martial arts

Theresa - posted on 08/11/2012

Im just about to join my son up for martial arts because he is so loud and active always on the go - hoping that this will teach him some confidence and discipline :)

Tammy - posted on 04/02/2011

My daughter has been in karate now for 4 years, she's now 8 and was diagnosed with adhd last year. At home I haven't noticed much difference in her, but at karate they say her behavior is improving. It does take her a little longer to getting her new belts. She now has her junior brown belt and was suppose to get her junior black 2 months ago but she can't quite master the kata yet which she needs to do before she can get her junior black, they did tell me she should get it in the next month or 2. I like that they don't give the next belt unless they do all the steps properly to receive their next belt, some schools are not like that. We also have her in the most strict school in our city, she has even had her belt taken away a few times but always earned it back within a week.

Becky - posted on 03/06/2011

my ADHD son is in it once a week and he loves it. He loves the activity and I love the amount of kids he can socialize with. He still has outbursts and anger issues but now i can suggest that he practice his katas or give me push-ups..this has been thing for him and I..I am also ADD.

Sara - posted on 02/12/2011

My oldest son is in juditsu and so far he really likes it (helps when he has been bugging to get into juditsu lol)sometimes he reacts to fast without thinking first something he knows that he needs to work on. He is double jointed as well and needs to work on strengthening his muscles as we are still waiting on occupational therapy juditsu should prepare him for when he finally gets help but it is along wait for ocupational therapy.

Damaris - posted on 12/08/2010

Im having the same feeling as Sonya on here...I have been considering in putting him in my son tht is he is 8 and just got diagnosed w adhd this past april, and started him on medication and i feel tht his frustration level is high and doesnt know how to react and will start fighting with his siblings. i appreciate your stories they are all an encouragement to put him in martial arts. thank you



i have 3 other children the one in the photo with me is autistic, mentally delayed,non-verbal, kidney failure, epileptic, etc. he is 12 and he does show some signs of adhd.



my other son who is 6 he is so hyper and doesnt listen well to instructions, i was worried tht he might have adhd, i spoke w the teacher and principal at his school who are very supportive btw...we spoke because i wasnt sure if it was just immaturity, or being difficult. i spoke with his doctor and we will have him evaluated. im hoping to get properly informed about this diagnosis so i can be supportive for my kids and help thier confidence level to rise since tht seem to be the factor in their parent confrences this yr so far.

Crystal - posted on 10/13/2010

I agree. My daughter started martial arts when she was first diagnosed with ADHD. She did so well. She has moved onto gymnastics and this sport is also very great sport to emphasize her strengths.

Shelia - posted on 09/13/2010

I was worried about putting my son in martial arts because of the "Bullying" issues we had. I have since found a martial arts program that is non agressive and no contact. it's called Choi Kwang Do. He learns the disapline, control and builds self esteem without having to do physical contact. One of the winning factors for me is they state in the flier that they work with children with ADD and ADHD. I was amazed. My lil man will have his 2nd class tomorrow. His teacher says he is doing well. I have asked my son how he likes it so far but he states it's too soon to tell. My son is six years old. I am hopful that this will help him with out building up agression in him. I have seen other children in the class who have ADHD, Spinal Bifita (spelling) and things are improving for them. This is another option to regular martial arts. Here is a website to look at to give you more information http://www.choikwangdo.com. I hope this helps you out.

Kelly - posted on 08/09/2010

My son has ADHD has been in Mixed Martial Arts for 2 years now. My son is now a Blue belt and has only 4 belts left till he is a first degree black belt (a year and half to two years left). During his time in class he has learned to focus, use self-discipline and become confident on what he does. I have never seen my son more gung-ho for a sport than this one, I see a different kid, he gets out there and actually helps teach the younger kids. If anyone is questioning whether Martial arts is good for a child with ADHD (high end of the scale), I would recommend you giving it a try and you can see the difference it makes.

