Our 3 year old wants karate because the boy downstairs does it. The class starts at 4

linen_balcony_214811 Apr 2026

The boy downstairs is five and comes home in his white uniform every Tuesday and Thursday. Our son now does 'karate' at the lift, the sofa and the caregiver. He wants to go. The academy near us takes children from four. My partner, who's home this year, thinks we should ask whether they'd take him for the summer batch anyway, since he's tall and listens well. I think a year of kicking cushions won't set him back. Did anyone start a 3 year old in a martial art? Was it a real class or just very expensive crowd control?

5 comments

linen_bottle_769111 Apr 2026
Teach primary. The 'from 4' rule is usually less about the kicks and more about standing in a line for 45 minutes without wandering off. Most 3 year olds can't, tall or not 🤷
- mango_balcony_111011 Apr 2026
  That matches what we saw with our daughter, who started a dance class at three because the teacher made an exception for her, and she spent most of that term sitting at the side. She went back at five and loved it. The exception did more harm than good, I think.
mint_puzzle_474611 Apr 2026
Our son started a kids' karate batch this year. The first two months were mostly learning to bow, stand still and shout on cue, and he enjoyed it. A year earlier I don't think he'd have got much out of it beyond the uniform.
maple_kite_312311 Apr 2026
Our daughter started badminton at eight, which everyone told us was late. She has played ever since and is better than I ever was. A year's wait at three won't matter.
- linen_balcony_214811 Apr 2026
  That's what I keep telling my partner. The worry at home is that he'll lose interest by the time he turns four. Maybe that would tell us something too.
- pebble_notebook_564411 Apr 2026
  Replying to @linen_balcony_2148
  It might. A middle path, if the academy allows it: ask whether he can watch a session from the side with a parent. Our younger daughter watched two classes of a sport she was desperate to join and decided she would rather do art. It saved us a term's fee and an argument.
mint_kettle_54211 Apr 2026
Mine started karate at six and was ready for it then. At three, I doubt it. Let him kick the cushions for now. Either he still wants it next year, or he doesn't, and both answers are fine.
lemon_kettle_306914 Apr 2026
At 3 my daughter wanted to do everything her older cousin did. We put a cushion on the floor and let her 'practise' with him on weekends. By the time she was old enough for the actual class, she'd moved on to dance ❤
- juniper_sparrow_173815 Apr 2026
  A cousin is the best free coach there is. My older one did the same with cricket, and now I have a toddler who throws a ball at the TV every time a match is on.