Karate and kids can be an extremely interesting combination.

I have been teaching kids this martial art for over 10 years now, and just when I think I've seen it all, they surprise me. Teaching children can be a very learning and gratifying experience in many ways. I'm sure I have learned just as much from them as they have from me.

Many types of children enter the dojo (training room). Kids with attitudes, shy and lacking self-esteem, uncoordinated, learning disabilities, athletic, well behaved and misbehaved. Not all stay to reap the rewards that learning a martial art can achieve over a surprisingly short period of time. The ones that do, have improved in many ways. That's the gratifying part. The change in attitude, from a know-it-all or though guy image, to a more humble perspective. The self-confidence level rising noticeably. Parents commenting on the change of attitude at home, improvements at school or the sport that they may be involved with. Watching the co-ordination excel along with the pride of what they have accomplished on their own.

Karate is not a cure-all for every child that has these problems. It's like a lot of other activities or sports you may want your child to try. Some may take to it right away, others may find it's not for them. Sometimes it's just a matter of persevering and getting over the rough spots until things get easier.

Expectations vary when a person enters the dojo; some get what they expect, others get the unexpected. Over the years television and movies have distorted the martial arts way out of proportion. Some kids and even adults enter a karate class with a misleading perspective on what they will learn in the first few classes.

Some think, they will learn to do flying kicks or back flips and walk out a fighting machine, like Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan, in a matter of hours. Those people usually fail.

Children seem to be drawn to martial arts more than adults; they also seem to stick with it longer. One reason is their commitments are less. They don't have to support or raise the family, run errands and have other deterrents that cut into their leisure time. Still, many adults find time to practice karate and excel to high levels of achievement. In most cases, it's just a matter of making the time, finding the right club, and sticking with it.

I have heard of multitude of excuses from people why it's impossible for them to join a karate class. Some are valid; others just silly. The most frequent excuse is, "I'm too out of shape. Maybe when I get myself in shape I'll give it a try."

Why do you join a gym? Do you get in shape before you join, or you join to get in shape? Of course others think back to the movies and think they will surely be beaten up and thrown in the midst of the more experienced students. This is so far from the truth.

Think of this: the first time you take skiing lessons, would the instructor take you to the highest hill with the seasoned veterans? Would your swim instructor take you to the deep end of the pool on your first visit? On your first golf lesson, would you be expected to drive the ball straight and 300 yards? Of course the answer to these questions is no! Why would karate be any different?

That's what beginner classes are for. One of the reasons the martial arts has different color belts, is so the instructor can place you in the right category for workouts. Advancement and workouts are at a slow, progressive level to meet individual needs. Karate is an individual sport that requires you to do only what you can do. Everything you do is based on your performance and yours alone. You don't have to be as good as the person you joined with or the person next to you to progress.

There are no "bench warmers" in karate - everybody plays. If for some reason you fall behind or find it difficult, senior students or instructors will spend extra time with you on a one-on-one basis, until the problem is sorted out and once again you feel comfortable with the procedures.

Karate can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life even the dreaded couch potato. Surprisingly enough, it's not always the athletic who seem to excel in karate. Being athletic can help in a lot of cases, but it seems taking karate can help more toward enhancing the athletic field than the other way around.

Through many years of teaching I have found the most unlikely people to exceed my expectations; myself included. I was never a team sport player. I always enjoyed the personal challenge against myself to that of others. Maybe because in team sports if you're not as good as the chosen few, you're playing time is limited.

Karate is something one can practice alone or with a partner, but once again the achievement level is a personal one. You get out of it exactly what you put into it. If you think you're too old, or too out of shape there is only one way to find out. Karate offers a great cardiovascular workout and improves co-ordination and reflexes, and as an added bonus, you just might learn a self-defense that could come in handy when you least expect it.

Another myth caused by the influence of the entertainment world and lack of knowledge about karate is that it's dangerous with lots of injuries. Statistics would probably show that karate is a very safe sport compared to most others, with injuries lower than you might think.

In a well-supervised club, safety is the number one priority. Our motto is, "We want you to leave the way you came in." Many karate students have a job or attend school. Nobody wants to miss a paycheck or studies because of an injury. Nobody likes to get hurt! Another often-asked question is, "What style of martial art is best?" Of course my first response is to say our style is the best. That would be an unfair answer and also untrue. I think the best style, is the one best suited for you.

The style of karate we teach is a sport.>