Karate or Taekwondo Good for Girls?

Aikido is a great self defense class, i took it when I was younger and loved it. It is more about self defense than attack which I feel is good.

Karate or Judo or Aikido tend to be better for girls because of the forms involved... redirecting your opponents energy and using it to your advantage, while taekwondo uses mostly your own energy.Both Judo and Aikido focus far more on redirecting your opponents energy (aka instead of blocking a punch, grab/twist/throw using the momentum from the opponent's punch to flip them over). So actual kinetic energy transfer... not new-age-y energy.

Since all children, and most girls/women tend to be smaller than their attackers... it makes much more sense from a strategic point of view to master a discipline that gives you the advantage over a larger, stronger opponent.

Regardless though... the most important bit is the dojo and instructors. That they teach self control and accuracy above all else, and are kind as opposed to insulting.

Essentially (as the oh so famous karate kid movie pointed out) you TEND to have 2 types of dojos, regardless of what branch of martial arts you're talking about (karate, aikido, taekwondo, judo, etc)... those who have kind instructors who focus on discipline, control, accuracy, quick thinking, fun, responsibility, etc... and the bullys... who teach "discipline" :P by degrading and mocking their students, and that "winning" is everything. You'll find more of these McDojo's in Taekwondo, purely because of how popular T is... but bad dojo's exist in every field.

Have fun!

My daughter took tae kwan do, and she currently takes Karate.

It is not so much about learning to fight... but about disciplining your mind and body, physicality and how your body/balance is and how to control/use it, and of course learning self-defense. It also gives a child, self-confidence and all that good stuff.

My daughter enjoys it very much. She wanted to take lessons, not us telling her to. She has been taking it for less than a year... but, in her daily playing and interactions and even dancing... I have seen her physical skills grow... and the way she holds herself and her posture and bodily awareness and sense of balance etc

It can take years... for a child or anyone, to be trained to where they can be "expert" at it.

I am glad my daughter takes lessons and enjoys it. As a Mom... I like that she takes it because for the "self-defense" aspect of it... which anyone can benefit from learning. When I was a child, my Dad taught me self-defense.
Its a good thing to learn.

All the best,
Susan

If you want her to learn self defense, then definately do not send her to taekwondo. I would send her to karate, BUT make sure it is a legitamate place and not just some place that will take your money and give her test after test, and before you know it, she's a black belt in a year!

