I am a slow learner, for example, but once it is in my “hard drive”, I very seldom forget it. Many fast learners I know are not able to retain information like I do. We all have our gifts.

All kids learn in a different way.

In a class of twenty children, most will learn visually. That is, by watching. You show them a move, they watch, and they learn best that way.

Another group, usually a smaller number, will hear instructions and pick it up that way. They are audio-inclined, and learn best by sound.

Still another group will have a difficult time with visual and audio instructions. They are tactile-oriented. If you lift their foot and place it in the proper position for a kick, and actually take them through the motion of the move, they will pick it up.

A good instructor will be sensitive to the different ways in which children learn. If you are having difficulty reaching a particular child, often times their mother or father can shed some light on the best way to reach them.

There are many ways of doing the same technique.

There is no wrong or right in many cases. For example, there are two ways of throwing an axe kick. It might be done straight up and down, which is the traditional way. It may come up in an arcing motion, like a crescent kick. The way in which the student feels the most natural is the correct way for them. There is no black or white in this area, unless the student is doing a move in an unsafe way.

If you are patient enough, every child will get it.

Never give up on your students. As we saw above, students learn at a different pace. You must encourage them until they understand the movements of any particular technique or kata. If you give up on them, it sends a message that it is okay to give up. You must walk the walk if your students are to follow your example.

If a child is late to class, it is probably not their fault.

Children don’t drive cars. They have little control over when they get to class. I have heard stories about instructors making kids do push-ups for being late. That is just plain wrong. Just let them bow in and join the class. If you are doing something with fast moves, like high kicks or sparring, they should warm up first. Also please read my post on exercise as punishment.

Recognition and praise is the best motivator.

I have learned that praise and recognition is the most effective way to get results. Kids and adults respond best to recognition. Gifts or other material objects only produce very short-term results, and send the wrong message in many cases. We should strive to do what is right, not what will result in our obtaining a reward.

The sensei sets the tone for the entire club.

By treating people with kindness and respect, you will create a club that attracts people who value those qualities. By the same token, if you show no tolerance for lack of respect amongst your students, you will repel disrespectful people. I am okay with that.

What lessons have you learned about martial arts for kids?

Sparring is fun, as long as it's closely supervised and safety rules are enforced.

My First Sparring Experience

Twack!!! I gasped as his foot landed squarely in my stomach. As I stumbled backward I tried to catch my breath, but the wind was knocked out of me in one painful instant. Regaining my breath I threw myself straight at the tall, lanky green belt. In football we were taught to take on our attackers head-on and plant them on their backside. He didn’t play by my rules and it was clear I was no match for his skill and footwork. He sidestepped me and caught me with a ridgehand strike to my right eye, sending me to the mat. I had enough.

It was not supposed to be like this. Sparring had just started two minutes earlier, when the sensei said “I’m just going to duck out for a cup of coffee, you boys be careful and go light”. So much for his advice. As a white belt with five blue belts and two green belts, I was the seal in a pool full of sharks. At 19, I just learned my first lesson in how not to run a karate school. Never allow students to spar without supervision, and never allow untrained students to spar unless they are ready. Sparring between strangers can be especially dangerous as no one knows what to expect, and therefore everyone goes out hard.

Fortunately for me at the time, I was still in the 30-day trial period, so needless to say, I never went back to that school. The sensei’s carelessness cost him the $50 per month I was getting ready to pay for six months in advance. That was a lot of money back in 1979 and I’m certain I was not the only one that walked out during the trial period from that school in Sacramento.

Other Mistakes This School Made

Later on I would learn of other mistakes this school made. No protective equipment was used by any of the students that day. The head gear, gloves, shin guards, mouthguards, and groin protectors that are required by reputable schools of today were not used by this school. The idea was that everyone would “control their techniques”, but no one did, especially in the absence of the sensei.

How To Run a Kids Karate Sparring Class Properly

Sparring is about trust. Trust in your partner to control his or her techniques, and trust in the sensei to pull up students who lack control. The following rules should always be enforced, especially when kids are sparring:

1. No striking (kicks or punches) in the face.
2. No striking below the belt.
3. No striking in the back.
4. No striking the head with full contact.
5. Hitting the front torso is okay, provided it is with light contact. For the head, the contact should be very light, or no contact, and should only be to the area protected by the head gear.
6. Sparring is allowed only in the presence of an instructor.
7. Students who show excessive contact consistently or do not follow the rules are to be removed from sparring until they are able to do it safely.
8. Students should never be forced to spar with anyone. They should be allowed to refuse to spar anyone who is training without proper control or care for others.

