Learning about all the benefits of Karate for kids is a smart thing to do if your child is showing an interest. It can be a fun way for your children to not only pass the time but they will also be encouraged to excel in the sport. Skills are built upon skills and it is a valuable skill set that they can use for a lifetime.

Karate is a great way to learn defense techniques and also how to avoid them. A good teacher will teach your child that using defensive measures is always a last resort and to show respect first. But when the time comes they will have the moves that they need to protect themselves from harm.

The discipline that they will learn is also a lifetime skill that is good to learn at a young age. They will practice self control as they learn moves that they will need to go to the next level and belt categories. It will teach them respect and self motivation as well.

Karate is a good and positive way for children to work out aggression. When anyone is upset exercise can release the tension that concerns and anger have in a positive way. The over active child can also benefit from exercise and karate. As they learn skills they learn self control and self esteem where they may not get anywhere else.

Many facilities that are privately owned offer karate classes for children. You can also see if your local community center or YMCA offers classes. Most are very reasonable in price and can benefit your wallet greatly as well.

The positive influence Karate brings is worth checking it out for your child. They will be learning great skills while exercising and releasing energy to develop positive attitudes and gaining self esteem. Look around your area for a class that fits in with your age groups for your child today.

As a Christian and a martial arts student, I have often wrestled with the idea of self-defense. Does God expect me to defend my family and myself when physically attacked or am I to turn the other cheek and endure it in the name of Jesus? As I considered the many comments I encountered on this topic, I became even more confused. Some advocates for religion have gone as far as to say that anyone who practices any form of martial arts is without a doubt bound for hell. It wasn t until I committed myself to a more thorough study of the scriptures that I discovered the truth for myself. The Bible gives more than a few examples of the practice of self-defense and the idea of martial arts. I would like to share some of what I have learned in this study of the Bible – Old Testament and New. The Bible is, in fact, the very word of God (II Timothy 3:16-17).

God and Warfare

The first example of a physical struggle in the Bible is in Genesis chapter 4. It is here that Cain kills his brother Abel. This is an act of violence condemned by God for two reasons. First, the violence was out of anger and jealousy because his brother s actions were better than his own (Genesis 4:4-7). Secondly, the violence was pre-meditated. God confronted Cain before this violence occurred. He told Cain that he would need to figure out how to master the sin of anger and jealousy that was trying to overtake him. What this scripture teaches is that God does not want us to initiate violence but he wants us to train ourselves to master our emotions when tempted with feelings of anger, jealousy and rage. He wants us to prepare our hearts to respond humbly. I believe the study of martial arts can provide this kind of training. I have seen it in my son s martial arts class. His sensei (teacher) may spend up to half of the one-hour class teaching the children humility, manners, concern for others and peace-making. They are taught to avoid violence and stay calm in situations of conflict. This kind of character training is right in line with the example of God s training of Cain.

The next biblical example of a conflict involving a physical struggle is found in Genesis chapter 14. In this chapter, kings are at war and Abram s nephew, Lot, and Lot s family are taken captive. In response to hearing the news about his relatives, Abram sends men to rescue them. In Genesis 14:14-16, Abram sent out the 318 trained men born in his household . It seems that even though Abram was not at war, he had a training program for his family and household. It was obviously a training program for warfare of some kind and a good one, at that, since they were victorious in returning Lot, his family and all of their possessions from the hands of warring kings. After Abram s successful rescue, he is honored by God and reminded that God had made him successful against his adversary. God later renames Abram, Abraham and he becomes the founding father of faith for the Jewish people (and later Christians as well).

To clarify the meaning of the term martial arts , Webster s defines the word martial as warfare or warrior , and arts as a skill acquired by study . In the story of Abram rescuing Lot, the Bible gives us an example of warrior training. Not everyone in Abram s household was a part of the 318 trained men, but the ones that were had excellent martial arts training. And God helped them to be victorious as they executed their warfare skills.

Here are a few other brief examples of warfare, from the Old Testament, that could be studied further:

• Genesis 32 – Jacob avoids war with his brother, Esau. He prepares for battle but orchestrates a peaceful resolution.
  
• Deuteronomy 20 – God goes with the warriors to fight against their enemies.
  
• II Samuel 23:8-39 – the Bible describes David and his mighty men of battle.
  
• Nehemiah 4 – the builders of Jerusalem s city wall carry weapons to defend themselves during the rebuilding.
  

