Aikido practice helps build your child's character
The moment your child begins Aikido, he/she learns humility through the practice of etiquette. They'll learn how to take care of their uniform and wear it properly, and how and when to bow. Bowing to each other and the instructor teaches the children respect and discipline. In class, little to no talking is permitted during instruction and only helpful talking during practice. Children are expected to maintain a good attitude and practice diligently. These expectations help build a sense of discipline in children.
Self-esteem & Confidence
Children first begin by learning to fall. Sometimes, though, children have difficulty learning to fall. Some are a little afraid of rolling over their head (really they roll over their shoulder), but with perseverance and support from the instructors, parents, and other students, children eventually learn to fall correctly and begin to enjoy it. Going through difficulties and overcoming them with hard work is essential for children to develop confidence. After learning to roll, children really love this aspect of Aikido: They learn to control and protect their bodies while flying through the air, what could be more fun than that? Learning falling skills and learning the techniques of Aikido, gives children self-esteem and confidence that with effort and a good spirit they can accomplish anything.
Complete Instruction for your child
Due to the sophistication of the art of Aikido we take children from age seven to thirteen. Fourteen-year-olds generally join the adult class.
Ringing the bell to start class prepares the children mentally to learn and puts them into a meditative frame of mind Aikido is great for teaching children how to defend themselves. In addition, through the hard work and discipline of Aikido practice and the study of its philosophy, children build qualities of character such as self-esteem, self-control, confidence, awareness, discipline, humility, honesty, and compassion.
Non-competitive
Aikido is perfect for children because it teaches alternatives to violence. Instead of learning how to kick and punch, children learn to redirect an attacker's energy and resolve conflict while minimizing injury to the attacker. Because Aikido is not a sport there is no competition. In competitions there is always a winner and a loser. Competition in sports is healthy for children if the emphasis is on effort, sportsmanship, etc.
In a martial art, however, when a child fights another child, one must "win" and the other must "lose." Aikido is built on the premise of not fighting. Winning by defeating another person is not winning at all. We teach children to learn to protect themselves while not hurting others. With all the violence that our children are exposed to on TV, movies, video games, etc., we don't need to teach children to solve problems with violence.
Non-aggressive but effective...
...Self-Defense.
Aikido is non-aggressive because it doesn't teach children to inflict injury to avoid injury. Instead Aikido teaches how to avoid injury by blending with and redirecting an attack, using the attacker's strength against themselves. In Aikido children learn how to use their body and mind in a way that will help them defend themselves even if the attacker is much larger than they are. Aikido is not passive though, the throws and pins in Aikido are effective in defending oneself.
Parents, you are the most important!
When you enroll your child in Aikido, we are building a partnership with you to help your child learn a self-defense and grow into a fine adult. Your interest and enthusiasm for your child's participation is crucial to your child's success. We recognize the importance of your involvement and encourage you to get involved with the children's program. There are a number of ways to get involved but the best way is to help us teach your child the importance of Aikido. To do that we ask that you learn some of the aspects of Aikido etiquette and practice. For example, make sure your child arrives to class on-time, awake and ready. Help them learn to tie their gi and belts correctly. Encourage them by watching classes every now and again.
