Needless to say, the topic on teaching Karate to kids is as broad as it is

deep. Methods and teaching systems vary greatly between teachers,

organizations and cultures which makes it even harder for the
uninitiated to discern what ways are most practically suited for his/her
teaching situation at hand.
Personally, I love teaching kids.
Why? Because:
They are totally open to my wacky ideas (unlike adults, who

sceptically roll their eyes and desperately hold on to their adult dignity
as soon as they feel uncomfortable when theyre taught new things)
They learn quickly (unlike adults, who need everyting meticulously

explained and analyzed again and again in order to process it in their

stiff adult brain centrals)
They ask the best questions (unlike adults, who prefer to keep

quit and be thought a fool, rather than open their mouths and confirm
it)

They love training (unlike adults, who are too scared and insecure
to shut off their regular life for 90 minutes and just enjoy some
goddamn training)

They give you hugs.

And sometimes they punch you in the groin.

But then you get a hug again.

So its totally worth it.

Now, what I thought I would do today is to just give you a general

overview, a brief guide so to speak, on the most important factors you
need to take into account when teaching Karate to kids. And even if you
arent really interested in teaching Karate to kids, I bet youre interested in
learning how your own kids (or future kids!) work both anatomically,
socially and mentally.
In other words, the information contained in this post can (and
should) be applied to more areas than just Karate especially if
you work with kids or are a parent.
You see, as Karate teachers (whether youre a sempai or sensei) we
really should know a thing or two about kids natural development,motor
capability and psychosocial skills. Thus, although all kids are unique (and
therefore mature at different speeds), general advice can always be
given and hopefully the smart reader will take that info and adapt it to
his/her teaching environment.
So thats what imma do right now.
Give you some sweet info.
Divided by age, heres the basics of what I really think you need to know
about teaching Karate to kids:

7-9 Years Old:

Physical: Kids of 7-9 years of age have a huge physical need formoving
around. Because, at this age, physical movements are starting
to automatize in their bodies meaning they will naturally feel inclined to
move around as much as possible in all different ways. However, kids at
this age still have a very minor amount of muscle growth, and their
capability to tense their muscles is quite limited. The same goes for
their anaerobic capacity. Gender differences too are almost nonexistent at
this age.

Mental: When it comes to the psychosocial development of kids age 7-9

(remember, these ages are just general guidelines. Some kids might
appear younger or older depending on their growth rate), their social
capacity is not yet fully developed, which means they have a hard time
seeing themselves as apart of a group of different people with different

needs. In other words, they are pretty much egotistical and crave the
feeling of personal security and trust. Still, their sense of right and
wrong is starting to develop strongly at this age, along with the ability
to follow rules and instructions, even though their auditory skill (trying to
follow spoken instructions) is at a low level.
Advice: When you teach kids 7-9 years old, try to focus on play. Have
great variety in exercises, movements and lesson content and try to be
as clear and non-confusing as possible by always giving brief and
short instructions. It is more effective to clearly show (visually) exercises
than speaking (verbally) to the kids. At this phase it is also important to
emphasize teamwork, without sparking a competitive mindset. Make sure
to lay down the ground rules and establish whatsright and wrong, how to
behave in the dojo, when Karate can/cant be used (dojo-kun) etc.

10-12 Years Old:

Physical: Kids at the age of 10-12 have a greatly improved coordination.
This means you can teach them harder cognitive tasks, along with more
demanding physical movements as their respiratory function now
develops to a greater extent. At this age, differences in gender also start
to show, although still not fully developed.
Mental: At the age of 10-12, besides improved coordination, the ability to
think abstractly as well as logically starts to develop greatly. This means
you can place more demands on these abilities in exercises, in order to
take advantage of their improvements in these areas. Plus, at this age,

the will to cooperate increases along with a greater hunger for more
training and competition. In other words, the tribe mentality is now
gradually taking the place of the former self mentality, although both still
exist in the individual.
Advice: Again, as you teach this group, make sure to have great variety
in your lessons (as in the case of 7-9 year olds) but without being
confusing. Kids at this age generally trying many different sports, so your
job is to make them stick to Karate. Also, try to incorporate
moretechnical training at this stage, with more details in technique, along
with lighter tactical training and scenario-based situations. It is vital to be
consistent in your actions and words as you conduct classes now,
since fairness and justice are important concepts for kids of this age.

