Which martial art for a sporty 8yo boy to try?

[Primroses1]

Please may I ask which martial art works well when starting at 8. DS does other sports, he wants to try martial arts but it will probably be once a week.

Thanks.

I don’t really know the difference between them but my DC do ju jitsu and it’s excellent for learning discipline and respect and having fun. I’m incredibly proud of their achievements. Mine are almost at black belt level which requires commitment and dedication.

I think the best thing you could do is look for your local martial arts classes and see which one you like the look of. The dojo my DC go to is very friendly and welcoming, but equally they don’t let the children mess around too much! Look for local recommendations rather than the type of martial arts. Many do a trial lesson first.

Ove done a lot of martial arts styles and have a few black belts etc and I reckon the best one for you is the one where you like the teacher and ethos of the club. For me that is not too much testosterone or cult adjacent behaviour.

The best one for all around development of fitness and of yourself as a person I would say is capoeira, it's much more than a martial art, and there are styles of playing it that really challenge your perception of what a "fight" is or should be, really challenge that assumption that biggest and strongest is dominant. Its also more and more fun the better you get whereas with other styles it's more and more kind of serious and threatening the higher you get. Having fun in your game is a really important value but it's also quite tricky when you are a stressed newbie. The moves are the most fun and beautiful too.

That said there are toxically masculine knobs in capoeira and if definitely choose whatever class based on whose company and ethos you'd rather emmerse yourself in.

@WoopsLiza Capoeira is beautiful and the history of it (cannot think of the right word) shocking/amazing/tragic. I lived in Brazil and would see it practiced outdoors a lot.

@SossijRoll This is what we will do. I don’t want to add anymore big commutes into DS’s week. Will try two local groups and let DS pick.

DS started judo in nursery and started kick boxing about 7. I used to do karate.

All good activities!