Approximately a half-dozen years ago, I ran into an old Army Reserve buddy and founder of Richmond’s AFS Academy of Martial Arts (more on that next week), Scott Elliott at a Mexican restaurant. As part of our conversation, I informed him I had two soon-to-be new students for him. When I asked Scott at what age he preferred students to begin classes, he advised that was of course most dependent upon the child but generally, around the ages of seven or eight (my son attended class there between the ages of 8 to 15). In the meantime, he advised me to get the girls enrolled in gymnastics (as is the Russian tradition) prior to beginning martial arts instruction.
I’ve found over the years, Scott’s advice in such matters to be spot on. My girls have attended weekly gymnastics instruction at Richmond’s Excel Gymnastics. My wife and I were most pleased by the quality of instruction they received at Excel.
Our daughters’ strength, sense of balance, and ability to take instruction steadily increased with their time in the gym, and another trait which was cultivated was bravery. You see, time on an elevated balance beam and many ten foot leaps into a much used foam rubber filled pit increased our girls’ fortitude and self-confidence.
If you too find yourself raising children at the ages prior to being ready for martial arts training (a prerequisite for a proper upbringing in my book); enroll them in quality, professional gymnastics instruction. One’s children don’t have to belong to the full blown travel team in order for them to receive the lifelong benefits gymnastics training can bring and prepare them for the receipt of formal self-defense training.
Next Week: H2H
Shane Morris is a retired soldier and teacher. Contact at sigm11@yahoo.com (Subject: NtC)
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here