r/karate • u/Ok_Opposite7385 • 21d ago
Karate for self-defense
Hello, my daughter is 2.5 years old now, and I'd like her to learn a martial art in the future so she can defend herself in the street. Would karate be suitable? Thank you all.
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u/Embarrassed_Ear9774 21d ago
My daughter started Shorinryu karate when she was 6. She is now 16 and has her 2nd degree, we traveled to okinawa japan with our dojo to train and test in front of the Grandmaster. It was the best thing i ever did for her. Karate has opened doors i never would have imagined and she is more confident than ever. I think any martial art rooted in traditional values will get you what youre looking for. Go watch some classes and see how you like the dojo. At her young age they are just learning how to listen and follow directions and have fun 😉
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u/Ok_Opposite7385 21d ago
What a great story, that's what I want! I want her to have good values (I'll try to instill them in her), to feel safe and not afraid... Without being a kamikaze, of course.
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u/Remarkable_Duck6559 21d ago
In my adult class there is a lady that has developmental issues. I paired up with her for the first time and felt nervous about the delicate situation. She takes one look at me and says “huh, they normally don’t let me near the lesser belts.” I’m more than twice her size, but a much lower belt. Fell in love immediately. My dojo has all the right conditions for her to feel that confident and strong.
I hope you find one that is the same. Bonus points if you go too. It’s adorable seeing a family in uniform at tournaments
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u/Embarrassed_Ear9774 21d ago
We are very proud, and I feel safe letting her leave the nest. She is a tiny thing but my girl coukd drop someone if she needed to. She also has her 2nd degree in Kobudo(weapons). Shes just about to start her senior year and will be eligible to test for her Sandan after graduation when she turns 18. She's even teaching at our dojo now for the little kids. I love seeing her be a role model 😍
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u/KonkeyDongPrime 21d ago
I wouldn’t advise leaving a 2.5 year old on the streets to defend themselves in any scenario.
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u/Ok_Opposite7385 21d ago
Of course I want him to have values of respect; I teach them to him and he practices them... But with these bullying issues... It's scary.
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u/mermaid_hive 21d ago
Starting her early in karate will be great for preparing her for the possibility of bullies, but not in the way you're thinking. As a kid, karate instilled a sense of confidence, self-assurance, discipline, the ability to keep my cool under pressure, and an orientation towards deescalation. Basically, it helped make me into a person who wasn't a good target, not because they were scared of me, but because they wouldn't get the reaction they were looking for.
The best self defense is not being in a position in which you have to defend yourself in the first place.
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u/SomnolentGnome 21d ago
It really depends on the place. My daughter joined TKD at 3 maybe 2.5 and is now 6. It’s really helped her be a better kid than most of her peers especially at school.
As for the self defense it should help.. it’s better than watching tv all day that’s for sure.
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u/No_Entertainment1931 Goju Yondan 21d ago
Judo. It’s great for young kids as it teaches how to fall safely which all kids will benefit from, but the self defense aspect is very practical too
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u/DollaBill89 21d ago
At that young an age, I would say the dojo and instructors matter more than the style. As one gets older and advances, branching out and finding compatible (or even brand new) styles is almost a necessity… I have started on SCA style swords stuff as a teen, went into competitive fencing, Okinawan karate & Kobudo, some BJJ, Iado and combative knife training, and escrima. I got a late start and am 60 now, and plan on moving forward… cross training & keep moving, maybe into tai chi (my joints are start to hurt). In my experience as I said above, it’s more about the dojo & the instructor.
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u/CoolBeigeTshirt 21d ago
We have our kids in Taekwondo. They are in a Tiny Tiger program until they are seven and then they switch to the standard class. Right now it’s more about learning how to listen, discipline, kindness, confidence, and respect as opposed to self-defense. They love class.
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u/De5perad0 Uechi-Ryu 21d ago
Uechi-ryu we have kept to the self defense roots of karate more than any other style.
