Karate or Tae Kwon Do for kids?
Hi everyone! So, my niece is alsmost 6 years old and is very energetic and generaly active as a child. Her parents are thinking of sending her to either Karate or Tae Kwon Do, both for physical and spiritual exercise and development.
Which one do you think could fit better for her age and also considering she likes it which is better in the long term?
Edit: Thank you all for you recommendations! We decided to visit few dojos and speak with the instructors and let her decide. Most probably will be TKD since few videos we've watched she found the kicks impressive loll. 🤪
This entry was edited (Friday 15 August 2025, 09:57)
Mark
in reply to WeAreAllOne • •Asklemmy reshared this.
CrocodilloBombardino
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •rotorwashed
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •corsicanguppy
in reply to rotorwashed • • •You say that like it's not common with every alternative as well.
pishadoot
in reply to corsicanguppy • • •BJJ is one of the most "useful" when it comes to actually fighting (along with boxing).
Karate and TKD are more of an art/discipline. A well trained karate fighter will very likely outmove an untrained assailant, but someone moderately trained in BJJ will likely be able to subdue/get away from a very well karate or TKD fighter.
Honestly, BJJ is an amazing skill to have in a pinch, and it trains you in grappling with opponents that have a size/weight disparity.
Not all gyms/dojos use belts, even in BJJ. BJJ belts follow a pretty good progression based on skill, whereas karate (can't say for TKD, never trained in it personally) often relies on performance of kata in order to progress to the next belt. Kata is choreographed movements, it's more like a dance that you practice than an actual measure of ability to spar/fight.
If OP wants to get their kid into a fighting sport that's fun and relatively safe, they can pick any discipline. If they want the added bonus of their kid being much better equipped to defend themself from a real aggressor they would do best
... Show more...BJJ is one of the most "useful" when it comes to actually fighting (along with boxing).
Karate and TKD are more of an art/discipline. A well trained karate fighter will very likely outmove an untrained assailant, but someone moderately trained in BJJ will likely be able to subdue/get away from a very well karate or TKD fighter.
Honestly, BJJ is an amazing skill to have in a pinch, and it trains you in grappling with opponents that have a size/weight disparity.
Not all gyms/dojos use belts, even in BJJ. BJJ belts follow a pretty good progression based on skill, whereas karate (can't say for TKD, never trained in it personally) often relies on performance of kata in order to progress to the next belt. Kata is choreographed movements, it's more like a dance that you practice than an actual measure of ability to spar/fight.
If OP wants to get their kid into a fighting sport that's fun and relatively safe, they can pick any discipline. If they want the added bonus of their kid being much better equipped to defend themself from a real aggressor they would do best getting them into BJJ, boxing, and then wrestling once they're in middle/high school.
I would personally avoid boxing for my own kids due to the repeated head trauma and risk of fractures, but it's the best real world striking training you'll get, at least in the USA. BJJ and wrestling help you immensely once you're on the ground, which is where 90% of street fights go within the first couple seconds, but a real, dangerous, fight is often over before it starts and countering a sucker punch or landing a decisive one yourself before the opponent can react is often the most important thing.
One of the downsides of BJJ is that it's culturally tied to MMA in the USA now, which means that if OPs kid does BJJ for a while in their youth they'll be more inclined to get into MMA in early adulthood, which is not something I would want for my children. But it's a great skill regardless.
rotorwashed
in reply to pishadoot • • •shittydwarf
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •Björn
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •DavidDoesLemmy
in reply to Björn • • •KokusnussRitter
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •I did Jiaido, Jiu Jitsu and very briefly Aikido.
All of them were great, because they created a safe space. Everyone was respectful, cared about consent, it boosted my self esteem and made me feel strong and capable - all good for a girl to learn. I figure as long as this is part of the sport, it doesn't matter what martial art they choose, as long as they enjoy it.
...but Jiu Jitsu was also the most fun xD
☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •PlutoniumAcid
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •If you can only choose between those two, I would prefer karate, mostly because later in the sporting career tae kwon do becomes excessively violent (to the point of complete knockout and worse) whereas karate remains softer.
But at a young age, the spirit and the style of the dojo are much more important, so try both and then choose the one that has a better feeling.
My son attended a different variety at that age, and we hoped there would be focus on discipline and spirit - but there was none at all, it was just about kicking things. Very bad trainers with no people skills. So we took him out from that again. Turns out swimming was his thing - just had to discover it.
spittingimage
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •Tae Kwon Do features a lot of high kicking, which can be difficult for young kids that haven't developed their balance yet.
Or maybe it's what she needs to develop her balance. I dunno, kids are like little aliens.
lime!
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •choose whichever, most children go down easily with either.
Edit: i should have read the body of the post
Scott
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •Having done both, Tae Kwon Do is almost identical to Shotokan Karate. Karate can also involve weapons, depending on the school.
You just need to remember there are multiple "styles" of Karate much like there are different styles of Kung Fu.
All of them are excellent for fitness, self-confidence and discipline.
You can't go wrong with any of them, to be honest.
YappyMonotheist
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •procapra
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •Just pick one, if she doesn't like it try the other, and if she does like it and gets proficient at it, maybe she can try the other later on. Really can't go wrong here. I knew plenty of kids when I was in school who had done multiple combat sports and martial arts over the years.
You can become black belt in most martial arts as young as 15-16 (assuming you have the skills required). I can imagine that kinda achievement being a core childhood memory. 10 years of hardwork being rewarded!
absGeekNZ
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •I'll put in a word for my preferred sport here.
My super energetic boy has been rock climbing since 7.
Strength, flexibility, balance, self confidence, progression is based on solving problems, climbs are graded.
invertedspear
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •Cricket
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •If being (more broadly) useful for self-defense would be a desirable factor in making this selection, I add my vote for Judo or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Both of those give the practitioner a lot more options for controlling an attacker without hurting them too much, compared to Karate/TKD. Also vastly less chance of getting a head injury while training or competing.
UltraGiGaGigantic
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •BCsven
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •Evotech
in reply to WeAreAllOne • • •