Martial Arts School Recommendation

Hi Guys,

Its my first time looking a good martial arts school in the Fremont / Union City area for 4 year old daughter.
There so many its hard to choose.
Recommendations on what to look for would be appreciated.

Check out One World Jiu Jitsu Academy in Union City.  I've been training JJ for almost 6 years and the instructors here are some of the best - I live in San Jose but try to make it to OWJJ as much as I can (kayak fishing is getting in the way).

http://www.oneworldjiujitsu.com/

- Jason

If grappling isn't what you want, try Fremont Shotokan karate. The instructor (Bernardo) is a friend of mine and they have some good people there.

http://www.pinewaveskarate-academy.com/

4 years old is a bit young though, many schools won't take them younger than 5 or 6 simply because most kids have a short attention span as it is.  Not sure what the age limit at Fremont Shotokan is but you can ask.

Usually for younger kids I recommend judo or maybe jujitsu as it teaches good body dynamics along with some discipline, both which carry over to a stand-up fighting style later as the kid gets older. That said, I've had some good 5 year old students in the past who had better attention and manners than the 7-8 year olds. I've also had some absolute terrors... 

I'd tell you what type of places to avoid (McDojos) but don't want to offend anyone here who might train at one.    Best thing to do is ask to watch a class, talk to the parents. Don't commit to a long term contract either, she's 4 and you want to make sure she likes it.

Pete

BTW, just so you don't think I'm talking out of my ass...I'm 5th dan in Shotokan, head instructor for the De Anza College karate club, 30+ years experience in karate and time also in aikido, TKD, eskrima and Krav Maga. 

I got the idea from my cousin who lives in San Mateo who started his twins (5 yrs old) and 8 year old when they were 4 years old.  Most of their classmates are in the same studio. He highly recommends it specially the discipline part about doing good deeds and keeping their rooms clean.    That'll make it so easier for us parents.

I saw a video of his 8 year old earning a higher belt.  It was pretty fun to watch.  Her sensei grabbed her and she had to punch and kick her way out it. She had to punch and kick freaking hard. He told me that a 10 year old schoolmate was teasing and bullying his 8 year old daughter.  He shoved her but ended up getting punched in the chest and went crying to mommy. 

If grappling isn't what you want, try Fremont Shotokan karate. The instructor (Bernardo) is a friend of mine and they have some good people there.

http://www.pinewaveskarate-academy.com/

4 years old is a bit young though, many schools won't take them younger than 5 or 6 simply because most kids have a short attention span as it is.  Not sure what the age limit at Fremont Shotokan is but you can ask.

Usually for younger kids I recommend judo or maybe jujitsu as it teaches good body dynamics along with some discipline, both which carry over to a stand-up fighting style later as the kid gets older. That said, I've had some good 5 year old students in the past who had better attention and manners than the 7-8 year olds. I've also had some absolute terrors... 

I'd tell you what type of places to avoid (McDojos) but don't want to offend anyone here who might train at one.    Best thing to do is ask to watch a class, talk to the parents. Don't commit to a long term contract either, she's 4 and you want to make sure she likes it.

Pete

BTW, just so you don't think I'm talking out of my ass...I'm 5th dan in Shotokan, head instructor for the De Anza College karate club, 30+ years experience in karate and time also in aikido, TKD, eskrima and Krav Maga. 

PM sent

Valentina just started at the Little Tigers class at the Watsonville Tae Kwon Do academy here in Watsonville. She just turned 6.

http://www.watsonvilletkd.com/classes.php

I don't know anything about tae kwon do, but she saw a presentation at her Kindergarten and was all jazzed about trying it.

If it helps with her discipline I am all for it!   

She does ballet every Saturday AM, but it is a giggle/play fest with her and the other girls...if she can stick out the tae kwon do I'm hoping it will help her with listening skills/staying focused etc.

