Usefullness of Ninjutsu for Children?

[Bester]

How useful is the art for a child? Would the ability to 'vanish' and 'distract' help kids today when dealing with predators? Would it make them more of a challenge to their parents if they had these skills?

 

[Cryozombie]

I dont think Ninpo should be taught to children at all... but that is just my opinion.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I dont think Ninpo should be taught to children at all... but that is just my opinion.

But so much of Ninpo is basics (I would hope), why couldn't that be extracted and instituted into a simple child development program. The concept of killing for hire "should" be secondary to basic motion. If it isn't then why does anyone train there? :asian:

 

[Enson]

i think some things should be taught to them... like dicsipline. other things should be taught in moderation based on maturity level of the student. i believe that ma is good for children to learn because it teaches self-confindence in a world that tries to beat it out of you as you grow.

 

[Jay Bell]

Ukemi, kaiten and other skills of the like are *great* for kids. There are many things that shouldn't be taught to kids, imo. Joint grown and development isn't to the stage where a lot of the joint locks are healthy. Striking? Ehh...kids don't need to be beat on. Escapes and *movement* skills, though, I think are very beneficial.

 

[Dale Seago]

Several years back, I and my lady Ter were teaching a series of children's self-protection workshops with just the sort of physical focus Jay mentions. Lots of escape-&-evasion stuff dealing with grabbing attacks. Minimal striking except for some low kicks, headbutts and the like. Throwing objects to startle and distract. "Obstacle courses" set up with tables and chairs strewn randomly in the hall so they could see how their smaller size and ability to move around objects and change directions rapidly was an advantage in escaping us adults. We even got into some silent movement stuff with a game we called "Ninja Mouse and Samurai Cat", with the "mice" trying to get past the (blindfolded) enemy "cats" who were "hunting" them.

We also approached this from a "layered defense" concept, with the idea of detecting and neutralizing (in the sense of "making ineffective") or escaping the potential threat while it's still as far out there as possible: If the guy really needed help finding his puppy he could ask another adult; if Mom had really sent this couple to bring you home from school because of some emergency, they'd give you the Secret Family Password that you and your parents are going to establish after this class; "standard" stuff like that.

And much, much more. Some of our stuff, in fact, was used as background for and mentioned in this book, and I'm in the credits in the end as well. Didn't get paid anything for that, but who needs money when you've got fame, right? :ultracool

Currently a couple of my dojo folks are running an ongoing Sunday afternoon children's class, modeled largely on one developed originally and taught for many years now by our friend Dave Furukawa at the Stockton, CA Bujinkan Buyu Dojo.

 

[Bujingodai]

Dale has it right,
I run a class on the weekends that is pretty popular, really no matter the level of the child the focus is on the basics of movement. I use the more gymnastic skills like leaping,falling cartwheels etc. More fun than anything else but the skills definatly help when a kid wipes out etc.
The parents appreciate the discipline that gets instilled.
Though I find different with the kids is that you have to develop more katalike moves for them to understand the picture. They need more structure.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Dale has it right,
I run a class on the weekends that is pretty popular, really no matter the level of the child the focus is on the basics of movement. I use the more gymnastic skills like leaping,falling cartwheels etc. More fun than anything else but the skills definatly help when a kid wipes out etc.
The parents appreciate the discipline that gets instilled.
Though I find different with the kids is that you have to develop more katalike moves for them to understand the picture. They need more structure.

Kids thrive on fun and structure; so, it sounds like you are on the right track. :asian:
Sean

 

[Elizium]

Within our dojo they are taught Kihon Happo of Jumonji, Itchimonji and Hitcho, as well as other movements. That is their basics, but it is taught as a movement, not as a fighting form. The older kids (from 11-12 upwards) are told a little bit bit more of what happens when you do this.

But we also do the bit where we say that this part should not be done I.E. take the head and slam it into the floor. We just say take the head and move to place them onto the floor. We emphasise the danger and tell them not to. If they are caught doing what is said not to then we have words.

We also let the parents stay to see how their child progresses. And if there is only one adult in the dojo, we ask a parent to stay to watch over. Mostly two black belts are there to teach as well as parents to watch us watching them.