Best Martial Art for Children

What's the best martial art for kids?

It's a constant debate both within as well as out side of the martial arts community which art is best suitable for teaching kids martial arts.

Most of the times you will be recommended arts like karate, taekwondo, judo, aikido and ju jitsu (or jiu-jitsu). One example is this latest post from scifighting.com. And to be frank, there is absolutely nothing wrong with listing or recommending certain arts like this - we can certainly all agree that these 5 chosen arts (or 6 arts, depending on your point of view) can be absolutely great for children of all ages.

Are you picking an art or a school?

The way I see it, there is something vital missing in the approach of picking an art (or several arts) and stating that "these are the best martial arts for kids!". It is a general statement that may, or may not be true.

The point is that you may have a perfectly suitable art being taught in a way that is not at all beneficial to your child or even children in general. To me, the teacher and the whole environment at the martial arts academy/school/club is absolutely pivotal.

I will argue until my last breath that almost ANY serious martial art can be perfect for a child as long as it is taught the right way - adopted to children in a safe and caring environment.

Agree or disagree? Feel free to comment!

Best Martial Arts for Kids?

Rowdy Passenger Treated to Judo Throw

Japan -- Oh how sweet it is to see this rowdy male passenger being treated to a well deserved ippon seoi nage shoulder throw - by a female employee no less! Just frickin' sweet.

Apparently the employee was punched by the passenger when the 34-year-old man refused to pay full price for a train fare.

The woman tossed the man to the floor in self-defense and had police arrest the idiot. Serves him well, and kudos to the judoka!

Read more here: http://kotaku.com/female-train-station-employee-judo-flips-violent-male-p-1220258840

Confuse-Us Speaks #27

A yes... our very own old Grandmaster of martial arts weirdness, Confuse-Us, is back with another edition of stage diving into the mixed-up world of martial arts lunacy!

Confucius - Illustration image from fotopedia.com/Google

This time he's found a piece from timesofindia.indiatimes.com, where you will find some (let's called them) "rather interesting" bits and pieces of information.

According to Devadanam, Aikido or mixed martial arts is the best form of self-defence and is generally taught to commandos of special forces.
Sailesh Varma of Association of Mixed Martial Arts India said, "Aikido is an effective self-defence technique that focuses on dislocation of joints and nerve points. On mixed martial arts, Varma said that it was a combination of several martial arts such as Judo, Aikido, Muay Thai and Karate.

Okidoki - It really is good finally to be informed about aikido! Being obviously uninformed, I thought (silly me) that aikido was something totally different. I guess it just goes to prove how little I actually know...

And that aikido is being a part of MMA ... wow, who would have known! These sneaky folks are good to keeping that a secret for so long. Most be some ninja activities for sure.

Or could it simply be that the good folks - here a martial arts instructor - of India knows something which has simply passed the rest of the world by?

Anger in Aikido

Anger in aikido? Image from Wikipedia.org

What are we suggesting here ... anger in aikido? The art of peace, harmony and humanity? Noooh, say it ain't so!

What would O-Sensei say if this was even remotely true?

These nice folks in hakama are supposed to be the very embodiment of cool and tranquility - no room for primal anger or aggression here mate!

We'll it appears that at least one aikidoka takes it very personal that someone dare claim that his hero, non other than movie star Steven Seagal, has been choked out by a "simple" judoka, an old school hard man in the form of Judo Gene LeBell.

True or untrue - keep smiling, and read more about it here.

The Suck-Factor in Traditional Martial Arts

Traditional martial arts sucks? From Flickr.

I'm sure you have heard a number of times how the suck-factor in traditional martial arts (TMA) can be very high?

It goes without saying that such statements in general comes from the people who don't do TMA, or who have done some bullshido/McDojo variety of it before - typically when they were children.

Those of us who find it very meaningful to do the more traditional arts like karate, taekwondo, judo and ju-jitsu, knows that there are lots of benefits associated with this type of training. Also, it should be quite self-explanatory that not everyone aim at being MMA fighters, or train the latest and greatest "street-approved combat style of self-defense.

That's all well and fine, but there still may be some elements of truth about the suck-factor in traditional martial arts. It appears that this is more than anything a problem in the USA, and you can read more about it here.

