If your child loves watching MMA fights on television or live and wants to start taking mixed martial arts classes, you might be concerned about safety. After all, while there are many rules in place to protect fighters, children are particularly vulnerable to injury. If you are considering MMA classes for your child, here are a few helpful tips to think about.
Keep in mind that your child won't be thrown into a cage and begin sparring on the first day. Not only does it take a great deal of training to get to a level of competition, when your child does compete, he will be wearing a variety of pieces of protective gear, including head gear, shin guards and other pieces of equipment. Also keep in mind that most sports pose some risk to the body, including the most popular kid sports such as baseball and football.
While all sports certainly teach some level of discipline and sportsmanship, the main goal of baseball or another sport is to win a game. With youth MMA, kids aren't going after each other in the cage, beating each other up. At the young levels, prior to age 16, especially, children are simply learning a variety of MMA skills. They do spar with one another, but at a good school this is done in such as way to minimize injury. The goal of youth MMA is to help improve the ability to defend oneself, as well as building confidence and improving a person's overall fitness and discipline.
Whether you are worried about safety or not, before you sign your child up for MMA classes, spend some time finding the right gym. Go in and spend some time talking with the instructors and ask about their philosophy. Observe a few classes within different age groups and see for yourself what is being taught. You want to see instructors that are respected but not intimidating and focused on self improvement and not on teaching aggressive behavior. If it looks like the Cobra Kai dojo from The Karate Kid, find another place.
Of course, if you would still prefer to avoid MMA classes but your child is really enthusiastic about training, consider a compromise. Why not sign up for just one style of martial art? One martial art that definitely will help lead a child into MMA training at an older age is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This art teaches many skills essential for MMA fighting, though it doesn't pose the same level of risk as all-out MMA. Most BJJ facilities focus on self defense and not on pushing aggressive behavior.
Other options to consider are taking wrestling classes, Judo, Karate or Taekwondo, rather than boxing, Muay Thai or kickboxing as the latter three often can be a bit riskier. You can certainly learn boxing and Muay Thai skills without working against an opponent, and your child can wait until he or she is older before they use these skills against an opponent.
Keep in mind that your child won't be thrown into a cage and begin sparring on the first day. Not only does it take a great deal of training to get to a level of competition, when your child does compete, he will be wearing a variety of pieces of protective gear, including head gear, shin guards and other pieces of equipment. Also keep in mind that most sports pose some risk to the body, including the most popular kid sports such as baseball and football.
While all sports certainly teach some level of discipline and sportsmanship, the main goal of baseball or another sport is to win a game. With youth MMA, kids aren't going after each other in the cage, beating each other up. At the young levels, prior to age 16, especially, children are simply learning a variety of MMA skills. They do spar with one another, but at a good school this is done in such as way to minimize injury. The goal of youth MMA is to help improve the ability to defend oneself, as well as building confidence and improving a person's overall fitness and discipline.
Whether you are worried about safety or not, before you sign your child up for MMA classes, spend some time finding the right gym. Go in and spend some time talking with the instructors and ask about their philosophy. Observe a few classes within different age groups and see for yourself what is being taught. You want to see instructors that are respected but not intimidating and focused on self improvement and not on teaching aggressive behavior. If it looks like the Cobra Kai dojo from The Karate Kid, find another place.
Of course, if you would still prefer to avoid MMA classes but your child is really enthusiastic about training, consider a compromise. Why not sign up for just one style of martial art? One martial art that definitely will help lead a child into MMA training at an older age is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This art teaches many skills essential for MMA fighting, though it doesn't pose the same level of risk as all-out MMA. Most BJJ facilities focus on self defense and not on pushing aggressive behavior.
Other options to consider are taking wrestling classes, Judo, Karate or Taekwondo, rather than boxing, Muay Thai or kickboxing as the latter three often can be a bit riskier. You can certainly learn boxing and Muay Thai skills without working against an opponent, and your child can wait until he or she is older before they use these skills against an opponent.
About the Author:
Rod Bourgoine enjoys writing about mixed martial arts benefits. For more information about an MMA gym in San Diego or to find jiu jitsu lessons in San Diego, please visit The Arena MMA site today.
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