There are many more examples in the Old Testament, with a wide variety of scenarios and many unique resolutions. The subject of warfare is very complex and each situation needs to be considered carefully. Therefore, when faced with adversity, wisdom needs to be applied.

An Eye For An Eye

Even with the Old Testament of the Bible showing support for martial arts training, some might argue that the God of the Old Testament is different than the God of the New Testament that God s position on warfare changed when Jesus came on the scene. It might be said that the God of the Old Testament was about war and the God of the New Testament is about peace.

The Bible, however, does not support this. James 1:17 says that God does not change, and Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus Christ [God] is the same yesterday, today and forever. Therefore, the God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament. As we continue to study this topic, we will see that the New Testament also discusses self-defense and the idea of martial arts.

Matthew 5:38-42, in which Jesus talks about an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth , has been used to condemn martial arts. It reads, You have heard that it was said, Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. At first glance this passage seems to be advocating a reversal of the Old Testament laws. I was swayed by this argument myself, and was torn in my own convictions for some time. But when I finally decided to dig deeper into the Bible, I was amazed and encouraged to find some answers.

Many people who want to obey the Bible simply gloss over this scripture, like I did, because they are torn between what they think the Bible says and their consciences telling them to prepare for warfare and to protect.

The truth is that Jesus never intended to abolish the Old Testament laws. He only intended to clarify them, to reinforce them, fulfill them, and reveal God s heart behind them. This is what Jesus says just moments earlier in Matthew 5:17: Do not think that I have come to abolish the [Old Testament] Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. When Jesus speaks about turning the other cheek , in Matthew 5, he is referring to the Old Testament Mosaic laws found in Exodus 21, 22 and 23. These chapters in Exodus contain the laws God gave to his people, which reinforce and further detail the famous ten commandments . Jesus is specifically referring to Exodus 21:22 where God explains what punishment should be given if men are fighting and an innocent by-stander is harmed (in this instance, a pregnant woman). This is not a scripture about self-defense but about restitution and punishment for a crime. Jesus referred to this scripture because the people, in religious self-righteousness, were using this particular scripture to justify retaliation and vengeance. An eye for an eye had become an excuse to be intolerant and merciless toward one another. A closer look at the act of aggression that Jesus refers to as a strike on the cheek, will reveal that he is talking about an insult rather than a fighting fist. The word strike is translated from the Greek word rhapizo which is used interchangeably with the word slap . In the Jewish culture (as in many other cultures), a slap in the face was a form of humiliation or rebuke. It was not necessarily a physical attack and was not meant to result in physical harm. Even Exodus 21:21 (regarding an eye for an eye ) says that if, as a result of a conflict, a pregnant by-stander is forced to give birth pre-maturely but there is no serious injury to the woman or the baby, an eye for an eye should not be applied as a punishment. Jesus is confirming that this Old Testament law regarding punishment is not to be used as an excuse for retaliation when inconvenienced or insulted. Jesus is exposing the heart of man and is further clarifying the Old Testament Law. God s desire is that we don t retaliate but rather that we restrain our emotions in the heat of conflict and maintain righteousness and mercifulness. We are not to pounce on our adversary at the first sign that we have been offended. The ultimate goal of God is to win over the offender, help him to see God s mercy and institute a change of heart in the offender (see 2 Peter 3:9-15 and Luke 9:51-56 for further study).

Guidelines For Martial Arts

The Bible provides some guidelines for practicing self-defense and martial arts as it aims to clarify what is and is not acceptable in the face of conflict. II Timothy 3:16-17 says, All Scripture [the Bible] is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. I Corinthians 13:7 says, [Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres . Using the Bible as a guide, a person can become thoroughly equipped to be a protector.

Permanent injury or death can occur as a result of practicing martial arts. This does not make martial arts unacceptable to God but God clarifies what is and is not acceptable in regard to deadly force in various situations. For example, Exodus 21:12-14 says that if a person is killed unintentionally, the killer is not guilty of murder. If it is intentional, the killer is to be sentenced to death. Exodus 21:18-19 says that if men are quarreling and one strikes the other and injures him seriously but not permanently (even with a weapon), he is responsible only to compensate the injured man for loss of time and medical expenses. I point out these scriptures to show that God is concerned with the attacker s and the defender s intentions as well as the outcome of the conflict. We cannot simply say that anyone who harms or kills another man is guilty and has committed a sin. It depends on his intentions. Also, we see that using extreme force, or even a weapon may be acceptable if it is used in a way as to not intentionally inflict permanent damage.

