Style profiles
One page per style: the facts, a parent scorecard, what a class looks like, ranks and who it suits.
1Kung fu and wushu
Chinese martial arts, from traditional styles to modern acrobatic wushu, plus lion dance and the cultural side.
2Wrestling
Youth clubs and school teams: the toughest, cheapest grappling sport and a great partner to any martial art.
3Muay Thai, kickboxing and boxing
Real striking and serious fitness, usually best from about eight and up, with careful attention to head contact.
Striking sportsMuay Thai and kickboxing for kids: what age, how safe, and what to askA parent's guide to Muay Thai and kickboxing for children and teens: how they differ, what kids' classes involve, contact and safety, starting ages, gear, costs and how to choose a gym.
Striking sportsBoxing for kids: fitness boxing, amateur bouts and what pediatricians sayA parent's guide to boxing for children: the difference between non-contact boxing fitness and competitive boxing, how USA Boxing runs youth bouts, head-injury concerns and the AAP position, gear, costs and how to choose a gym.4Self-defense systems and MMA
Krav Maga, kids MMA and Korea's hapkido: practical self-protection, and what changes when these arts are taught to children.
Self-defenseKrav Maga for kids: what children learn in self-defense classesWhat Krav Maga is, how kids' Krav Maga classes differ from adult training, the self-defense and anti-bullying skills children learn, safety, ranks, costs and how to check a program's quality.
Self-defenseKids MMA: is mixed martial arts a good idea for children?What kids MMA classes really teach, how they combine wrestling, jiu-jitsu and striking, rules for youth competition, safety and head contact, the right age to start and how to judge an MMA gym's kids program.
Self-defenseHapkido for kids: Korea's self-defense art of locks, throws and kicksA parent's guide to hapkido for children: what hapkido is, how it relates to Taekwondo and aikido, what kids' classes teach, belts, safety, costs and why many Taekwondo schools teach it too.5Swords, music and harmony
Aikido, kendo, fencing and capoeira: arts with little or no striking contact that suit children who love focus, strategy or performance.
Other traditionsAikido for kids: the gentle Japanese art of blending and fallingA parent's guide to aikido for children: what aikido is, its non-competitive philosophy, rolls and throws, what kids' classes involve, ranks, safety, costs and how it compares with judo and BJJ.
Other traditionsKendo for kids: the Japanese way of the sword explained for parentsA parent's guide to kendo for children: what kendo is, bamboo swords and armor, how scoring works, what kids' classes involve, ranks and gradings, safety, costs and how to find a dojo.
Other traditionsFencing for kids: foil, épée and sabre explained for parentsA parent's guide to youth fencing: the three weapons, how bouts and electric scoring work, starting ages, safety, equipment and costs, youth competitions, college fencing and how to choose a club.
Other traditionsCapoeira for kids: the Brazilian martial art of music, movement and playA parent's guide to capoeira for children: its Afro-Brazilian history, the roda, music and songs, what kids' classes involve, cords and the batizado, safety, costs and who it suits.