What Are Benefits Of Karate For 2 Year Olds? - Knoxville TN

Master Booe

It is not common to have organized sports or classes for 2 year olds to participate in due to their limitations and the inexperience of teachers and coaches with the age group. Yet, there is an activity that can not only fill this gap, but can offer lifelong skills and advantages.

Karate for 2 year olds offers unique benefits by teaching kindness, patience, focus, and respect. Along with these there is the introduction of long term goals and delayed gratification. Toddlers at this age can be given advantages that will last throughout their lives.

There are several ways that Karate for 2 year olds can be a great option for families. Some toddlers need role modeling; some need to learn self control, while others have to be taught to strive and push through failure to find success.

Let's look at some of the questions parents have asked me throughout the years concerning kids this young participating in the martial arts.

What Ages Are Too Young To Start Karate In Knoxville?

If Karate classes are great for 2 year olds, and most can thrive in the right dojo environment, are even younger kids able to participate? What is the real limit to how young a child can be to get benefits from Karate practice?

Kids younger than 2 will most likely not be ready for a Karate class. In my decades of experience, 2 year olds can learn Karate, but not every two year old is ready for a class setting. Nearly 2/3 of this age group can successfully take Karate classes. Though, around 1/3 may need more time to grow. Younger than 2 is simply too young.

There is no way to really know whether a toddler at this early stage can handle a group martial arts class setting or not, save trying out a class or two. Children are very individual with environmental, genetic, physical, mental, and emotional elements all playing a part in their development. The best method is to let them try and evaluate how they did afterward.

At stages before the age of two though, the limitations to their coordination, balance, attention span, and ethical moral compass are not formed enough to handle the techniques and concepts in even a child focused Karate class.

This is even more acutely observable when it is noted that many "kids Karate" classes at other studios are simply augmented adult programs. Even in a well run Karate class, where the needs and goals are aligned specifically with small children in mind, 1 year olds or 1-1/2 year olds simply can't function on a high enough level.

For more information on the developmental stages of children under 2 years old, a great resource is the CDC website listings for milestones by age.

If you have a two year old, and you live in the Knoxville Tennessee area, and would like to have them try a FREE class to see if they are ready for a children's Karate class, schedule yours today.

Can I Really Put My 2 Yr Old In Karate In Knoxville?

I have had parents ask, "Do you really accept 'babies' at 2 years old into your Karate classes?" Though I don't see 2 year olds as babies, but rather toddlers at that point, I can understand their skepticism.

Seven out of ten 2 year olds will thrive in a children's Karate class run by an instructor with the right experience and expectations. There is a good chance that your two year old toddler will be able to gain great advantages and benefits from Karate.

This is not to say that all 2 year olds will be ready for Karate instruction, but the majority of them will. For those that are ready, there are several things that they can get from the right class setting.

A place to be rougher in play, so it doesn't come out at inappropriate times.
A place to be loud and learn the difference between loud and quiet environments.
A way to learn respect for themselves and others and the moral compass that comes with this knowledge.
A system to help them be safe against falling, aggressive children, strange animals, strange adults, etc.
Help with reaching milestones and breaking past developmental barriers. (i.e. jumping, balance, doing different things with each side of the body at the same time, short and long term memory development, etc.)

The list above is only a small sampling of the benefits of a Karate for 2 year olds. There are many other aspects to learning Karate like self confidence, fortitude, and overall physical fitness.

These lessons can begin at age two and last a lifetime.

A Study On Preschool Ages Girls And Karate

To back up some of these claims we should look at some university and medical studies that could show how 2 year olds can benefit from this type of directed activity.

In a study covering Karate classes for kids conducted by researchers in Poland, it was conclusively discovered that the cardiovascular health of preschool girls was dramatically improved to the point that conclusions about increased life expectancy and lower future healthcare costs were made.

The physical activities involved in an organized and properly focused kids Karate class helped girls participating in the study in chest cavity development and overall respiratory health substantially. This was illustrated when compared to similar classmates that did not participate in the Karate instruction.

Judo And Its Effects On Behavior In Toddlers

In my Karate system designed for kids, I utilize Judo as a base for much of our "grappling" technique. I learned from some of the world's greatest instructors (Master Gokor Chivichyan and the late "Judo" Gene Lebell). There are many reasons for its incorporation and the use of Judo for preschool aged toddlers has been shown to help with a multitude of factors.

In an article published in the Journal of Combat Sports and Martial Arts, researchers found that Judo played a significant role in helping preschoolers master not only falling, throwing, and pinning techniques, but the ability to control their behavior. Conclusions from the study noted that this helped in readying these youngsters for family and school expectations of conduct.

The absolute best way to see if your 2 year old is ready for Karate classes is to set up a FREE class today. If you are in the Knoxville area, I have the environment and experience to help you find out.

How Does Karate Help 2 Year Old Milestones?

Now let's look at what the medical community says about how a two year old should be progressing as they age. They have specific goals in mind for physical, social, and mental abilities delineated. Then we should look at how that relates to Karate training.

Karate helps toddlers of all ages from 2 years old and up to reach and even surpass their stated milestones as published by the CDC. All three of the major areas of physicality, sociability, and cognitive function are aided.

If the claim that Karate is good for 2 year old development and growth is true, then there should be some information through government websites and university level research to back it up. Well, there is!

University Research On 2 Year Olds In Traditional Style Martial Arts

In a study conducted on preschool children by the faculties at universities in Serbia and Montenegro, considerable and measurable improvements in general physical fitness, speed, coordination, balance, and agility were observed.

The faculties of these universities went even further in stating that the results were so conclusive that they should be used to help inform parents when choosing between the martial arts and other sports for their children.

CDC Guidelines For Development In 2 Year Olds

The milestones outlined by many governmental agencies concerned with child development and health have been shown by national and international research done in a multitude of contexts to be supported and even surpassed by Karate training.

A child focused and professionally run martial arts class can help 2 year olds and older children reach their milestones and even surpass many of them with ease. The CDC website lists many of these categorized by ages for 2 year olds and 2-1/2 year olds.

Karate addresses and aids in nearly all of these milestones and has been shown time and again in controlled studies to help children through Karate classes to meet and exceed these goals.

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