No Olympic MMA

No Olympic MMA - From Flickr.com

Whether you find it OK/fine, or you really get mad at the idea, here's the thing: There will be no Olympic MMA - or Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) for that matter.

Let me rephrase that a little bit before the hard-core mixed martial arts fans gets a full-blown seizure ... these sports will not be included in any foreseeable future.

Sure, the current fighting arts in the Olympic games are about as exiting to watch as drying paint - in other words extremely boring unless you're into that particular art/sport.

And sure enough, MMA is - whether we like it or not - a massive force to be reckoned with on the combat sports arena. It's action packed and intriguing in ways that say taekwondo or judo can never be.

Still, the chances that MMA - or other sports like BJJ - will be a part of the Olympic family any time soon is close to zero.

And no, I'm not the one saying so. I love BJJ (been doing it myself for some time) and I can't see why a modified version of MMA shouldn't be made to fit the Olympic program. There are others - people with more knowledge than me who says so.

Read more about it here.

Coach Allegedly Assaulted Boys

 Old painting - Illustration from Wikipedia

Police in Taiwan reports that at least 12 boys have been assaulted sexually by a trainer teaching judo and softball at local schools.

The man, called "Daddy Hu", allegedly also claims to be a pastor. He is believed to have targeted victims from impoverished families.

Below is an excerpt of the original article from sundaytimes.lk.

Coach allegedly assaulted boys

A Taiwanese man who coached softball and judo at schools has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting at least 12 boys, police said Tuesday.
The man, identified only by his surname Hu, was taken into custody late Monday after the parents of some of the boys discovered obscene messages on his Facebook page and turned him in, police said.
Hu, who also claimed to be a pastor and was nicknamed “Daddy Hu” by some students, was suspected of sexually assaulting at least a dozen boys in several elementary and junior high schools in Taipei, an initial probe found.

Judo Serial Killer

Judo throw - Illustration from Flickr.com

Before anything else, remember to visit our newest martial arts news related site Best Martial Arts News.

You will find more news on that new site, while we'll of course also continue to maintain this blog here ... albeit somewhat less regularly.

The case about the judo serial killer is from latino.foxnews.com and it's about a judo champion who's being accused of strangling 5 people to death in Honduras.

A judo serial killer

A martial arts expert who has been a fugitive from justice since May 2010 and is accused of strangling five people was arrested by Honduran police, authorities said Tuesday.
The spokesman for the prosecutor's office, Melvin Duarte, told Efe that Gandhi Espinal Raudales was arrested several days ago.

Don't know about you, but a judo champ who allegedly strangle people to death is a chilling thought indeed. What's your thoughts in this matter? Remember to comment below!

No Headbutts in Judo!

Eric Joyce - from Wikipedia.org

No ifs or buts - there are definitely no headbutts in judo!

These attacks may be allowed in a political judo fracas - although I doubt that very much. In a drunken pub brawl, on the other hand...

It appears that a British MP (Member of Parliament)  have gone gung ho, or berserk as it has also been described, in a well-known London bar reserved parliament members and their guests.

Here's what the British dailystar.co.uk has to say about the rough and tumble political action:

Former squaddie and Judo fighter Joyce, 51, faces a court hearing after he was accused of launching a vicious fight in a House of Commons bar.He allegedly yelled “This place is full of f***ing Tories” before shoving Mr Percy against a wall and headbutting Conservative MP Stuart Andrew, 40.
Joyce is also said to have punched Tory Alec Shelbrooke, 36, and MP Phil Wilson, 52 – who is one of his fellow Labour colleagues.

Can we assume that there was alcohol involved in this brawl? In any case guys, there are no headbutts in judo - political or otherwise ... even if you've had a glass or two and really hates you opponent.

Judoka Disqualified

Judo randori - Illustration, Wikipedia

A Georgian judoka and Olympic champion have reportedly been disqualified after positive doping tests.

This is according to news.az.

Georgian wrestler, Olympic Champion Irakli Tsirekidze will face a three-month disqualification due to the results of the special analysis, which revealed stimulant drugs in his blood.
To avoid any inaccuracy in the tests, it was repeated with a few months interval and in both cases the analysis confirmed that Tsirekidze had a prohibited substance in his blood.

Judoka Stealing Toothpaste?

