When I first walked into a martial arts school in the early nineties, I was thirteen years old. My oldest brother, Mike (in his mid-twenties at the time) took me there so we could train together. We arrived during the Combat Hapkido class looking to join. Every student training looked to be at least eighteen. Many were in their twenties and thirties, some much older.

After speaking with the instructor, my brother was allowed into the class. I was told I wasn’t old enough, but I could try the Taekwondo class. The Combat Hapkido class was for adults only, but the Taekwondo class allowed youth students in the program. I spent about a year in the Taekwondo class and proved I was mature enough to join the Combat Hapkido class, but with the knowledge that I would be the smallest and youngest and there would be no holding back on me.

Flash forward to today (2023), and many of the people I speak to about entering a martial arts program have the same response, “I thought martial arts was just for kids?” It’s a frustrating response. When did this change from martial arts being more for adults to being seen as more for kids? Or has it always been seen as more for kids, and I just not experience that until recently?

Looking back through history, martial arts training was primarily practiced by adults. That’s not to say that kids were not allowed. Many instructors began teaching their children at fairly young ages. But overall, martial arts were for personal defense and military combat. Not something a child needed. That changed, however, at the turn of the twentieth century.

As noted in John Sells book, Unante, an Okinawan, Itosu Yasutsune, was one of the first to regularly train school-age children. Eventually implementing his form of Karate into the elementary schools in Okinawa. Many of his students, such as Hanashiro Chomo, Yabu Kentsu, and Funakochi Gichin had also began teaching youth. Spreading Karate into mainland Japan and into Japan’s school systems.

The main reason for its entry into the school system was not necessarily for self-defense or fighting though. The primary reason was due to the physical fitness elements. Many of the deadly techniques found in the kata were not directly taught or in some cases altered for youth. The emphasis being fitness and kata training. It’s largely due to this and the above-mentioned Karate masters that Karate spread worldwide and developed into what we know today.

With this more widespread, kid friendly, version of Karate and eventually Taekwondo and other arts, provides two different training methods of training the same art. What I teach my youth students isn’t exactly the same as what I teach my adults. The focus for youth is more about building confidence, body control, and teaching tenets such as courtesy, integrity and perseverance. Whereas with adults, I’m more focused on the physical. Mobility, flexibility, self-protection, and balance.

This opened the doors to more students to train. And with more potential students, the option to make a business out of martial arts became a reality. Anecdotally, I didn’t know more than a couple full-time martial arts schools back when I first started. Today, just in my current city, there are numerous full-time schools. Those that focused more on adults generally had a small student base that only trained for a set hour or two a couple evenings each week, if that. Allowing youths to train allows more hours, more income and new unique challenges for instructors.

Attempting to acquire and retain a large adult base is frustratingly difficult. Life happens. Marriage, children, job changes, schedule changes, health issues, and money issues are all things that can derail an adults training. This isn’t as big of an issue with children. Therefore, targeting children is what supplies the income for many traditional schools.

Kids are much easier to recruit as students compared to adults. Not to mention that most equipment sales go to youth. Advertising gets shifted towards youth more than adults these days. And with more time slots given to youth classes, that pushes adult classes to later times and fewer options for many schools. It’s unfortunate as most of the instructors I know would prefer to teach adults as it’s less restrictive and the instructor can join in on sparring. But it’s rare that adults keep the lights on for a traditional martial arts school.

More adults should be training in traditional martial arts. While the sport related martial arts tend to draw in the adults more often. All versions and styles of martial arts should be heavily populated by adults. There are far too many benefits to overlook. Below is a small list of benefits that most don’t think about when it comes to training in the martial arts.

Learning how to fall. Not only do many injuries come from falls during physical altercations, but as we get older, it’s a real danger. It doesn’t just take longer to heal from a broken bone, but a broken hip can be deadly for those of advanced age. Learning how to fall correctly can be lifesaving. Most martial arts schools teach proper falling techniques at the beginner ranks.

Physical activity and mental sharpness. Lack of physical activity is among the quickest ways to age prematurely and destroy one’s health. And those who stay physically active on a regular basis tend to make smarter food choices as well. Learning any new skill, especially one that’s fairly complicated, can keep one’s mental abilities sharp. This too can promote better decision making in life and career.

Sense of community. To quote Henry David Thoreau from his book, Walden, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation”. It’s sad but true. Many of us tend to keep our heads down, get our work done to pay the bills. Then go home to relax either alone or with family before doing it all again the next day. Adults have a much harder time acquiring friends and social communities to be a part of than kids do. Most of the time, it’s just coworkers that fill the friend’s gap. Martial arts bring about a great sense of community with like-minded individuals who are incredibly supportive. Something we all need but not all of us have.

Networking. Have a business or job that requires new clients? Advertising is expensive. Joining a martial arts studio is quite reasonable, if not cheap, and gets you meeting and talking to potential new clients on a regular basis. I’ve hired a number of students over the years for things I can’t do myself. People tend to hire those who they know and trust. A martial arts program is ripe for cultivating these types of relationships.

Enjoyable hobby with added benefits. Lastly, it’s just plain fun. How often do we as adults go out and have fun with a physical hobby that doesn’t involve drinking and eating to excess? Plus, the added benefit of learning self-defense, or competing if inclined, makes this an enjoyable but useful hobby that will provide a challenge for the rest of your life.

While many martial arts schools cater to children to pay the bills and provide lifelong students, adults aren’t just allowed to train, they should be heavily encouraged to do so. The benefits are just too great.