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Does anyone have any recommendations for martial arts schools / programs suitable for children in central Nassau?
The kids are both ~5-6.
I'm open to recommendations both as to types of martial arts to consider and specific schools / instructors.
I'm open-minded and not looking necessarily to direct the kids into competition or tournaments, but I also don't want them in an environment where kids are listlessly kicking air. I want them to be engaged.
You’d want to stay away from kung-fu, karate, aikido as they’ve proven to be wastes of time in terms of self defense effectiveness. I’d suggest Brazilian jiu-jitsu or a kids muay thai program if one is available.
I have friends in Nassau who will drive the kids to Whitestone in Queens just to attend Nubreed. I hear cops, rangers are training there. They even have a full cage in the back.
They say its a great program for kids. As they get older, they branch off useful martial arts. Like jiu it su ( mentioned above), jun fan kung fu (Bruce Lee), Muay Thai, etc.
Location, location, location. The most convenient it is for the parent to drive the kids to the school, the more likely they're going to attend class.
That is why I recommended the Gracie Barra school.
As far as Nubreed goes... anyone driving from LI to Queens to train there is out of their minds. They could drive an equal distance and less time and go to Serra or Soca. If you want to go into the city you could go to Marcelo Garcia, Renzo, Miyao brothers... the list goes on and on.
Location, location, location. The most convenient it is for the parent to drive the kids to the school, the more likely they're going to attend class.
That is why I recommended the Gracie Barra school.
As far as Nubreed goes... anyone driving from LI to Queens to train there is out of their minds. They could drive an equal distance and less time and go to Serra or Soca. If you want to go into the city you could go to Marcelo Garcia, Renzo, Miyao brothers... the list goes on and on.
A lot of parents are out their minds to do what they think is best for their children. i don't disagree. But jiu jitsu isn't for everyone. For someone, kickboxing or Wing Chun is probably what they think is a better fit for their daughter. a lot of us older guys grew up watching Bruce Lee, so if the money is the same, I would definitely give my kid the opportunity to learn from one of his descendants.
Any place close to home that isn't a belt-a-month club. Don't pay for tournaments and belt tests. This is why BJJ and muay thai are so much better (besides being combat based). 5-6 year olds should just be learning some techniques and getting exercise and discipline, not chasing belts and parents banging out the credit card for extra charges beyond tuition. Near Mineola is Longo-Weidman (LAW) MMA in Garden City. Great w/ kids and what's more motivating than training alongside the best in the world?
We ended up going with May Thai classes at Sitan Gym in East Meadow. The facilities are minimal, but the advantages are as follows (in decreasing order of importance):
- classes are often taught by Coach Jess, who is *great* with children
- kids are engaged
- classes are small
- not a lot of focus on arm-band / belt progression, which (as a non-practitioner, I find distracting for kids)
- not too expensive, though I'd appreciate a different pricing system for those who don't plan to send children more than 2-3 times per week (they use an all-you-can-eat monthly subscription plan)
Frankly, I hope that people reading this *don't* send their kids here because I'd prefer the classes to remain small :-P That said, having solicited and received several recommendations, I felt it only fair to close the loop with my own choice.
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