Ninja fighting....

[Thejokeisover]

I would like some advice or maybe just a chance to see if i am worrying too much for nothing.
I have two boys. The six year old has never been interested in "fighting"games/toys. The second one, that is nearly 5, loves anything related to fighting. Ninja turtles, but also, star wars, ben 10, and the usual super heroes. He is literally always always pretending to fight someone. Even when i am cooking , he comes to me and asks me to fight. whenhe does, i try to convince him to do other games.
Now, i know that some children in his class are into these kind of things. I try to avoid that he watches this programs on tv as i find them violent and, if he has to watch any tv, i prefer he watches something more educational.
Am i worrying too much? Should i let him play fighting or keep on trying to stop him?
Any advice/point of view welcome, really.....

I have one of these. I have no idea where he gets it from and both dh and I detest violence. My advice would therefore be to help him channel it under controlled conditions. We've just enrolled ds in Taekwondo, but any of the martial arts could be good as they're based on self defence and mutual respect rather than fighting for the sake of it. We now explain that he only gets to fight when he's wearing his special clothes and the teacher is holding the pads up.

Thank you. I thought about that.

But i wanted to understand if this is only a phase....

He has got another two afterschool activities and i would like not to add a third one.

I have worked with kids and have seen that some children just enjoy this type of play more than others and as their awareness and understanding develops, they calm down with it.
My oldest is only 3.5yrs but since nursery school started in Sept the ninja/fighting play has gone from zero to full on. I mean over summer he was the kid who would be pushed over or hit and not retaliate and just look bewildered and cry over it.
We don't let him watch things with fighting or guns in it and because hes tall and sturdy (bigger than a 4 yo) I about hot about kind hands and feet. But he started copying other children at nursery- and apparently is loving it!
I've spoken to his teachers, who are a little eye-rolly and condescending about my concerns over the boys being physical with each other with no recourse, and they are quick to say it's very common.