The Bible refers to another situation in which self-defense may be used during a robbery, in Exodus 22:2-3. If a man is being robbed, he is entitled to protect his property, his family and himself. If the attempted robbery takes place at night and the actions of self-defense result in the death of the robber, the defender is not guilty. If the attempted robbery takes place in the daytime and the robber is killed, the defender is guilty of sin. The difference may be that in the daytime, the defender should have more control of his actions and should be able to subdue the robber without killing him. Self-defense is warranted but control must be applied. At night, in the dark, maximum force would be acceptable since it is more difficult to assess the threat that the robber poses. It would be more difficult to tell if the attacker had a weapon, or to assess his physical strength.

God expects us to constantly make decisions about the situations we are in. In regard to martial arts and self-defense, it seems that God is concerned with our intentions. Guilt and innocence, to him, are a matter of the heart. God expects us to be directed by the heart of the scriptures in the Bible. We must be directed in our actions by scriptures such as Deuteronomy 5:17, which says, You shall not murder as well as I Corinthians 13:7 which says, [Love] always protects . As the Bible states in II Timothy 3:16-17, all Bible scripture is relevant and useful. During one of my martial arts classes, one of my fellow students asked our sensei, What attack should I make now? He had just finished practicing a series of intense self-defense tactics on his partner, rendering him harmless. Sensei replied, Run . No final kill-move ? No, it is time to make another decision about the threat the attacker poses. If the attacker has been successfully rendered harmless then you shouldn t stick around to inflict more damage or further risk your own safety. The Bible gives us specific guidelines for martial arts but God also communicates his heart about how he wants us to treat one another. He wants us to treat one another with love even in conflict.

Weapons

I have also wrestled with the question of whether or not it was right for weapons to be used as a means of defense. Should I own a fighting knife, a sword or a gun? Isaiah 2:4 says, They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. If this scripture were taken out of context with the rest of the Bible, to use a weapon would be a sin. But this scripture has to be balanced with others. In the context, this scripture is describing the contrast between the nations of that time and the type of nation Jesus would establish in the future. The nation that Jesus would establish would have no military and there would be no physical walls to defend. It would be a spiritual nation, not a physical one.

The New Testament clearly confirms the right to bear arms. Romans 13:4 says, For [the governing authority] is God s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Even Jesus directs his disciples to acquire weapons as the time of his crucifixion approached. Luke 22:36 says, He said to them, But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. And in Luke 22:38, The disciples said, See Lord, here are two swords. That is enough, he replied. Peter soon after uses the sword to protect Jesus and Jesus rebukes him for it. This was not to say that it is wrong to use a weapon to protect someone. Peter had earlier been rebuked by Jesus for trying to keep him from fulfilling his mission of dying for the sins of the world (see Matthew 16:21-28). Jesus was re-stating that Peter was not to protect Jesus from going to his death. This was not the correct time to use the sword. Jesus had his disciples arm themselves because Jesus was not going to be with them, physically, any longer. They would need to protect themselves and each other and Jesus gave them the right to bear arms in order to do so.

Martial Arts Is Not Religion

It is important to note that martial arts is not religion in that it is not an institute of service and worship of God. It is only a tool to accomplish a necessary training. There will be flaws in all martial arts training and even things taught that are contradictory to the Bible. This will happen even when the martial arts style or system is advocating biblical-based training. Romans 3:4 says, Let God be true and every man a liar. My son was recently taught by an instructor during class to avoid talking about politics and religion in order to avoid conflict. Though I appreciate the effort made to train the kids to keep the peace, the concept is biblically flawed. I spent the next week teaching Bible scriptures to my son such as Acts 4, Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God s sight to obey [man] rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard. It is each person s responsibility as a Christian to know what the Bible teaches. Even in Acts 17:10-11, when the apostle Paul taught the people of Berea, the Bereans were honored by God for having a noble character because, they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Each of us has the same responsibility to examine the scriptures to see if what we are being taught is true, whether it be a teaching from our martial arts instructor, school teacher, neighbor, or religious leader.

