Gymnastics good MA training for a kid?

[Newbie]

I was watching T.V. with a bunch of friends and there was an old re-run of "Home Improvement" on. Tim's son wanted to take up a sport. Tim wanted his son to take Karate to develop fighting skills and Jill wanted him to take Gymnastics. I expressed the opinion to my friends that if I had a son and wanted him to develop fighting skills, I would rather see him take Gymnastics than Karate. My friends all looked at me like I was retarded and thought that maybe I was kidding. I assurde them that I was serious and that I consider Gymnasts to be bad-assees. Now, I have never practiced Gymnastics myself and do not have an extensive background in Karate. However, I honsetly feel that the strength, flexibility, and coordination developed in Gymnanstics would make a better foundation than any skills developed in Karate. What do you guys think?

[festiva]

maybe not all karate schools but gymnastics may be better than many ......as always it depends so much on the trainer...

[JaredExtreme]

I think Karate/TKD are good for kids because they teach loads of discipline and patience. Gymnastics better than martial arts?? You might end up with a son batting for the other team if ya know what i mean.

[duchman]

I would rather put my in a good judo/jiu jitsu/wrestling school e. it's more safer than strking and gymnastics.
Plus if he wants to learn how to strike at a later age it's more easy than learning how to grapple at a later ago
There are not much good karate schools in the us, wich are good for self defence and dicipline.
But in japan and holland a lot of karate fighter are badasses

[duchman]

And, imagine wich other biy's would do to him if he was a gymnist.

Kids can be cruel

[bobby_steeles]

how the hell can you think a little kid who does cartwheels is going to be tougher than a little kid who does karate?! even if it's the most useless karate the mini-malls have to offer, it's basically tailored to little kids. that's why it's so sad when you see adults training in those places.
what do you think is a better foundation: 10 years of punching and kicking or ten years of tip-toeing on a balance beam?
i'm with jared extreme on this one. you might as well give your kid a barbie doll.

[Kim Smith]

I started gymnastics when I was 4, I competed in competitions until I was about 13. The gymnatstics has given me great balance, flexibility and upper body strength. All important attributes for BJJ.

[Newbie]

"how the hell can you think a little kid who does cartwheels is going to be tougher than a little kid who does karate?!"

Have you ever watched male gymnasts compete? Look at the physiques on those guys. Also, take into consideration the routines they perform. Put it this way. Most male gymnasts competing at the world class level could probably beat the shit out the average guy their own size if neither they nor their opponent had any martial arts background. Karate guys on the other hand are generally only tough if they have either done something else other than karate or are big, built guys. If a straight karate guy with absolutely no background in any other martial art were to fight his identical twin brother, his identical twin brother could probably beat the hell out of him by just rushing at him with a barrage of spastic punches if the karate guy actually tried to use his karate. The karate guy would probably be in big trouble unless he abandoned his karate training and met the rush with his own barrage of spastic punches, at which point the outcome would be a toss-up. I gave karate a try once and left after one month in disgust. I picked up nothing except bad habits and my time would have been better invested simply lifting weights, running, or even aimlessly wandering the neighborhood with a paper sack over my head bumping into trees and screaming obscenities at the top of my lungs.

[bobby_steeles]

you must be one of those guys that drools over bodybuilder dudes and thinks they can "really whip ass".
twin brother? wtf? you've got some wild imagination there. please don't tell me you still play with action figures...

[Newbie]

bobby_steeles

"you must be one of those guys that drools over bodybuilder dudes and thinks they can "really whip ass"."

As far as bodybuilders are concerned, the strength they have acquired through their training will usually be enough to enable them to defeat the average guy off the street in a fight. When I look at a bodybuilder, I see a big, strong guy that has put a lot of work into his body and I believe that his size and strength should be respected in the case of a confrontation. It has nothing to do with my drool, snot, feces, or any other bodily secretions. I feel no insecurity driven urge to dismiss him as a "musclehead".

"twin brother? wtf? you've got some wild imagination there. please don't tell me you still play with action figures..."

I guess my identical twin brother must be a figment of my "wild imagination." I must have dreamed him up when I was playing with action figures.


JaredExtreme

"Gymnastics better than martial arts??"

Re-read my original post.

"If I had a son and wanted him to develop fighting skills, I would rather see him take Gymnastics than Karate"

It's Gymnastics vs. KARATE, not Gymnastics vs. Martial Arts.

[duchman]

why do you bash karate?

Have you ever seen dutch karate guy's there just as tough as kickboxers and others

[bobby_steeles]

they are not "buff" like those gymnasts.

[Newbie]

Duchman

"Have you ever seen dutch karate guy's there just as tough as kickboxers and others"

Could you please be a little more specific when you say "and others"? As far as karateka being "just as tough" as kickboxers, why is it that traditional karate techniques are not prevalent in the K-1? The day I see guys coming out in traditional karate stances and dismantling the best Muay Thai Kickboxers in the world with traditional karate blocks and reverse punches on a consistent basis under full Muay-Thai rules, I will be convinced that karate is on par with Kickboxing, particularly Muay Thai, as a stand-up fighting art.

Here's a question for you: What is the difference between Fred Ettish and Igor Vovchanchin? Take a real close look at the way they fight and the answer should be obvious. Fred Ettish actually tried to use his Karate.

[Patterson]

I'm really pertrubed about the amount of homophobia in this topic.

[bobby_steeles]

you must be a big fan of "gymnastics"...
go put another rainbow sticker on your car and shut the hell up.