To wonder why you'd let your 5 year old do kickboxing?

[Fallslikelondonrain]

Am I missing something here or is it basically beating each other up?
It's not like karate or other martial arts. It seems way more aggressive.

Someone has just posted a video in FB of their 5 year old in a kickboxing fight and it's nasty! Apparently her son got a nose bleed but carried on after. They're really going at each other - it's horrible actually. Kicking, punching and elbowing.

Aibu to wonder why people (children) do it? It doesn't look like it's disiplined in the same way as the martial arts are.

I used to do kickboxing, there were 5/6 year okds doing it. The instructor was totally qualified and everyone wore protective head and body gear, there were certain moves that you were not allowed to do. It was all very well organised and professional, not some free for all.

Maybe I'm a wimp then - it would stress me out watching ds doing it. It looks brutal!

A qualified instructors, especially one which teaches chikdren will be prepared and well organised.

Also I'd keep wanting to shout 'ds - don't kick!' Which is kind of against the point of it I guess!

Now do kickbixing DVDs as my dcs are little and my DH works long hours so can't get to a class, no it really isent. A well run class will be absolutely fine.

There is a six yr old in DCs' school that does actual boxing. Not even kick-boxing. Twas in the newsletter...

Same reason a small child does any kind of martial art/martial art hybrid.

It depends on the organisation and their rules how rough kickboxing (or any martial art) is. I used to do kickboxing in a club that also offered karate for both adults and childrens. (The kickboxers tended to be adults plus a few teenagers but I don't think there was a specific ban on younger children doing the kickboxing). The club did semi-contact kickboxing and karate for adults which meant you could only use controlled blows to the head (ie essentially just a tap to score the point) and punching/kicking the head too hard could result in disqualification.

For the kids, it was just light taps to both the head and the body (ie the purpose was just to get past the other kid's guard and make contact with the body/head, not to hurt them) and the instructor (or referree in a competition) would be very clear/strict on that. Both kids and adults would be fully kitted out in protective gear too.

DS does taekwondo (kickboxing) and has since he has been 4.5.

There is no way I would ever let him get involved in that sort of scrap! He didn't even do sparring for the first few years! There was lots of fitness and learning moves - great confidence builders.

I think it depends on the instructor. Mine's lovely, great with the kids and it is amazing to add confidence and fitness. I would seriously recommend her for really age appropriate, caring training. link if interested

Yes most of our class was learning the moves and copying the instructor, and some controlled sparring every now and again.

The ability to defend yourself from attack is an essential life skill. You send them out prepared to deal with all that exists in the world that is, not the world you wish it was.

Karate is terrible. Repeatedly kicking and hitting into thin air can cause arthritis decades later and the moves you learn are useless in an attack.

Kickboxing is great, Krav Maga the best.