wrestling or martial arts…good or bad for ADHD kids?

[Imaginationmom]

Just curious if anyone has their kids in martial arts or wrestling? My son is 6 and has a lot of aggressive/impulsive tendencies. when playing always wants to be the “bad guy”. He will jump on my 3 yo if she does a little thing he doesn’t like and is always punching the air Amir messing with kids. I talked to his therapist and also heard that wrestling and martial arts can be good for kids with ADHD and I think he would love it but I’m just worried that it’s arming him with the tools to actually know how to hurt someone and worried it’s going to cause the aggression to increase so I’m hesitant. Just wondering what others experience was if you put your kids in either of these?

[skating43]

Our son (currently 9) has been in karate since he was 4. We find the structure and discipline of the sport works well for him. In karate - keep in mind there are two distinct methods of training. Kata is purely form and their is no opponent, just yourself. Find a dojo that is well equipped to handle kids - ask around - and try a session or two.

[Hidden]

From my experience and what I am hearing from other parents of kids with ADHD it is good for those kids. My ADHD and non ADHD sons both are doing Karate. It teaches self discipline. Sense is very strict and even throws people out of the lesson if they talk in the class etc. What I noticed - kids respect him and try really hard and obey the rules. He is very fair and he also praises them when they do well.

I know that judo is also very good for ADHD kids.

My friend’s son with ADHD is doing taekwondo (don’t know how to spell it😄) which involves kicks to the head so he has to wear a full armour for this- a head protection helmet with side pads and various pads on his body.

I wonder if with many of those ‘contact’ martial arts it’s a bit of ‘sensory integration’ for kids- they get pressure, they get breathing techniques (at least in Karate) and they get to hold/touch other kids but in controlled way.

[Hidden]

My son has been doing taekwondo for a couple of years. It has been amazing for his concentration and self-discipline. The other kids have been a positive influence on him as well.

[anirush]

Both my grandsons took Taekwondo for years earning black belts. They were lucky to get masters who knew how to deal with special Ed kids. Neither boy used it to attack others. They were told constantly in class that it was wrong. My one grandson had lots of anxiety and he would often have trouble getting out on the floor. They were so patient with him.

[MomofOne13]

I was always hoping to get my son into martial arts for the concentration and discipline but I never got the "buy-in" I needed to feel like it would be successful. We landed on swimming and now that he's 12 he's on a local swim team and the "individuality" of the sports suits him well. I'm still pretty sure he's not really listening to guidance from the coaches, but he's getting great exercise and smiling!

[NYCmom2]

Thanks so much for asking this question! I was wondering the same thing for my 10 year old!

[Onthemove1971]

Our son and my husband are 3rd degree in "ITF" and "Kookiwan". It has been amazing for his self confidence and discipline. I was also able to tell our son if he were to get into trouble I would tell the master and she would speak to him about the need to honor the belts.

Good luck!

[MerryDay]

My older son, 7, has ADHD, ODD, high energy needs and had a period of aggressive behavior that worried me.

We thought about getting him into wrestling or jiu jitsu. We haven't been able to fit either into our schedule yet, but meanwhile, I 'wrestle' with him. Mostly I get him into holds and he struggles to get out of them. He gives me a difficulty level and I try to set the hold accordingly. He loves this and we go until he's exhausted.

It's not made him more aggressive; if anything, I think it's helped him learn that physical play is permissible and enjoyable if everyone's consenting but it's not play at all without permission or if you don't listen when someone says "stop". It definitely lets him practice his muscular control and increases his self esteem.

I do think he'd be learning more from someone other than me and I hope to get him into something physical and routine before too long.

[Imakecutebabies]

Thanks so much for posting this question. I've had the same question and concerns about my son.