Why I Do Not Teach Children

Wing Chun is an emergent style geared toward application in self-defense.  It is necessary to teach and practice offensive techniques such as punching, eye-pokes, groin strikes, and kicks.

I find teaching young children to do these things distressing.  A six-year old child has only barely developed empathy – the recognition other people experience the same emotions and have their own thoughts and feelings.  Wellman and other psychologists call this “cognitive empathy” or “theory of the mind development”.  (“The Development of Empathy: How, When, and Why”, by Nicole M. McDonald and Daniel S. Messinger, University of Miami Department of Psychology. )

It can be counterproductive to have children kick, punch and perform even more offensive moves toward each other at an age when they have just begun to grasp how this might emotionally affect their training partner.  Throw in a little parental and coach competition pushing, and things get ugly and incorrect lessons can be learned.

We should not coddle children.  Falling is a natural part of learning balance.  However, intentionally setting up contentious moments goes against the claims of quality sports and martial arts are supposed to teach.  There are things we can teach young ones.  How to fall and roll, balance and gymnastic skills, stranger-danger are valuable lessons and great foundations for later martial art skills.  Kata or forms can also be taught, and while they may include punches and kicks, they are not directed at a child partner.  They can be viewed as vague ideas, taking on the structure of dance.

Wing Chun is inherently tactile and learned by interaction with partners.  Wing Chun has only a few forms.  The forms are long and intricate.  Young ones have not yet developed the concept of delayed gratification.  The result tends to be that young children become disillusioned and frustrated, and end up preferring not to train.  They give up.

If you are determined to have your child learn Wing Chun, I suggest you start by having them take gymnastics, and perhaps dance classes.  These will give them balance, coordination, and pattern study without the complications of learning aggressive behaviors, as well as preparing them for the study of Wing Chun when they are more mature.