Pepper spray for a 7 year old.....that cracked me up.
You will get a million different answers b/c each art has its own strengths and weaknesses. They were each originally developed for battle, but in different countries, so the purpose will be similar but the methodology behind them different. There are SO many forms of karate out there, you'd really have to check into the ones offered in your area to know what they're about individually, but it is traditionally for centering yourself on the inside as well as defense. I do agree that for a confrontation in a wide area, it is good, but when space is very limited, it would be weaker. Also, it is a very disciplined and structured practice, but that doesn't always help in the real world unless you're a master at it (mentally and physically). It's a decent workout to get in physical shape though. Tae kwan do has an emphasis on kicking, since the Koreans believed their hands too valuable for combat, and the legs are stronger than arms. It is a great cardio, strengthening, flexibility workout that also is big on developing balance and spacial awareness. I personally don't like the whole breaking blocks thing, but then I haven't physically done it. I'm sure they are teaching children to focus energy into that one spot and it could be very useful, but I just wouldn't prefer that to be what my son is doing with his legs. Aikido has the same goal as Judo and Jujitsu in that it is traditionally a "soft art", with throws and joint locks, with teaching on some hits, but mostly it teaches to blend motion and redirect force rather than opposing head on. It's supposed to be self defense but also protecting the attacker from injury. It has taken some flack though for not being "real" enough in training, and not as effective as it should be (they stopped training with strikes to vital points decades ago). It's safer to practice that way, but good in real life?
I had a teacher tell me a famous saying, that real victory is winning the battle without fighting. This means to just be smart. If you could put your daughter in a class for exercise (there is NOTHING wrong with cardio, flexibility, strength training, and being balanced and aware) but then make sure she develops "street smarts" and self confidence as well. I was taught about nonverbal communication and things that make you look passive or distracted, which makes you vulnerable. The worst I see right now is people walking down the road texting, not even looking up. You also don't want to be aggressive because you puff out your chest and show signs that you're "looking" for a fight, and can end up in a situation that doesn't allow a would-be attacker a way out that saves face, so they WILL attack. Instead, learning to be assertive, confident, and AWARE will go miles in defending yourself. (Think defensive driving, but in life). Confident (not arrogant), shoulders up (not back, or chest out), eye contact (but not challenging), aware (but not engaging or insulting), ready to run or fight or whatever. Confident enough to hold your ground, but not HAVE to have the last word in a verbal fight. Knowing how to spot things that look "off". Those are the best forms of self defense. That could keep you from getting into a situation where you'd need to fight, most of the time.
All that said, next year we'll put my son in jujitsu b/c he will be a small guy and it would be silly to expect that he could punch/kick his way out of a situation with an adult or "big kid" if it ever came up. Both my husband and I have studied it and enjoy it, and are wanting to learn more. It evolved from samurai to defeat an armed or armored attacker without weapons. It involves pins, jointlocks, throws, and uses an attacker's energy rather than using your own to oppose him. It is on the ground a lot, a position a lot of adults wouldn't feel comfortable dealing with in a public situation at least. A scary but funny story: my husband's coworker was talking about this 6 year old kid who was at the park. He'd just learned fire safety (stop drop and roll) at school that day, and a man tried to grab him. He stopped, dropped and rolled, LOL. The guy looked around like "what???" and ran away. To get a rolling child , throwing dead weight, would cause a scene.
As for watching UFC as a previous response suggested (of which I have been a big fan for over 10 years, before it is what we now know it to be...when the Gracies had their say), that is also a little funny. That is sport combat, in my opinion very entertaining, and it is so mixed that you actually don't necessarily know what you're watching unless you know the actual moves. For example, the BRAZILIAN jujitsu that is very popular in MMA right now IS the moves to pin or perform joint locks, but it is also how to get out of those positions, defend against the locks, rolling, etc. So the person who said it's weaker and they can't get out of pins is mistaken. UFC is also no longer a clear determinant of which art is "better" (though that was its purpose in the 90s---can a wrestler beat a boxer? karate beat muay thai? etc)...because of the political pressure and lack of viewers (it was rough to see and couldn't be televised on regular TV) that led to new rules and the new league, a lot of elements from things like jujitsu have been eliminated from this specific sport (looks boring, they say? but the point of some martial arts are to wear your opponent out using his own strength and then win), so no I completely disagree with the response that suggests watching that to learn anything.

Perhaps not what you want to hear, but one instructor I had said "if you want to defend yourself, get a gun and learn how to use it. I have 3 blackbelts and I still know people that can kick my butt." Still a little self defense and some pepper spray can't hurt.

Yes, yes, yes! It builds confidence and awareness and physical and mental discipline. I would recommend karate over Taekwondo because in many cases, Taekwondo is tournament driven and many moves are tournament fight specific - not defense specific. That said, you can always shop around and ask the teachers what their focus is, and let them know what you're looking to accomplish. There are different types of Karate as well - if you can visit different dojo's to see the styles, find out what you and your daughter like, that would probably be the best. Good luck and enjoy.

my 5 years old went to taekwondo for over a year (we stopped due to a medical setback), but will continue to do so. i found it to be great for self-esteem.

Both of my older kids are in Tae Kwon Do and they love it. They have been in it since kindergarten (5/6) and are still currently doing it. My son is 12 1/2 and my daughter will be 10 in a couple of weeks. They both have earned black belts and beyond. It really teaches them discipline, respect, self-defense, honor and of course keeps them active (even through the winter). They go year-round which helps with their scheduling and learning to get their school-work done on-time. I would highly recommend it for your girls. My daughter LOVES it!! I have a 4 yo that now wants to join, so after he turns 5 this summer, we will add him to the program. He can't wait. Most schools will let the girls do a trial run for a few classes to see how they like it. I would suggest that so they get a feel for it. Good luck.

At the age of 7, both of these programs will focus on inner strength, disipline, and focus. My daughter has her black belt in Karate, and has her jr. black belt in Tae Kwon Do and has never used either (she is almost 13) when it comes to defending herself. Both programs focus on treating your opponent with respect and treating yourself with respect - both great ideals for young girls (and boys) to learn.

