By Master Milad
The short answer
The best age to start is the one you’re at now. Whether your child is 4 or 14, or you’re the one reading this at 40. We have classes for every age from 4 up, and doubt is usually the only thing in the way. Your first class is free. Book it
People ask me this all the time. Here’s my honest answer, what it looks like at every age, and why the real question usually isn’t age at all.
It’s fun, and it lasts
Taekwondo is one of the most fun things a family can do. Every class has the same goal: sweat, smile, learn. You see it day in and day out.
That’s why we have martial artists who’ve trained with us since the day we opened. Some of them are masters now.
Four to seven: learning to be a student
Little Ninjas (4 to 5) train once a week. Tigers (5 to 7) train twice a week. They learn to listen the first time, wait their turn, kick with a big yell and earn stripes they can see. (Can a 4-year-old really learn taekwondo?)
Seven to thirteen: the real path
Twice a week, full patterns, colour belt tests and a path to black belt. This is where taekwondo starts becoming part of who they are.
Eleven, twelve, thirteen: not too late
This is when we hear the most doubt. “Everyone else started at five.” It doesn’t matter. Older beginners bring focus, and they belong from day one.
Fourteen and up, and parents too
Our Teens and Adults program is for ages 14 and up. In almost 30 years, I’ve watched a lot of mothers and fathers start alongside their kids, and I’ve never met one who regretted it. They get fitter, sharper and calmer, and they get time with their kids. As an old taekwondo saying goes, a family that kicks together sticks together. (Teens and Adults)
The real question isn’t age
What if I get hurt? What if I don’t like it? What if I’m embarrassed? Those are fear questions. The better ones are what’s holding me back, and why do I think that way?
The martial artists who grow the most are the ones who’ll try anything. Trying new things is a superpower.
So, what’s the best age?
The one you’re at now.
Lao Tzu said a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Here’s my version: the hardest step in taekwondo is the first one out the door on the first day. The rest takes care of itself.
I could sell you on it. I’d rather you come try a class, or start with Taekwondo 101, and let it sell itself.
About the author. Master Milad Bahrami opened Endurance in Port Moody in 2014, and today it’s three schools: Port Moody, Burnaby and Port Coquitlam. Read his story
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