Karate is a martial art that was developed in Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands. Martial arts are indeed forms of fighting, and training includes many violent aspects including the study of weapons, so many people raise concerns about how violent it actually is. This is an understandable concern as well because, as the Chief Instructor of Shotokan Dojo once opined, media depicts individuals who learn this art to use to kill.
This concern has no true merit, however; in reality, many a karateka study this martial art for the purposes of self defense and it typically only trained by the people who possess the greatest of self discipline. The martial art exists in many forms.
Taekwondo is the national sport of South Korea. This martial art will give you many benefits including a great work out, plenty of stretching, and an opportunity to learn to defend yourself. Mixed martial arts is a full contact sport which includes techniques of striking and grappling. Another very popular variation is Judo which originated in Japan in the 1800's.
Learning a martial art such as taekwondo, karate, judo or mixed martial arts can be a very beneficial thing to do rather than taking on some other sport, such as baseball. As well as all the health benefits, learning a martial art is also a fantastic way to get out and to meet new people. Not only that, but learning martial arts can build up a person's self esteem, as well as respect, concentration and courtesy.
Your child may actually be much safer learning Karate or Judo than he/she would be taking part in rugby or football. Additionally, in the instances of children who have special needs, such has suffering from attention deficit disorder, or any other instances of difficulty with learning or suffering hyperactivity, it is highly recommended for them to learn martial arts.
Many classes centre around sparring which is very much about the training of kicking and punching, but if this is too aggressive for you, you may want to find another class where this is not the focus; albeit safe and well protected.
