As far as I know we are currently the only martial arts school to break kids classes into as many age groups as we do.  A lot of schools seem to run a kids group and an adult group.  A decent number of them split the kids into 2 groups and a small handful go with 3 age groups.

We do 4, and would not want to go back to fewer again. Grouping kids in big age groups like 3-6 year olds is crazy IMO, you can’t put a 3 year old who is still a year or 2 away from kindergarten and put them in the same class and teach the same way with a grade 1 student.  The younger ones will get frustrated
because it’s not age appropriate and the older ones will get bored for the same reasons.

Kids and Martial Arts go together, at pretty much any age.  But it needs to be structured in a way that is appropriate for that age group.

Our kids groups are 3-4 year olds, 5-7 year olds, 8-10 year olds and 11-14 year olds.  And within those different age groups we teac
h different curriculum.  Well, it’s the same curriculum, but it is taught in different ways and structured for the age group.  A take down for a 3-4 year old, even the same takedown, should be taught, trained and drilled very different for that 3-4 year old then a teen or adult should be doing.

One thing to remember is that most of the “big” styles where brought back by soldiers from overseas.  A lot of the training methods where designed to teach soldiers.  When we hear instructors saying they can’t teach young kids martial arts thats why, they are trying to teach them in a way that doesn’t make sense for their age.

We enjoy all of our age groups, and the progress made at all ages is amazing.

For more information on our kids programs please check this page:  http://www.innovativema.ca/kids-programs/