a question

[dominiuno]

Heres a question for you senseis out there who teach kids, well the questions to any and everyone really, what percent of kids (5-13) start for reasons other than fighting like if there parents forced them to do it for the mental effects namely discipline.

Big number? Small number?
Just wondering

-David

[Brian Barry]

When I was helping with the kids, it was a very big number... my guess is probably the majority were there for the discipline, often because their parents thought it would help. Just an estimate.

[dominiuno]

When would you say the numbers start moving towards more wanting to do it on their own?

[W.J.C.]

I've noticed a lot of different reasons why parents enroll their kids into my program.

One, of course, is discipline. Some parents find it easier to instill discipline and respect in their children by sending them to me. While I do my best, I lose most of those students because parents then find it difficult to get them to attend classes. Kids don't like it when I don't let them do things that they get away with at home.

Some parents enroll them because their kids are overweight. I've had a lot of success in showing the kids that excercising can be fun.

Some parents enroll them because their kids have very low self esteem.

I have very few students who've enrolled who seem to "just want to fight".


In all, I'd say 60% of my students attend because they're influenced by karate in cartoons, movies, and television shows - - - this of course is different then the ones who just want to learn to hurt people.

20% aren't really interested in karate at all, they are there because their parents wanted to improve their self esteem.

10% are overweight, and enrolled just to lose weight.

5% have severe discipline problems

3% seem to share the same love I have for the study of Uechi-Ryu.

2% are just studying to be better bullys

[Spike]

I would have to say that the only way for martial arts to help in giving children a little discipline is to also discipline the children at home. I find that mostly if the children are disobedient at home, they will tend to become disobedient in the dojo or quit shortly after joining.