Michelle - posted on 07/01/2009

My daughter is 7 and was diagnosed with ADHD last year. I enrolled her in TaeKwon-Do and at first I was a bit nervous that her behavior would be a distraction. Im the parent that raises my hand as my child is breaking it down when shes supposed to be doing the Maca-raina in the school play saying...yep, she's mine! Never a dull moment with her.
Amazingly enough she has been in it now for over a year and has been recently been asked to join the black belt team! How awesome is that? I went from being nervous to the most proud I have ever been. She has the confidence and the focus and that is just awesome!!!! It is pretty pricey to keep her in it, but as long as she enjoys it and continues to excel...its worth every penny!

Felecia - posted on 02/11/2009

Theresa, my son has been bullied too, thats why I suggest looking at several different schools. The one that I and my children attend is family oriented, teaches life skills and one of those skills is that your first choice is to walk away.



Example, my two oldest are Black Belts and they actually practice the choice of walking away. My daughter (14) has been picked on and annoyed by a boy for over a year, two weeks ago she finally told him for the last time and warned him. Her only retaliation was to push him. She received in school suspension because nothing is tolerated in schools here in Morgantown. I spoke with the bus driver (they ride the same bus) and I spoke with the school counselor and principal. They did not want to suspend her but they had too. In any case, the result is that she did not physically hurt the boy (a year older than her) and there are now two buses on that route because she was not the only person he was doing this too. He now rides a different bus and doesn't bother her anymore.



My son (11) had a similar situation in school where two boys jumped him. One had him around his arms while the other came from the front and choked him. Because of his training he was able to get loose and he did strike one boy and the other ran. All 3 got suspended, them for a week and my son for 2 days. No serious injuries but they have stopped!



It is your job as a parent and the martial arts schools job as well to teach them how and when and just how far they should take things. They have to be taught that you don't hit just because someone else did. Teach him how to be the bigger person but also be able to defend himself if necessary.

Rae - posted on 02/11/2009

My son's Tae Kwon Do school emphasizes that you do not use Tae Kwon do on others except in self defense. They stress the consequences they will give if you do use it on another person. I believe that most schools are this way-very strict about when you can and can't use it.

Felecia - posted on 02/10/2009

My 11-year-old son is ADD, Bi-Polar, and ODD (oppositional defiance disorder) and a Black Belt in Songahm Taekwondo. I strongly recommend martial arts. I also strongly recommend that you don't join just any school. Check them out and find one that teaches life lessons along with the martial arts and one that is family oriented. I and my 3 other children also take Taekwondo. You are never too old and it is for you too. I am 43. My son has gotten alot out of Taekwondo and he doesn't hesitate to let other kids that have similar problems know either. Go for it!!



Our school has programs for ages 1-3 called Tiger Cubs, 3-6 Tiny Tigers, 7-13 K4K (karate for kids), and 14 and up Adults. You can go to www.ataonline.com to look for a school.

Misty - posted on 01/13/2009

Quoting Krissy:

I'm afraid to enroll my son in martial arts. One of our behavior issues was bullying. I don't want to give him skills to actually beat kids up. Maybe after more time on meds I can consider it again.

I know the feeling.  My youngest son liked to hit people.  He wanted to take TaeKwonDo with his brother.  We kept telling him that he had to stop hitting people before we let him take classes.  He has been on meds since August and has not been as aggressive.  We don't have the money at the moment to put them back into classes, but I would enroll him also if money wasn't an issue.

Our instructor always reinforced the fact that the first step to any TaeKwonDo form is always a block, because you never start the fight.  I don't know about all of the different organizations of TKD.  We were in the International TaeKwondo Alliance (ITA) and they don't allow the kids to start sparring until they have reached green belt (3rd belt).  That is when they get all of their protective gear.  The kids also knew that if they started a fight outside of class they would not be allowed to test for their next belt.  I would think that most instructors would reinforce any issues like that you would have.  Our instructors were great.  They were all ADHD certified to work with kids with it.  And I could go to them with issues I was dealing with at home and they would make it a part of that day's class without calling attention to my son, because they knew that many of the other parents were or had delt with the same thing.