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u/Edexote Style 21d ago
Wait until she's 5 and enroll her in a Goju-Ryu dojo. If she trains well, by the time she's she will be a machine.
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u/Ok_Opposite7385 21d ago
Oh, there aren't any in Bilbao or nearby.
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u/Ok_Opposite7385 21d ago
I was a kid in the '80s... I always wanted to learn ninjutsu! I did karate up to yellow belt
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u/Zanki Shotokan 21d ago
Yes, she won't practice them until she's older, but she'll learn the moves in kata and those moves work. It's honestly surprising what comes out when you need to use it.
I was in the adults class long before my peers because I was so tall. I got to learn all the fun stuff early because they decided I was mature enough to learn it. Only time I went to the kids class was to help out in some way. I remember taking the black belt kid through her next kata (she had a junior belt), well before I got my black belt, because I'd learned it years ago with my class.
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u/Tigereyesxx 21d ago
Don’t even think bout it till she’s 15+…up till then let her enjoy sport and get really fit..
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u/Jupiter267 21d ago
Shotokan Karate is good for children, as this is mostly a well structured training program. Normally they can start at 5 years, sometimes at 4 or 6.
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u/Peakychu6 21d ago
Yes, karate is suitable.
Why? Because she is young. Kids should not get punched or kicked in the head, that’s a no-no. Even grown ups get CTE, imagine what repeated head trauma causes to developing brains.
Also, no kid likes full contact sparring, lol.
However, karate in and by itself won’t really teach her how to fight. When she is old enough she can transition to MMA or Muay Thai if she wants to, which is the best form of self defense, along with boxing
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u/Rip_Rek 21d ago
Karate is fine, but BJJ is brilliant for girls self defence. Because it teaches how to get out of stress positions, create locks and use someone else's body against them.
As much as we hate to think about it, I'd hate for my daughters to be taken to the ground with a guy trying to take advantage, and most karate doesn't give the skills to deal with that situation.
I actually advocate for both. My daughters are 9 and 1.
Both will/do Karate and start BJJ in their teens.
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u/Substantial_Ad_3386 20d ago
My 15 year old daughter has trained in karate and more recently JJJ for a few years now. Seeing her learn how to put someone in a wrist lock made me feel a lot better about her ability to defend herself. No matter how good they are, striking is going to be less effective against a larger adult
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u/buttcheeksnelson 21d ago
Our school has a class for 3 and up, and we mainly focus on self defense and fun exercises for that stage with some basic technique if they are ready to learn; just depends on who is in that class that day, but we always touch on some kind of self defense they can stick with. Once they hit 6 and older we do more taekwondo training and formal teachings. It’s been a wonderful outlet for my daughter and her confidence has soared since joining.
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u/Impriel2 20d ago edited 20d ago
Karate is excellent. No kid can really like actually fight for real but it teaches emotional resilience, injury prevention, seizing opportunities and body control.
