Tae Kwondo - suitable for a 3yo?

[MunkyNuts]

Has anyone tried taking their DC to Tae Kwondo classes at age 3? I´m thinking of taking my DS but just wondering if its going to be bit complicated and difficult for him? I´d be interested to hear if any of you have had success or otherwise... thanks.

I suspect it might be too disciplined for him but worth a go. DS1 is 3 and goes to football class and swimming classes and to be honest its total chaos (but very sweet to watch as he loves it).

Yeah I was thinking it might be too disciplined, altho if it could instil a bit of discipline that wouldn´t go amiss!

My DS1 would have loved to go to TKD at 3, but my DH's Dan said that he had to be at least 5, due to the nature of the sport. There is a chance of them getting hit over the head during training, and their skulls are still forming, and they might get a bruised brain.

Thanks for the feedback everyone, maybe we´ll have to wait a year or so, don´t like the sound of a bruised brain. TeamEdward good to hear your DS enjoys it so much, was he interested in it before he tried it or did you just take him and it turned out that he loved it?

That sounds great TE, a fun and sporty way of keeping him occupied, great price too! Hope he continues to enjoy it. I might go and have a chat at the centre near us and see how physical it gets for the 3 year olds and how likely he is to get a bruised brain, praps equip him with a crash helmet

Not exactly the same sport, but my DD started kyokyushin karate (full contact) at aged 4. They are not allowed to start until that age (at least not in her dojo - in Tokyo).
She's been going for around 6 months and her coordination and balance have improved a lot (not that they were crap before).
They do wear head gear for kick practice, but don't kick in the head iyswim.

Thanks Pennybubbly, perhaps we should wait a little while as there must be a reason they start them at 4 or 5 and not 3, whether its to protect the brain or whether they need to be that bit older to follow instructions properly, so maybe 3 is a bit young. The person I spoke to at the sports centre who said 3 was fine wasn´t the instructor so probably should check with them. Thanks everyone for your feedback.

Ds started when he turned 5. They don't take them younger than that around here, the instructor said that it would be too much to expect an under 5 to stay focused and have the concentration required for the sport. Seems quite serious they have exams and competitions I wouldn't want to put that pressure on a preschooler.

Ds' club will only allow children of 5+.

While they are at the lower grades it's usually non-contact. When ds was ready to do proper sparring he was only allowed to join in properly when he had a full set of pads (hands, feet, shins, groin guard, helmet and a gum shield). Even with all of that on they are still not allowed to hit hard.

At gradings they are tested on whether they know the names of the moves in the original language. Very young children would find that difficult I think.

Ds really enjoys it though so it's worth enrolling him when he's a little older. Ds has been going for nearly 2 years now and looks forward to it.

I am a black belt in Taekwando, and I'd say that 3 is much too young.

I am also a black belt and agree that for proper taekwondo he would be too young for it and would wait until he was 5 at least, however, there is a program called little ninjas that is specifically designed for 3-7 yr olds and there may be one in your area. This is with TAGB ITF Style Taekwondo though

Thanks Colonelcc little ninjas sounds great, I´ll look out for that.

Hi there. DH and I run a Tae Kwon Do School in Shropshire, and the main reason that students have to be 5 (or a few weeks away from 5 years old) is because most insurance companies won't insure them till they reach 5 years old. Another issue is that it is a physical and mental art, and although some 4 year olds may seem capable of the lessons, they can quickly become dejected at not being able to keep up/getting too tired/becoming distracted etc. and not continue with the course. Whichever TKD school you try, a good one will offer you several free sessions to get a feel for the club. We offer a full month of training free, up to three times a week. There should be no pressure to 'sign up', you need to be sure your little one enjoys it, and its not just a 'phase' they're going through 'cos they saw power rangers or TMNT on the telly!!! Hope you find the right place for you!

Thank you CSMG, that´s very useful info, we´ll definitely wait til he´s a bit older. Thanks to everyone for responding to this thread, it has definitely made me think again before enrolling DS at age 3.