Conclusion

Martial arts training has its place. It can help people learn to deal with the inevitable conflicts in life. There is no escaping battle in life. God wants people to be prepared to handle these battles, whether it is to turn the other cheek to an insult, find a peaceful resolution, or physically defend themselves or others. Martial arts and self-defense are not sinful or inherently wrong, but without the guidance of God and the Bible, martial arts could be misapplied. Without proper biblical training we are left to our own sinful nature, which tends toward retaliation, haste, fear, hatred, pacifism, and intolerance. Martial arts is a biblical concept, but even more attention should be given to biblical training. The Bible should be used in conjunction with martial arts training. In conclusion, I Timothy 4:7-8, which says, Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

Tom Katch, Christian and martial artist. CEO of Kataaro – Quality martial arts uniforms and custom embroidery and screen printing at http://www.kataaro.com. Translations are available in Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

tomkatch@kataaro.com

This is the single, most asked question I get asked via email and in person. My answer is always: “what are you trying to achieve and what style interests you”? The answers to that question is what I begin to formulate my response to address. “It’s all good”, is an expression I hear around martial arts training halls, seminars, tournaments and elsewhere. It doesn’t work for me. I have seen too many bastardized styles based on other systems, combinations of systems, and just plain B.S. “home made”, “smoke and mirrors” styles where the Chief Instructor was a Green Belt (in reality) and put his salesman’s skills, together with his limited understanding of a credible style, and then promptly awards himself a 10th Dan and makes up a laughable name for it. These are always a major hoot but our “good manners” prevent us from laughing, since the unwitting students love and believe in their Grandmaster “O Sensei B.S.er”. They are not to blame.

Quite honestly, the choice of a martial arts system is a daunting task. If you want to hook up with practitioners who will be able to instruct you in techniques, train your body, and speak into your life – you want to be sure. I believe that the student lends himself more readily to certain styles more than others. Stocky, stiff jointed types would probably hate Tae Kwon Do, but a flexible, lanky, body type might excel at it. The stocky, less flexible type might do better with Shotokan or an Okinawan martial art, which don’t focus on aerial spinning kicks but rather, deliberate and punishing punches and kicks, on a lower line. I had an old Shorin Ryu (Okinawan karate) teacher who was tough as nails, but couldn’t kick any higher than your waist. He used to mention that he didn’t need to kick higher, to kick you in the face. He’d always laughingly say “I’ll kick you in the stomach and when you bend over, then I’ll kick you in the head”. Strange, but oh how true!

My recommendations are to DO YOUR HOMEWORK, you will want to stay for a few years or maybe longer, so go to several schools. Make these schools a good cross section of martial arts. Check out a few styles of Karate, a few Kung Fu, some grappling schools, and whatever else that may be available in your area. All will let you observe the class and give you access to the Sensei (head instructor) of the school. Most will offer some kind of “sign up” special, like a month free or a few free classes. This gives you a great opportunity to see what you will be doing, meet the teacher, assess the skills of the students attending, and help you decide if you want to invest a lot of time and energy (never mind the monthly fees) at this training hall. If you can line up about 6 or more schools of different martial arts styles, with different focuses and faithfully check them all out – WITHOUT JOINING – you will have a pretty solid idea of which one best suits your physical structure, your attitude, and your goals. Choose thoughtfully and carefully, because if you aren’t having fun in your martial arts classes, as in anything, you will soon fall by the wayside – frustrated! Better to just go out and buy one of the high power stun batons on the market and crack open a brew, than spend a year in a martial arts style that you are not suited for.

Good luck in your pursuit of the unattainable Grasshoppers – choose well!

About the author:

Tom Fredrick is an accomplished martial arts practitioner with over 30 yrs. of active training and teaching Okinawan Karate, Yang Tai Chi Chuan, and Escrima. He served in the USMC, and has also worked in law enforcement, undercover airport security, and as a personal bodyguard.

Martial arts have been practiced for many years. It can be dated as far back as 2500 years ago in the Zhou Dynasty. Here, students would master the Six Arts which including rites, calligraphy, mathematics, charioteering, archery and music.

The systems that are used within martial arts are quite varied. Here are some of the various focuses of them.

* Kicking which can be found in Tae kwon do, Capoeira and tantui. * Striking which is a main element and is found in karate, Wing Chun, Bando and Southern Praying Mantis. * Weapons. In some forms such as Iaido, Kendo, Fencing, and Bojutsu, there is the use of old style weaponry. * Grappling and throwing are also evident. Here they are used in such forms as wrestling, Judo, Shuai Jiao, Sambo, Naban, and Qin Na.

