Children's Martial Arts

At the Ann Arbor College of Martial Arts, our children's programs offer unparalleled tools for self-protection, opportunities for personal development, and a solid foundation for focus and self-discipline.

We give our students unparalleled tools to protect themselves while preparing them for life's challenges. Our programs are designed for your child to get home safely - there are no forms, fancy kicks, or techniques that aren't practical for real-life situations. We teach children to be aware of their surroundings and to behave safely. Our curriculum is age- and size-appropriate, allowing every child to avoid dangerous situations and defend against them when necessary. We consistently stress that our system is a self-defense system, not a fighting system. Our students understand that the techniques we teach have the potential to hurt other kids their size and age, and should only be used as a last resort.

Children are the foundation of our future and we want to provide the best tools to ensure their success. We believe success is grounded in the core values of aspiration, compassion, confidence, honesty, and respect. Motivating kids through exercise, personal safety, and discipline is a powerful way to help them foster these values.

Our classes are structured to keep children engaged and learning. Each month, classes will focus on a central theme, with activities chosen to reinforce that theme. Our fun and organized curriculum creates a dynamic where children are continuously rewarded for focus and cooperation.

To further develop our students' skills, we instill a code of respect. This code includes bowing to their instructor and the training space, as an acknowledgment that you are in the moment. We also insist that students address the instructors as "sir,' "ma'am," "Mr.," or "Ms." By adhering to these rules, the etiquette advocated in our class turns into self-discipline and courtesy in their daily lives.

Tigers Program (ages 3-6)

For our youngest students in the Tigers program, we emphasize fun, awareness, hand-eye coordination, agility, and vocalization skills. Utilizing exciting games and obstacle courses, our enthusiastic instructors teach your child how to avoid trouble and physical harm with rolling, dodging, and proper falling techniques. These stimulating games help lay the foundations for more advanced self-defense. As our students grow older and develop a greater control over their minds and bodies, we begin to convey self-defense concepts and techniques, and the appropriate circumstances where they should be used.

Dragons Program (ages 7-10)

As children get older, they gain more freedom than they've had before. This time spent without direct supervision increases the opportunity for danger. In the Dragons program, our primary goal is to teach your child how to get home safely! Our enthusiastic instructors use mock scenarios and exciting activities to teach your child how to avoid trouble with rolling, dodging, and proper falling techniques. We focus on realistic self-defense techniques, physical conditioning, and conflict de-escalation. As physical confrontation should always be a last resort, our instructors address when students should use these techniques.

Youth Program (ages 11-14)

As children move into adolescence, they are exposed to the world with little parental protection against bullies and strangers. In the Youth program, our primary goal is to teach your growing child how to deescalate a potentially volatile situation using and get home safely! Our instructors simulate common scenarios that your child could possibly be exposed to and provide quick solutions that increase the chances of success exponentially. As physical confrontation should always be a last resort, our instructors also address when students should use these techniques.