We'll see!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

I know this will piss off a few people but I am going to say it anyway.
I taught martial arts for over 25 years in Sacramento.
I have a 4th degree black belt in Chinese Kenpo and a 2nd degree black belt in Arnis (Philipino stick fighting).
I taught at a school where we offered 11 different arts of study and I worked with them all. I never bothered with ranking in any other art because after you reach a certain level, what's the point?
I would recommend against Tae Kwon Do. Sorry if this offends anyone but I am talking from experience.
The EASIEST guys to fight, hands down, are those who have their ranking in Tae Kwon Do. It is really more of an art for sport rather than real self defense.
A black belt in TKD really isn't earned in as much as it is paid for.
You sign a contract and usually at the end of that contract you have a black belt which is about 1 1/2 years.
I don't care how athletic you may be, if you can earn a black belt in any art in 1 1/2 years then that art is not much of an art IMO.
How many people earn their PhDs in 1 1/2 years? How many surgeons do you know that entered med school and in 1 1/2 years were performing surgery?
Two 1 hour classes a week x 78 weeks =156 hours. Divide that by an 8 hour work day it comes out to just under 20 days.
I work 20 days a month. I cannot imagine earning a black belt in a month, but that's what the numbers crunch out to be.
It took me 4 years 9 months to get my first black belt and I practically lived at the dojo.
I have no connects in the bay area any more, but I would definitely listen to what Usagi has to recommend. He lives it.
Do as much research as you can. Trophies don't mean a thing when it comes to defending yourself.
Make sure your child is comfortable with whatever environment you choose and definitely don't be afraid to change dojos should you become uncomfortable at a particular school.

FishingAddict,

Take your kid to any school that caters to your 4yr old.   At 4yrs old, it doesn't really matter as long as she enjoys herself.


chaeki

Tote! You're using your outside voice again! 

Kidding aside, I don't like bashing styles at all...our dojo sprung from a JKA-breakaway instructor, remained independent for decades, and cross-trained with a number of different styles. It was shown to me early on that there wasn't such a thing as a bad style, just bad instructors. Unfortunately, there are too many of those...

Tae Kwon Do has its good points, as does any style. I can't begin to tell you, however, how many horrible TKD "advanced belts" I've run across during the past 20 years I've taught at De Anza. Every quarter I ask my new students if any of them have had previous training. Invariably I get a number of "I took tae kwon do for xx years/months". 5-6 years ago it reached a point where I automatically stuck TKD black belts in my blue belt group (3-9 months training). Some did fine, although most couldn't fight their way through a rowdy convalescent home without risking bodily injury. These days I don't even do that; they stay with my beginning group, at least until I determine their ability to do basic techniques without making me want to poke my eyes out with a dull fork.

To be fair, a great number of them came from a McDojo-style TKD chain of schools that I won't mention by name. <cough>ninjaturtles<cough> There are a few traditional TKD schools out there that offer the hope of at least some self-defense skills and decent fundamental martial arts techniques. I've had the opportunity to train with a couple of guys over the years who were damn good fighters, despite their TKD background.  Those schools are few and far between, unfortunately.

On a side-note, over the past year I've found that I get more kids saying "Yea, I took MMA for a year" or "I do MMA with my friend...". Most of these kids are worse than the TKD kids as they have NO clue when it comes to body mechanics, yet think they're bad.

All that said, chaeki was spot on. At 4 years old, it really doesn't matter what style you start them with, so long as both you and the child are happy with the class/instructors. A good school is one that will be motivating, fun for the kids and teach discipline hand in hand with basic body mechanics. Like I said, judo is really good as it teaches kids how to get physical, using practical techniques of falling and rolling. Kids do tend to fall down a lot, as I'm sure you've noticed.  Knowing how to fall correctly can be a lifesaver. But any good school can fit the bill as long as you're happy with how the class is run. Just watch out for schools with hidden belt testing fees every month or two, find an instructor who doesn't refer to himself as "Grandmaster Smith, Black belt maker!" and you'll do fine. When your daughter is older and still shows signs of interest in the martial arts, then you can send her somewhere to learn how to kick some ass. 

FishingAddict,

Take your kid to any school that caters to your 4yr old.   At 4yrs old, it doesn't really matter as long as she enjoys herself.


chaeki

+1

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Cahill's Judo Academy

Hands down One World in Union City.  One World. You will not be disappointed.

Gymnastics, First? Its like rock climbing. The body control + Natural strength + discipline. Then when they are old enough, the Art of their liking.  Every kid likes to jump and roll around. I say this for a few reasons, one being a 6'6" Son that has done standing back flips.

Hands down One World in Union City.  One World. You will not be disappointed.

Jeff - I don't think this place is for kids.

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bAv1k9An0PdQsIz7-Y_HCg?select=WVRpxiSleC7et0fjp1Ad8A

Hands down One World in Union City.  One World. You will not be disappointed.

Jeff - I don't think this place is for kids.

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bAv1k9An0PdQsIz7-Y_HCg?select=WVRpxiSleC7et0fjp1Ad8A

The kids program is new so it really hasn't had a chance to make it on Yelp.