Most individuals that study martial arts will study several or many of these different areas of combat. Other forms such as those that come from traditional Chinese arts teach more including acupuncture, acupressure and bone setting as part of the study of traditional Chinese Medicine.

Today, martial arts are quite misunderstood. Many have seen it done on television in various movies and have come to think of it as just a style of fighting. But, there is much more to it than that. It is not only in the combat element that martial arts are quite powerful, but also in the element of self control and character building. Many parents allow children who misbehave to take classes not to teach them to fight, but to teach them control.

About the author:

This article was written by T.Potter. You can visit Genuine Martial Arts for further information and martial arts resources.

It is possible, however, to assess the effectiveness of a martial art that claims to be successful at teaching a particular fighting discipline. Examples of this are systems that focus on use of a particular weapon, unarmed combat with two fighters, escaping harm, defending yourself against multiple attackers, and more. The particular goal of that martial art can be used as a lens through which to assess its effectiveness in comparison with another system with a similar goal. If, for instance, there are two fighting systems that include hand to hand fighting, they can agree on a set of rules and engage in sparring to assess the best fighter in that moment. The Ultimate Fighting Championship in the United States during the 1990s is an example of a major tournament that allowed participants from various disciplines to complete under a limited set of rules to help answer the question of which fighting system was most effective. The rise of mixed martial arts has led to an increase in other organizations similar to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Modern martial arts cross training is often referred to as mixed martial arts, or MMA. The practitioners of this form of training believe that they will become better fighters by becoming competent in a wide variety of techniques and disciplines. This increased popularity in mixed martial arts training has led to an increased emphasis on fights between individuals rather than against competing systems in tournaments such as the UFC and Pride Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts allow students to incorporate a wide variety of techniques into their personal training regimens, as well as providing a form of sport competition with organization-specific rules. There are many complicated modern fighting styles, ground and pound and “sprawl-and-brawl” for example, which incorporate a wide variety of styles including wrestling, boxing, jujutsu, and Muay Thai.

About The Author

Steven Gregoire has been training in the martial arts since 1986. Currently he operates Tigerstrike.com, a martial art equipment and supply store.

stevengregoire@earthlink.net

Types and features of fighting include: long- and short-range unarmed fighting, armed fighting, grappling, the use of pressure points, self-cultivation, single- and multiple-opponent fighting, fighting without injuring the opponent, and avoidance of fighting.

In long-range unarmed fighting, participants have time to react to visual stimuli, which allows the execution of both powerful strikes as well as subtle feints. In short-range unarmed fighting, practitioners must react quickly to tactile stimuli. Feints are difficult to do, as speed and reflex assume importance.

When using grappling techniques, leverage and physical strength are important. Participants wrestle each other to gain submission of the other or find a weak spot for striking. At this range, pinching, biting, and spitting may also be used if not forbidden by the rules.

In armed fighting, the reach of the practitioner is increased and strikes are more destructive. Each weapon and range has its own techniques, and several weapons are generally studied. For efficiency and simplification, a well-designed teaching system will emphasize similarities in technique.

Incorporating the knowledge of pressure points can increase the effective use of traditional techniques and add a new range of options. When striking the body, for example, the target point can be chosen to bring about a specific effect.

Self-cultivation techniques enhance moral, emotional, and physical development. Some martial arts schools have character development as a main goal. Acquiring skill in a martial art form takes patience, dedication, and persistence, all of which benefit the practitioner in developing strength of character. A school focusing on self-cultivation emphasizes techniques and training that encourage and support this development.

Traditional duels and modern sparring matches consist of single-opponent fighting. Expert fighters are pitted against each other and must follow a definite set of rules in fighting until one is declared the victor. In this type of fighting, footwork can be simplified, as quick turns are rarely needed. In such matches, opponents tend to be equals in skill.

Some martial arts systems, especially those that focus on basic self-defense, teach avoidance of fighting altogether. Techniques include instruction on how to become aware of potentially violent confrontations and situations, defuse them before they arise, and de-escalate them if they occur. In these systems, fighting would be engaged in as a last resort when it is unavoidable.

About the author:

Steven Gregoire has been training in the martial arts since 1986. Currently he operates Tigerstrike.com A martial art equipment and supply store.