13-15 Years Old:

Physical: Surprisingly to most teachers, coaches

and instuctors; kids at the age of 13-15 start to decline in several areas

mostly seen in coordination (which worsens) and agility(which

decreases). At this point, kids who might have easily won Karate trophies
before might start losing motivation, so its important that instructors
understand that at this stage its natural for kids to change a lot, especially
in their physical composition as they now get taller and weigh
more. Maximum oxygen uptage (VO2), more commonly known as aerobic
capacity, now increases massively too, as well as gender differences.
Mental: Additionally, a lot happens in kids brains when theyre 13-15
years old. At this stage it is common for kids to have emotional
insecurity as theyre now gradually trying to identify their
own voice(identity) in the crowd. This will be expressed in different ways
depending on circumstances, but the most important marker is that kids
now strive to become independent and you need to cater for this need.
Advice: The group will now become increasingly harder to keep together,
since big physical and mental differences emerge between individuals.
However, luckily, the ability to solve problems and havetheoretical
discussions improves, which means you can talk more to/with the group.
As a leader, this aspect of keeping dialogue is now more important than
ever, since the kids will see you as a sort of pillar of trust and safety in
their dynamic lives. So make technical exerciseseasier, dont add too
many complex movements, and dont put too much stress on your
students. However, do increase the tempo and intensity of classes, as the
kids are now hitting puberty and will benefit from a nice kick in the ass.

16-18 Years Old:

Physical: When kids are 16-81 years old, they are on the edge of soon
becoming adults. Physically, this is manifested in several ways: Thelungs
and respiratory systems are now on a whole new level, as well as the
ability to handle increased levels of lactic acid in the muscles. At this
stage, most boys (18-19 years old) and girls (15-16 years old) are
generally fully grown (in height especially) and gender differences
become a definitive factor.
Mental: When kids become 16-18 years old, their awareness increases
too, so they start questioning a lot of your teachings more often on
adeeper level than previously. Insight and acceptance of their gradually
established identity is taking place too, as well as more pronounced
sense of independency.
Advice: At this age, it is appropriate to increase the training dose (both
volume, frequency and intensity). As an instructor, you can have tougher
classes now, both physically and mentally, as well asorganized strength
training and other supplementary training (cardio, for example) built in.
Additionally, it is important to keep kids flexible as they now grow into
adults by applying agility exercises and streching.
______
Sounds like much?

It is.
But obviously, theres a whole lot more to be said about teaching kids, and
quite a few courses, videos and books have been created on the subject.
But for now this will cover the basics.
Always remember that kids and youngsters love variation (but not to the
point of being confusing). As a trainer then, you should have this in mind
to keep up motivation and interest in the long run.
Also, try to see the big picture: Most kids come to Karate to have fun,
learn cool ninja stuff, feel seen, show off (kids love showing off), meet
friends and make new ones never deny them this possibility.
In the end, when it comes to teaching kids Karate, no matter what age or
level they are (note: its often more practical to divide kids by age level
rather than belt level), I believe the number one factor for becoming a
great teacher for kids is experience and the deep understanding that

comes from this. Sure, sometimes you need to be hard and cool. But
sometimes you need to be flexible and fun. Sometimes you need to
remind kids about the rules, yet sometimes you need to allow for
improvisation.
Its a balance act.
All kids are not alike, and all kids are not small adults.
(Funnily enough though, most adults are often big kids.)
As a leader, it is your job to make this distinction, and keep the
balance.