Singapore Expats

Can anyone recommend a martial art for a 4 and half year old in the East Coast?

I am really looking for a martial art that is Judo/Jujitsu or based around those as they seem to be more relevant with rolling etc than Taekwondo which is based on kicking people off horses!!!

Thanks

What exactly are your goals for your child to learn martial arts? Having studied several, I know from experience that a lot of schools purport that studying theirs would let a person do something...which won't most of the time.

Could you elaborate more about the rolling relevance? Judo and jujitsu look better than striking arts but they'll be useless in self-defense when an assailant would have buddies. Real taekwondo is amazingly effective but unfortunately is diluted by the mass-marketed and watered down "franchise."

But for discipline or a cultural/art experience, either would be ok; just don't get lulled into a false sense of security that the child would know self-defense.

What I am looking for is to give my 'spirited' child something to focus on in terms of a martial that gives discipline, fitness and confidence at the right time.

I thing rolling and knowing how to fall are particularly useful in early and later life.

I am not too concerned about him having to learn about 'fighting' as such yet as will progress to that later when he is ready.

Cheers

Aah, that makes much more sense now.

FWIW, you may try giving these people a call: http://www.singaporejudo.org.sg/aboutus.htm

Thanks for your help.

My son who is 3 years old does Wishu (type of martial arts) at Ch'i Life Studio at the Orchard Hotel Gallery - he loves it!

sgnyc65, I have a friend who's son also does it there but in private lessons on a Saturday. Will look at it further.

Do you have a website for them or contact name?

Well he is doing Taekwando and seems to be enjoying it so we will see how it goes.

InTheBlue wrote:Well he is doing Taekwando and seems to be enjoying it so we will see how it goes.

Just don't let him get lulled into a false sense of security, i.e. he actually knows self defense and could hold up to a mugging type of security,* and your kid should be fine. Think of it of him learning a sport with a more spiritual and cultural bent.

*I'm not dissing Taekwondo jins but c'mon guys, you know what I'm talking about. I've discussed this with a taekwondo teacher several times already and he admits to the 'watering-down due to a franchise business model' thing.