Toothpaste - Illustration from Wikipedia

Judoka stealing toothpaste? really?

To put it mildly, this seems like a really stupid things to do when you risk losing participation in a major event like the 2012 Olympics.

It is so stupid, that I may be tempted to believe there is something else going on here than an urgent need of toothpaste. Haaretz.com reports.

Israeli judoka Soso Palelashvili was arrested Friday on suspicion of stealing toothpaste from a grocery store in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Israeli judo officials immediately decided to ban Palelashvili from competing in the Dusseldorf Judo Grand Prix, putting a serious dent in his hopes of reaching the 2012 London Olympic Games.

What's your opinion of this? Seems rather strange, right? Apparently a troublemaker, but this is strange.

Excellent Judo Newaza

When I see brilliant and fun newaza (judo ground technique) executed like this in a fight, it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Simply amazing!

Judo Instructor, 71, Arrested

Canada -- Believing there may be more victims, police have arrested and charged a 71-year-old judo instructor with sexually assaulting a female student on a number of occasions, according to thestar.com.

Police in Toronto allege the man sexually assaulted the student, a teenager at the time, at the judo club from the mid-1980s until the early 1990s.

Judo Instructor Guilty

Even though a staggering number of complaints have emerged for years regarding dangerous teaching activities in Japanese school judo - nothing has apparently come out of it ... until now. Here's an article from google.com (feel free to comment below):

Japan -- A Japanese court on Wednesday found a martial arts instructor guilty over the death of a six-year-old boy, a court official said, in the first criminal case over judo training in Japan.

The Osaka District Court found the instructor guilty of causing the boy's death by repeatedly slamming him to the floor during training, ordering the defendant to pay a fine of one million yen ($13,000), the official said.

It is the first criminal case filed by Japanese prosecutors against judo trainers, according to a victims' group, despite over 100 child deaths blamed on harsh training or hazing between 1983 and 2010.

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Have your say about these judo related injuries and deaths in the comment field below. It appears this has to do mainly with inexperienced instructors and teachers. What's your point of view?

Cage Fight and Children?

Dailymail.co.uk and other ill informed British newspapers have been all over a "shocking" revelation of children doing "cage fighting" recently.

All though there are some things that were not good decisions about the two young lads fighting, one really has to wonder if the sensation seeking press has totally lost their collective marble...

Yes, the fight was held inside a one of the cages used for cage fighting, and yes it was during an MMA event. But had the half-wits of the press done any basic research they would have discovered that A. this was not an MMA fight, and B. not a "cage fight".

In fact it was nothing worse than a regular wrestling, grappling, judo or BJJ (Brazilian jiu-jitsu) match - something children all over the world are doing with great success day in and day out.

Yes, the setting and arrangement around this "cage match" should definitely not been handled the way it turned out. But one should also hope that the nitwit press representatives and the sensation seekers (some of which probably want children to wear a helmet indoors to avoid being hurt - poor things...) could refrain from talking about things of which they have absolutely no frigging clue what so ever.

Am I a great fan of young children fighting? Nope. How about MMA? I do find some parts of that questionable as well. Still I do find passages like the ones below (from said newspaper) very offensive and totally laughable really:

"The spectacle of grown men punching the life out of each other in public was stomach-churning enough. But the behaviour of the crowd as two young schoolboys were led into the cage set up in the centre of the dingy room, was sickening to the extreme."

"As the boys began to pummel each other into submission, the baying chants of the 450 adults could be heard in the streets beyond."

For your information - this was a grappling match - no punches or kicks to be seen anywhere...

"Footage of that awful fight, which had all the aggressive hallmarks of a backstreet brawl, provoked a wave of outrage this week when it surfaced on the internet."

"(...)But the British Medical Association (BMA), the NSPCC and the charity Safechild have all reacted with fury, branding the spectacle 'disturbing and sick'. They are calling for a police and social services investigation. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has also condemned the 'sport' as 'barbaric'."

Let's hear it - what's your take on these ill-informed representatives and sensation seekers of the press? Are there any hopes of educating reporters about what martial arts is about, and finally - what's your take on MMA fights and children fighting in particular?

Feel free to comment below.

Confuse-Us Speaks #25

Canada -- There are a couple of good points to this 'Buyer Beware' post; like doing your homework and conducting at least some basic background information check-ups before signing up for martial arts training.