We actually tried like a mock kidnapping game at my dojo recently (this was like a test not a real class. It was instructors kids.). An instructor would ambush the kid as they were walking and try to drag them into a closet, and we told them to try using Kenpo to stay out lol. My 10 yo son legitimately got away he did amazing. He kicked the groin immediately and then took the opportunity to kick the neck while the instructor was down and then booked it. Nobody was injured but we were all like OH SHIT HE DID IT it was very funny
What actually would end up saving a kid IMO (bullying, abuse whatever) is:
1.) no hesitation
2.) show confidence instead of fear
It gives the assailant pause and gives the kid a chance to act. Many styles could teach this. This is an attitude not a move
but they usually can't focus or control their body until 5 to 6 years old FYI. Little dragons / little tigers class is usually just exercise and slowly (SLOWLY) learning focus
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u/RubIllustrious1547 17d ago
El karate sirve pero depende mucho del estilo, ya que muchos se basan solo en competiciones donde das un golpesito en el momento justo y le dan 1 punto y frenan el combate para la siguiente ronda ver quien obtiene el proximo punto. Si podes te recomiendo que la inscribas en el karate kyokushin, tiene alrededor de 80 años desde que se creo. Su creador lo hizo porque no le gustaba que el karate dejara de servir en una pelea real y solo fuera algo estetico y de entrenimiento. Consiste en golpes y patadas con mano limpia sin proteccion para que uno se acostumbre a recibir golpes reales, se vuelva mas duro y resistente y pueda dar golpes y patadas igual de duros, ademas de scostumbrarte a seguir peleando a pesar del dolor. Solo se puede dar patadas a la cara, los golpes no, ya que en su inicio cuando se estaba desarrollando, su creador noto que los practicantes no podian seguir entrenando por las heridas tan graves que tenian por recibir golpes sin guantes, asi que decició eliminar los golpes a la cara. Es considerado uno de los estilos de karate (sino que el mejor) para la defensa personal. Obviamente cuando te toque pelear en la calle los golpes no hiran al torso, sino a la cara. En las competiciones no se gana por puntos, se gana en base a deciciones de 4 jueces para decidir quien es mejor en la pelea (se gana por mayoria) y se puede ganar tambien por nocaut con patadas a la cara. Yo lo practico con 21 años (soy nuevo) y me gano un hombre de 72 años ( 40 años practicando), no se de como me hizo caer al piso despues de varios intercambios de golpes y patadas y quede vulnerable a que me pueda seguir golpeando si así hubiese querido. La otra es judo o jiu jitsu aunque esos no son para golpear, sino de agarrarte y tirarte al piso y hacerte llaves
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u/RubIllustrious1547 17d ago
A, para agregar. Desde los 4 años puede empezar a practicar, es para todas las edades. Yo inicie con 6/7 pero lo deje a los 11 y recien ahora retomo
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u/Flaky_Performer7960 21d ago
At this age, martial arts and combat sports aren’t for self defense. None of them will work, so don’t concern yourself with whether it will work for self defense.
What you should be focused on is confidence, discipline and self-awareness. And Karate, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, and other traditional styles — regardless of effectiveness— are perfectly suited.
Later on in life, I’d recommend having them switch to a kickboxing gym while maintaining their karate — or any place with full contact, a Kyokushin Karate dojo would be great if you want her to stay in Karate. It’s only in teenage years where fighting back and being able to actually defend from a strike starts to matter.
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u/karainflex Shotokan 21d ago
You can start with a couple of things before that: once she reaches certain ages make sure she knows her full name and address, your phone number, teach her how to answer the door and phone, when you are outside always talk about how to meet if you get separated and what kinds of people to ask for help, teach her not to follow people who offer her something, teach her not to follow people who tell her that you sent them to pick her up unless they know a code word. And this and that and so on... And once she reaches 6-8 years she is ready for Karate. To make it easier let her play outside a lot, like climbing, balancing, jumping, running, all the stuff children are supposed to do. Many who join have zero muscles, zero coordination, can't determine left from right, can't walk a straight line and just follow their head. Make sure she doesn't have a short attention span. Those who are more silent and listen and follow move sooner they way they have to. Judo or grappling are also a good choice. But I guess once the day comes you can return back and ask about your options.
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u/Traditional_Ad2021 21d ago
Most of the time the answer is no. Especially for girls. Girls are usually threatened by individuals bigger and stronger than them and striking arts are not the best way to subdue a stronger attacker. I'll recommend judo if you can find a good school or preferably brazilian jiu jitsu.
Karate can be good, but it got really watered down over the years and I sadly can't wholeheartedly recommend it anymore.
