There comes a time when parents want to explore fun activities to enroll their child or children into. One fun activity that comes to mind is Karate.
But at what age should a child start martial arts? Most karate schools accept children as young as 3 years old.
At 3 your child will learn basic kick and punch techniques, and also get lots of cardio through running, jumping and doing other exercises that builds endurance. It’s a fun experience!
They won’t learn anything more until they are 4 or 5 years old. At that age they can slightly grasp the concept of striking, blocking and other movements.
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Is karate good for children?
Karate is a great sport to get your child into. It teaches discipline, self awareness, group development, fitness, and to have fun.
After enrolling your child there are a few things you want to make sure of. Here are a few simple tips to follow.
Always supervise your children when they are practicing karate – No matter how experienced they are, accidents can and will happen. Never drop your young child off and leave them unsupervised. Your child is not old enough to fend for themselves.
Make sure to be there to help them if something goes wrong, and be sure to discuss your child’s karate training with your other parents so everyone is on the same page.
Teach them the importance of safety – Just like with any sport or activity, karate should always be done in a safe and supervised environment.
Discuss the risks and benefits of practicing karate with your child before starting their training so they know what to expect.
Encourage all forms of physical activity – Physical activity is important for both children and adults, and karate is no exception.
By encouraging your child to participate in other forms of physical activity, you are encouraging them to stay healthy and active overall.
Hopefully, these tips will help you answer some of your questions about starting a child’s karate training safely and effectively!
Age limit in karate for Olympics
Currently there are no age limits to participate in the Olympics except those set by the international Federations.
This is the international sports bodies that govern specific sports, not the International Olympic Committee.
Specifically, Rule 42 of the Olympic Charter states: “There may be no age limit for competitors in the Olympic Games other than as prescribed in the competition rules of an IF as approved by the IOC Executive Board.”
Some IFs do impose age limits while others don’t. Currently there are age limits set for Fencing (13), Bobsled and Taekwondo (14), cycling, wrestling, and weightlifting (17), and for marathons (20).
The Olypics are being more cautious now, and considering enforcing an age limit – since news broke that Kamila Valieva, a 15-year-old Russian figure skater, had tested positive for the banned substance Trimetazidine.