But the rest... my, oh my what a dribble! Where do people find all this nonsense which they then present as "the truth" about the various arts. OK, I'll admit it, I'm at least partially inclined to agree about the ninjitsu claims here.

Still, I'm not sure if I want to laugh or cry regarding the so called explanations about ju jitsu, judo and ninjitsu. Dear, of dear what a mess...

"Translated from Japanese ju jitsu is called 'the gentler way' while judo is called 'the gentle way.'" Master Confuse-Us is clapping his hands in amazement and approval! Just brilliant :-)

Judo Worries Parents

Japan -- From 2012, martial arts such as judo will be compulsory in schools across the country, according to english.aljazeera.net.

The program will help preserve the country's national sport of judo according to Japanese government officials, and for people who love all martial arts like we do, it comes as an apparently great decision.

However, many Japanese parents and also experts are voicing their concern - something which is understandable from the following numbers.

It is shown that 114 students have died (it is even said at least that number) and another 261 have been seriously injured while practicing the sport in school over the last 30 years, a number which is claimed to be five times higher than those shown in other large sports.

Is judo a dangerous sport? Of course not. Under safe guidance and qualified instruction it is way less dangerous than most other sports. If you take a country like France, where judo is a huge sport, there has been no reported deaths among children practicing the sport.

The point here is rather that you have no safety instructions in the Japanese school judo as well as non qualified, highly inexperienced teachers/instructors. Some of them apparently have been given just a basic three days of training before being set to teach children judo.

Combine that with a (Japanese judo) sports culture that is said to celebrate toughness, and you may have yourself an unfortunate road to more serious incidents.

Looting Star

Update, September 8:
And just when you thought this case couldn't get any more bizarre, along comes one of these "but wait - there's more" moments...

Turns out this nitwit teenager judoka wasn't a British national team member at all. A member of a judo club yes, but allegedly miles away from any Olympics any day.

How in the name of Jigoro Kano could this idiot think he could get away with such an obvious lie in the long run? Dang, there are some really strange martial arts people out there!

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Update, September 7:
The judo teenager has been sentenced to 8 month in a juvenile detention facility. Talk about stupid...

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UK -- A 17-year-old member of the British judo team could possibly be facing a jail sentence after he has admitted to burglary and handling stolen goods during the recent riots in Manchester.

The teenager, who was described by a court judge as "(...) a bright boy with a bright future ahead of you." was reportedly found by police with his pockets full of cigarettes and stolen jewelry on August 9.

One really has to wonder how "bright" this lad is (even for a teenager) if he chooses to jeopardize his whole future like this...

Fukuda Sensei, 10th Dan

California -- Please forget the absurd nonsense of 9-, 15- or 20-year-old "experts" or "masters". Yes, the kids are great and cute and all that, but lets get real. Being a true master or expert takes a life of dedication to an art.

It definitely involves more than being able to perform intricate patterns, kick high, win medals or being handed belts like candy.

One such true master, expert and legend is Keiko Fukuda sensei from San Francisco, who recently received the highest honor of judo. At the age of 98, she has been awarded the ultimate rank of 10th dan. Bravo and congratulations Fukuda sensei!

She is the first woman ever to be promoted to this rank. Not only that, there are just three people before her, all Japanese men, who have reached that level.

Fukuda sensei still teaches at the women's dojo in Noe Valley, and she was reportedly in tears when she was brought the news.

"All my life," Fukuda sensei said, "this has been my dream."

Confuse-Us Speaks #24

OK ninjabbers ... time for an other complete martial arts comment fail, something master Confuse-Us would be proud of; nay, scrap that, he would probably be sobbing silently.

Today's entry: "The judo kick"... Yes, you got that right. We all know about the famous (and totally lethal) judo chop. But a judo kick? I guess that's more like "toetally" lethal?

Anyhow, apparently gullible reporters from gacksports.com talks about the first time ever judo kick. Allegedly delivered during a soccer match in Brazil. Sure, we know that the sport of soccer is a full contact blood sport and all that, but a judo kick...? Quadruple wow!

In all fairness, the fantasy land reporters states: "It's not often that you see someone judo-kick someone in the back of the head". Spot on guys, spot on. Could it be because judo don't involve kicking? Just saying...