Katrina - posted on 01/12/2009

my son has been taking kung-fu and piano lessons for about two months now. i think these are two good activities for him because they promote concentration and attention. they have both been self-esteem boosters for him, too. he just got his white belt, and was very excited!

Julie - posted on 01/11/2009

awsome i was thinking about putting my son in matial arts next year to kind of help him build his confidence

Krissy - posted on 01/11/2009

I'm afraid to enroll my son in martial arts. One of our behavior issues was bullying. I don't want to give him skills to actually beat kids up. Maybe after more time on meds I can consider it again.

Brandee - posted on 01/05/2009

That's great to hear!  I just started my son in Tae Kwon Do today. I am hoping it will help him.  He didn't have a good first day (it's a daycare/martial arts center).  There weren't many kids there today but tomorrow everyone is back at school.  He couldn't participate because they misplaced his backpack which had his uniform in it.  I hope I can keep him excited about it.  He's pretty bummed.    I've heard that martial arts do wonders for these kids. We will soon see how it works for my boy.

Olvia - posted on 12/30/2008

thanks i have been thinking to place my daughter Angelina in Martial Arts. And have heard wonders about it. But have been wondering if it were right for her, because not only does she have ADHD and is on meds for it but has a lot and i mean a lot of behavioral problems as well. So thank you maybe Martial Arts might teach her obedience and give her structure.

Rae - posted on 12/16/2008

My son joined Tae Kwon do when he was 4 - he is 11 now. It has done wonders to help him focus and has helped my husband and I deal with behaviors as his teacher is very supportive of us. He earned his 1st Degree Black belt a year ago andis starting to do some leadership and helpin ghte younger kids. He is also on Meds, battled depression and has been bullied. This has changed his self esteem, knowing he has earned the black belt. It also helps that his teacher holds him accountable and is very patient with him.

Kellie - posted on 12/04/2008

I've heard about doing martial arts. I actually started Hailey in gymanastics. It was awful the first 6 weeks. She wouldn't pay attention, but now, she's a different child. She's doing so much better. She still has her moments, but she's also been on her meds for a week....but they've already worn off by the time we get there...soooo. Other team sports have never worked, but I'm hoping that this will. She absolutely loves it.

Misty - posted on 11/14/2008

My oldest son, took TaeKwonDo for a year. He also suffers from depression so we felt that with ADD and his depression it would be good for him. It did help boost his self esteem, by knowing that every belt he earned was because he did it. Not a team, but he did it. But I also had to give him a "fast acting" pill to help him focus during class. He then did not want to eat dinner, so then the risk of him losing weight outwayed the benefit of class. He is 12 and only weighs 64 pounds. He was at the point that I could see his ribs when his shirt was off. He has gained weight now that he doesn't have to take a pill in the evening. I hope to get him back into it once we control the ADD without meds.

Sonya-Cousins - posted on 11/14/2008

I had been wondering if martial arts would benefit my 8yr old son and from reading your stories I think I'm going to look into it. My son is doing well on his medication, but I find he has energy and built up frustration from the day. Maybe this way he will stop play fighting with his younger brothers, as I find he plays to rough and it's hard to get them to stop when asked.

Deanna - posted on 11/08/2008

My son will be 10 in a few weeks. Diagnosed ADHD at 4 along with Anxiety Disorder at 8, he has been doing mixed martial arts for about three years. He has come so far! I am so proud of him. His sensei is TOUGH as nails, and that helps too. I know that he wouldn't have done as well with a "softer" sensei. My Hunter has been victim to bullying more than once. It brings a bit of piece of mind to know that if necessary, Hunter can defend himself.

Theresa - posted on 11/07/2008

My boy is in martial arts as well, but he can't seem to pay attention very long and my boy is the one not listening and rolling around the floor. Don't get me wrong - I think he likes it, but loses interest fast. I wanted him to do it because of the ADHD - so I just don't know. His brother who doesn't have this - is also in marial arts and loves it. Different classes, so we shall see. I think it's wonderful and I'm still hopeful he'll come around and if not - he's great at other things like motocross, baseball and basketball.