If you are interested in having your daughter join a program like this, focus first on what kind of teacher you would like her to work with rather than the type of program. While there are many great teachers in both fields, there are a few "ding dongs" out there :) Spend some time watching potential teachers and how they handle younger students - the teacher should be very firm but in a positive way.

Good luck.

I think that is a great decision :) I started my 7 yr old son {with developmental & learning delays, plus ADHD} in a taekwondo class 2 and a half months ago & have seen marked improvement in his self esteem & confidence. Not to mention it's great for them spatially, they learn where their body is in space & how to handle it. If you find a good place, they teach values such as courtesy, respect, etc. & they also teach stranger danger techniques which we know could someday save their lives. Very wonderful program, my son goes to Karate for Kids which is with the ATA {American Taekwondo Association} & I highly recommend them :) Oh, & they have A LOT of girls attending... possibly more than boys! It's also a great activity for parents to do with their children, as they're both learning at the same time. Wonderful family bonding time!

Oh and as for what Sunny said below, I'm sure you're aware that they say most often if a woman has a weapon & tries to use it in an attack, it is used on her instead. Mace & a taser may be a better bet, for a grown woman of course not a 7 yr old girl lol

Do It! Two good friends of mine have their daughters in TKD and they are thriving. It is not about self-defence. It is about body awareness, control, patience, fitness, achieving goals, etc. All wonderful things to instill in girls BEFORE they turn into body-conscious teens.

Absolutely! My husband is a 2nd degree 1st level black belt and continues to study Kempo Karate. He is also an assistant instructor in the kids classes and many of the students are girls. My 12 year old niece is also a black belt (1st degree 2nd level... or maybe she is just at 2nd grade- before 1st degree) and is incredibly good. She has a lot of discipline, self-esteem, is incredibly fit and incredibly fast in doing self defense techniques. Because of her height (she had that preteen growth spurt) she has been in the teen/adult class for a year and also spars with the adults... my husband and her father included. Sparring in this controlled environment gives her the opportunity to practice using techniques that help to keep an attacker at bay and also techniques when in close quarters. Karate has been awesome for my niece, and I'm sure it would be great for your daughter as well!

50% of my son's taekwondo class are girls. As the students rise in belt levels, they learn to spar one on one, and then they go on to spar against more than one. It's mostly kicking and blocking kicks (and they wear sparring gear, mouth guards and foam helmets) and there are referees. It definitely helps develop a mind set where you can stand up and defend your self. Some of those girls are real spitfires (you can tell they are really having fun), and they are just as good at breaking boards as the boys are. There's one little girl I remember from the last belt testing. She's a tiny little thing about 4 feet tall, a black belt and very flexible. She had to break 3 boards in one blow. They held the wood just about over her head and she popped her leg straight up and BAM broke all three no problem at all.

My 9yr old is taking Tae Kwon Do classes and loves it! She's proud of the things she's learning and is gaining a healthy self confidence. Her teacher was very clear that it is for self defense, and pointed out how important it is now days (how sad!!) that children learn how to protect themselves. There's one move-chris, cross, applesause they call it, something about turning an attacker's nose into applesauce- that could seriously do some damage to anyone who tried to grab her! It's not just about beating people up though, it's teaching children how to keep themselves from becoming a victim.

I am a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. The School I learned in taught both Tae Kwon Do and Hap Kito. Tae Kwon Do teaches forms, sparing, and breaking as well as some self defense techniques, Hap Kito is all self defense training. Talk to the parents of students taking the classes and a few students. Since you don't know a lot about Martial Arts it is good to become educated. Some Martial Arts schools are black belt mills and anyone can be a black belt in 12-18 months. My school required 3 years to become a black belt. We simply learned more. We also had to compete in at least 4 tournaments to test for black belt and had to write an essay before our test. Tournaments are a great way to build self confidence.
There are also some universities that offer scholarships for Tae Kwon Do. Since it has become an Olympic sport there is a growing acceptance of Tae Kwon Do in the U. S. I recommend you send your daughter to a school run by a traditional Korean instructor. The displine is better and the instruction more complete.
"A Black Belt is not something you wear. A Black Belt is not something you earn. A Black Belt is something you become."

both, my 12 year old takes Marcial arts and loves it.