Sparring is about building self defence skills in children, and improving their confidence. It is extremely important to introduce them gently into it. Sparring can be very scary for a child, especially the first few times. After this, kids will realize how much fun it can be, provided it is done safely. What are your experiences with sparring?

Kids birthday parties are meant to be fun. Karate is meant to be serious.

Providing kids karate at a birthday party

Years ago when I started my kids karate business, I provided the “entertainment” at a birthday party for a student of mine, whose mother requested it. I use the word entertainment, because that is exactly what it is, nothing more and nothing less. I did my best to keep the kids’ attention as we went through the blocks, strikes, kicks, and karate games. It was mass chaos. Kids were running through the “class”, throwing things, jumping the queues, and mucking around in general. What do you do at a birthday party if the kids won’t listen, won’t behave, and don’t care? Do you sit them down? It is not appropriate at a birthday party, as they are there to have fun. Just the same, what if some child got hurt because of the horseplay?

Karate is serious

Karate is not entertainment. It is serious business. Although we make our classes fun and exciting, we try to impart to the students how important it is to be serious about their training. As I tell my students in our classes when they need a bit of a “settling down”, what they learn in karate class may someday save their lives. It is next to impossible to convey this to a bunch of kids at a birthday party.

Why provide this service?

Some martial arts organisations use birthday parties as a revenue raiser, and also as a way to build business through the referrals of children at the venue. The theory is that the kids will see what fun it is, and join the regular classes. I tried it again at a later party, in the hopes that the first experience was an anomaly. It was not. Same experience the second time around. I think we gained one student from each party. After that, I told myself I would never do it again, and many years later, have never regretted it.

I am aware that many of my competitors in the business provide this service. For me, I am happy to put my time and energy into my students who are serious about the martial arts and are in it for more than just “entertainment”.

What is your experience with kids karate parties?

Sensei Matt Klein "Teaching kids karate is the best job in the world".

The Kids Karate Sensei is Grateful

I recently sat down and thought, how lucky am I to have a career I love. I sat down and wrote out all the reasons I am grateful. It is a great exercise; I recommend it highly. I am truly blessed, and grateful. Here’s why.

Surrounded by people we like

I like kids. From the very first moment I put on my gi and started helping kids with their karate, I knew I found my calling. The little ones followed me around, asking questions, showing me their moves “that they made up”, while laughing and smiling the whole time. Kids are fun. How could you not like them?

I like the social aspects. I like the sense of community that we have in the karate world. The black belts, who started as kids, and who are now instructors; the parents who have been there supporting their kids and our program for years; the many friendships that have been built in the karate dojo; the jokes, laughs, and “inside information” we all share; this is what builds a great community.

Keeps me fit and young

Keeps me fit. As any mother or father can attest, trying to keep up with the kids can take some serious energy. Let’s face it. We all like to eat, and we all like to relax. I like my food–did anyone say “chocolate”? I enjoy surfing the net and reading other people’s blogs—while sitting down. Without this job to get me up and about, who knows how unfit I would be.

Keeps me young. Kids have a different way of looking at things. The way they talk, the positive way they think (some day they are going to be Superman!), the way they don’t really care how they look when learning new things. How they just start playing a game and everyone is invited, the more the merrier. The wonder of the world around them. Just being around it keeps a person young at heart. I get to play games, have fun, and sometimes act like a kid too.

I am motivated by the martial arts

I like to challenge myself to be better. When I see one of my students perform a kata brilliantly, it inspires me to be better. When I go to a karate tournament and see a guy ten years older than me doing something amazing, it makes me want to do better. I like how everyone around me is constantly lifting their game, which makes me want to do the same.

I am passionate about martial arts. Since the day I walked into my first karate class, I knew I was in it; hook, line, and sinker. Writing down all the moves so I would not forget them, practising almost every day, jumping into the tournament scene, even dreaming about martial arts; I could not get enough. This has not changed one bit, even after half a lifetime.

I am jazzed about what I do and look forward to each day. Those that know me well are aware that I am a bit of a “night bird”, but when I get up in the morning I am fired up and ready to tackle the day ahead. I cannot wait to “get at it”.

I feel like I’ve accomplished something at the end of the day. When I get in my car at the end of the day, I smile knowing that we did something truly amazing. We built up the confidence and self-esteem of youngsters, and helped them to build better lives for themselves. For me, it is the best job in the world.

