Hire a high schooler to help 8th grader learn martial arts?
My 13 year-old son has shown interest in learning a martial art (maybe Tai chi or Aikido? something else?) but loses interest at the thought of being in a class with much younger kids also beginning which is what he'd face starting at many martial arts studios in the area. He'd enjoy learning basics and getting oriented about martial arts from an older teenager who has studied martial arts for a while and would like to earn some money helping to introduce my son to the practice.
Nov 30, 2017
Parent Replies
There is another option if you don't find the teenage tutor - Han Martial Arts in Oakland, CA (off Mountain Blvd in Montclair District) has an evening "Adult Class" on Mon, Tues, Th, Fri and Sat morning, that starts around age 13. My son had the same feeling about being in a class with "little kids" but he started in the Adult Class and is testing for his red belt (the one before black!) this week. Here is the link: http://www.hanmartialarts.com/classes-1/ I can highly recommend Han Martial Arts - the instructors are first-class, personable and inspiring and then try to get to know the students as individuals. They are having a Martial Arts Festival Saturday Dec 9th, 2017 at Montara Middle School that he might enjoy.
There are a few things that you may want know before you persue this avenue for learning martial arts. First and foremost in order to teach a student must be given permission by the master of their studio and must teach under their supervision. It is not considered appropriate to “teach”outside the studio and anything taught in this manner would probably not be fully correct. Furthermore, if your son then joined a studio class they would still begin at the basic level as anything they learn outside the studio would not count towards their promotion. I would also say the premise of martial arts is humility and the ability to put aside feelings of comparison and competition especialky as a new student. Your son should be encouraged to move forward with his learning in a reputable studio and to put aside his self judgements or judgements of others. In our studio there are Black Belts as young as 11 and as old as 75 and beginners from age 5 to 50. Age is irrelevant.