the Price of Karate Classes for Kids

Our son gets two one hour classes each week. These classes are taught by a sensi along with enough advanced students (sempeis) to insure that all of the lower belts get individualized instruction. We also take advantage of private lessons twice a month with the sensei for $25/hour.

We really like the dojo that our son is involved in. We've found karate gives him confidence and self discipline. Our dojo is relatively strict. It's not social play time for the kids. It's buckle down and learn koden kan jitsu style karate. We love that and it works for our son. However, we've seen some families and children who wanted a more social-type, just for fun karate, who were not happy with the discipline.

If you're thinking of karate for your child, make sure to sit in on a few classes first. Instructors vary greatly on how strict they are and what kind of karate they teach. There are classes in our area that are more or less just for fun and exercise. The kids practice some, sure, but it is a social class, not strict karate. Then there are classes where the sensei is very strict and expects the students to want to learn and to be involved in karate for life. Decide what you want for your child and then visit the dojo to see if the sensei's style matches your needs and expectations.