Awareness of the importance of sports for the development of a child before preschool and school-age brings to every parent the dilemma of choosing the right sport for their child. The development of self-confidence, strengthening motor skills, and coordination of movements in early childhood are extremely important for proper psychophysical development. If you’re reading this article you’ve probably thought about karate. Karate for kids is an activity your children will definitely benefit most from, according to chicagonk.com.
When should you enroll your kids?
The minimum age limit for the first karate training is four years. The stated limit is not a strictly defined rule, because sometimes a child who has not yet reached the age of four reacts quite maturely to training and is able to concentrate on the program, expressing a great desire to exercise and a willingness to cooperate.
Therefore, we recommend one trial training session, after which a professional trainer will make an assessment of your child’s maturity readiness to follow karate lessons.
Once everything is settled you want to know what kind of equipment your kid will need. The first, and the obvious piece of equipment is of course a kimono. But, there are other things it will need, especially as time goes by. Below is an overview…
For training in the younger group, kimono is the only mandatory equipment. At the later level (green belts) it is good to get gloves. Upon selection and invitation to training in an older group, it is necessary to acquire additional equipment, which includes:
- gloves
- shin guards
- foot protectors (foot straps, kicks) and optional
- protector (rubber) for the teeth
- genital protectors
- chest protectors (girls)
When a club member starts competing, the above equipment is mandatory, with the note that gloves, shin guards, and foot guards must be obtained in red and blue. In addition, mandatory equipment includes a red and blue belt.
The colors – red (aka) and blue (ao) serves so that the judges at the competitions can distinguish the competitors.
Having all that gear requires another piece of equipment – a bag. Here are 5 best gear bags for kids…
1. Arawaza Technical Sport Bag
These can be found on the market available for both adults and kids. His quality will definitely outlive most, if not all other bags your kid used to carry for training. Here are some of its features:
- Made of the highest quality fabrics and materials, extremely versatile, with enough space and attractive design and colors
- You can easily turn the bag into a backpack and carry it on your shoulders
- A removable inner partition allows you to separate the inside of the bag into two compartments (each with a separate zipper).
- Numerous pockets for organizing smaller items
- Ergonomic design and extra soft padding for comfort
- Multiple vents allow your gear to dry
- Detachable inner pouch
- High-quality waterproof fasteners
2. Hayabusa Marvel Hero Elite Duffle Bag with the Punisher logo
If your kid enjoys Marvel comics, here’s a perfect one. It’s made of polyester, with metal zippers. What’s really good about it are the ventilation pockets positioned on the sides, in the front and back, ensuring all that sweaty gear doesn’t get too smelly. Kids being as they tend to forget, so when they leave a sweaty sock or a t-shirt, these ventilation pockets come in very handy.
Its size is also decent. The main compartment has taken the majority of space, but there are also enough side pockets for the smaller gear.
3. Revgear Travel Locker | “The Beast” Backpack
If you want something that your kid will use for a longer period of time, starting from the early “kimono only” phase, until the time it starts competing and traveling for real, this is the ideal solution. It’s called the beast for a reason – it has 19 compartments. Not only can it take karate, but it can also accommodate all other stuff one needs when traveling. Since it’s been used by top martial arts competitors, your kid will definitely love it.
4. Arawaza sports bag
Bag specially designed according to the needs of karate competitors. Allows easy storage and ventilation of protective equipment, with a mesh part that allows drying and ventilation of the protector without removing it from the bag.
It fits complete karate equipment (kimono, gloves, leg protectors,…), tennis shoes in the lower compartment, and various other small items in separate compartments.
5. Adidas karate sports bag
This bag is both a bag and a backpack; all in one. You can use it in many different ways. In addition to being a classic sports bag that you can “throw” over your shoulder or carry in your hand, you can easily convert it into a backpack. The large and solid closure is a guarantee of top quality with an undisputed design.
Finally, it is up to you to decide will you go for buying a bag that can be used for the equipment your kid will need in the future, as it starts competing, or will you start with a simple backpack. Choosing one of our suggestions will definitely make your kid satisfied. Especially because you’ve chosen a sport you will enjoy so much.
But, keep in mind, that karate is also intended for everyone. In kindergarten age, from the age of 4 to 6, independence, coordination, balance, and self-confidence are developed, and in school age, progressively more complex karate tasks are performed. Parents often use that time while their children are training to master self-defense through karate. It has a wide spectrum and different ways of implicating society and is suitable for the entire population. Through sports and belonging, kids find it easier to go through life’s difficulties and people full of self-confidence are ready to deal with today’s world.