Why I Love Teaching Kids Karate is an original article by Sensei Matt Klein

Problem: Four boxing gloves, three kids.

Funny how kids are attracted to boxing gloves. We had a big problem. Only two pairs of gloves and three kids, and nobody wants to sit out, because it’s boring. We immediately went to work putting on our thinking caps. Bingo! I put on one pair and the other two kids (my brother Joe and one of my best childhood friends, Mike) put on one glove each. I had to run between them as they tried to hit me, all the while throwing punches in return. We played this game for hours, laughing, pummelling each other, trying to avoid the furniture, and screaming the whole time like wild animals. I think back on these times fondly, even though I think I lost most of the exchanges. My poor parents. Secretly I think they were happy though, because it kept us occupied and out of trouble for a long time.

We figured out how to walk like ducks, mimicking their quacks, and then used it in real life—to make fun of our poor sister, Kim. Looking back on it, we laugh, even Kim.

We spent hours building tracks in the dirt and then flew around them on our sting ray bikes, sliding into the turns, jumping over the humps; inevitably crashing, necessitating a crying session in mom’s arms for pity.

If you watch kids long enough, you’ll see how they use their creativity to solve their biggest problem—how to have fun. When it comes to play, when there is a will, there is a way. We adults can learn a thing or two from them.

Motivation is the key to helping young martial artists become their best.

Our tournament competition team, Kenpo Freestyle Sydney, is one of the best in the history of martial arts competition in Australia. Winning the top-ranked team in ISKA (International Sports Karate Association) for six years straight is a record-setting achievement that will stand for some time. People sometimes ask me how we did it. At the risk of giving our secrets away, I am going to tell you how to motivate kids to be their best. A team of motivated individuals produces championships.

Recognition is the key to motivating people, especially in front of their peers. We all have a need to be recognised for our hard work and effort. I recognise all tournament competitors, regardless of whether they won a trophy or not. I point out in front of the other kids that this boy or girl must have been courageous enough to go into a competition. This is a real confidence-booster for a child that might have missed out on a trophy. A student who attends two tournaments a year gets a special badge, regardless of their perfomance in competition. The kids are very proud of these badges.

Don’t let them dwell on mistakes. I asked a girl to come up front and demonstrate a kata because she had a pretty good one. She tried it three or four times and kept making mistakes—the pressure of performing it in front of the class got to her. She started to cry. So I took her aside later and said, “Listen, the reason I had you come up front was you had the best kata in the class, and I wanted to show the others how it should be done. Despite your mistakes, your stances were superb and I am sure the class now knows how do do them. Well done”. She walked away with a smile on her face and a look of pride. The lesson here—find something a child does well, and focus on that.

Disguise repetition. Repetition is the key to skill, but mix it up enough to achieve the same result by doing different drills and exercises. This will ensure that your students stay motivated enough to attend regularly. When you can, make a game out of any activity. Kids love games. We play games that leave the kids huffing and puffing, just like running wind sprints, but they don’t feel it, because it’s so much fun.

Emphasise that hard work wins the race. Point out that some students will naturally be more gifted than others, but there is no substitute for hard work. There are plenty of examples in every club of students who, although originally lacking the athleticism, made up for it by sheer hard work and became champions. Use these examples to motivate students with less ability.

Use positive coaching to those who did their best but came up short. If a child performs below par at a tournament, I might say “That was a pretty good kata, especially for your first tournament. Let me show you how to do it better next time. Before I walk away I say, “You know, you are very brave to even come out here in front of all these people and perform. Good job.” False praise, on the other hand, is counterproductive. Saying that they “were great” when they were obviously not is dishonest and the student will surely know his efforts did not warrant the praise.

Make sure each student’s goals are achievable. Getting a first place in a child’s first tournament is not a reasonable goal, and he will get discouraged if he doesn’t “meet your standards”. If the goal is reachable, the student will be highly motivated to achieve it.

Fear or threats do not work. Having a child do push-ups or any other type of punishment for failing to perform at his expected level has no place in sports. In addition, it does not work, as the child will get discouraged and will lose interest in the activity.

Provide a training hall where everyone is made to feel welcome. We all thrive in environments where we feel safe and are accepted for who we are. Your example is followed by everyone in the organisation, so make it one worth following.

Be passionate about what you are coaching. It will most definitely rub off on your students. They will respond accordingly.

Coaches, parents, and students out there, I welcome your own examples of ways to motivate children in martial arts.