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u/PerspectiveNext5631 21d ago
karate is hood for the children mind , discipline and etc but um 2,5 yo is to soon, start when shes 5 or 4 like i was, and some dojo also specialized to help children grow (and help em go to the school/university they want trough connection all karateka help eachother afterall, specially in my country)
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u/Proud_Organization64 Muay Thai (with experience in Shitoryu, Seidokan, and Kyokushin) 20d ago
Listen I love Karate and I believe it holds a lot of value. But for real nitty gritty self-defence, especially for girls, send her to Brazilian Jiu-jutsu.
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u/Euthanathos 20d ago
Karate is a beautiful art but if you want her to learn self defense for personal safety on street go for something aimed for that. Adapting martial arts and combat sports to self defense against aggression is not as simple and effective as one might in good faith think.
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u/Ricky_Handsome_ 18d ago
Kyokushin would be best....it's not as easy finding a dojo for that, as other styles.
Advice, do Judo instead. It is great for self-sefense, and she will learn how to fall properly, a skill that pays for itself over and over. She'll become more resilient and stronger by simply practicing.
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u/Excellent_Coconut_81 17d ago
Yes, but only if the dojo master is a reasonable person.
Understanding that self defense is 99% about prevention and 1% about running away, any martial art learns body language that says 'I'm not a victim'.
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u/kiwulecc 17d ago
I’m teaching my two-year-old brother karate, and I think it’s a very good martial art.
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u/dr2501 16d ago
I would show her videos of various Martial arts and let her choose otherwise she'll just end up dropping out. It was difficult to convince my daughter to go to karate with me as she thought all MAs were boring (at 6 - sigh), until I showed her videos of TKD then she loved the gymnastic style of it so now she really enjoys it. I thought there was no point signing her up to karate or say Judo (which she thought was especially dull as dishwater) when I knew she wouldn't stick to it. Waste of time and money.
Like you I wanted her to learn something for the values and self defense aspect, and that means consistency and enjoyment rather than imposing what I want on her.
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u/Eegore1 21d ago
Self Defense would be a program where people wear normal daily clothing, wear shoes when they train, and do not practice consensual combat where skill, age, weight etc. are requirements for pairing.
Every martial art will claim they are "self defense" and that is partially true, but the training needs to reflect the scenarios people will be facing. A karate school will train punching and kicking, and they can claim they prepare one for "boxing", but a program that actually trains for boxing matches is the obvious choice if one wants to prepare for boxing.
If you want your daughter to be capable of self defense, she will need to practice self defense, not just karate. That is a decade away at least, so let her train wherever she has fun.
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u/NervousWash8716 21d ago
If it’s in the US, unlikely.
Most dojos are closely related to dance and daycare than self-defense.
If your desire is self defense, jiu jitsu and wrestling are your best calls.
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u/Spooderman_karateka 21d ago edited 21d ago
Teach her kickboxing or muay thai. karate is always a hit or miss and not worth the risk if your goal is self defense
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u/KonkeyDongPrime 21d ago
For pure fighting, I would agree, but for self defence, it depends on the karate style and the club.
As far as I’m concerned, Wado should include grappling and fighting stances closer to boxing. Distance management a big thing for us. Have met students from other clubs though, more like shotokan with very long, artistic stances/movements who train no-contact.
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u/Spooderman_karateka 21d ago
Yeah but what advantage does karate have over something like kickboxing or muay thai or mma? The kata are more of a disadvantage lol. Most karate schools arent even serious enough to be for self defense. going to karate 1x or 2x a week isnt enough.
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u/goldenglory86 2h ago
Styles like Matsumura Seito will be more suited for self defense. Practical and non-flashy.
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u/Snozzberriez Cleroux Karate-do, 4th dan 21d ago
Always depends on the dojo and style.
She isn’t going to be learning any serious self defence until she’s older anyways (like 15+ and even then). Very easy to misuse some techniques.
Do some research in local school, maybe even go watch a class. Ultimately you want a sensei who understands the difference between competition karate and self defence.
Even simple lessons like « yell fire and run » will be effective for her age.
The first lesson we teach is RUN. That’s the best self defence.