If you have a son
and especially if you have a daughter.

Put them in some *expletiving* martial arts classes as soon as you can. Find the money. Find something financial to sacrifice, or otherwise you'll find them beating their hands to shreds against a brick wall some day.

I'm not joking.

Message me if you found value in this and want to know what styles I'd suggest.

You sound a little angry young man. I raised 3 kids. Now 28,32 and 35.
None of them ever took martial arts, nor have they "shredded" their hands. What seems to be the problem?

Am I to put my 7 year old daughter in Martial Arts as a means of protection from others or herself? I'm confused.

I'm not claiming it as an absolute... I wouldn't know how. And I will not defend that I am not an angry young man.

Martial arts teaches kids how to avoid fear and use their bodies as the natural gifts they are.

My step-brother has been studying Capoeira for years. And he's a huge dude. To watch him work his anger through a "dance-style" of "Afro-Brazilian" style is brilliant.

Jiu-Jitsu.
No.
You're meant to do nothing.
My suggestion is what I impose, and nothing more.

Martial arts is very good for people of all ages. My step-son took Tae Kwon Do and it was beneficial for him. He was (maybe still is, I don't know as he lives far away now) a cutter.

i used to shred my hands...have broken them both, actually. i had a lot...going on as a kiddo. the second best thing my mom did for me was putting me in martial arts. the best was moving me in with my older brother with whom i trained for six hours a day, every day.

it saved me...literally. the discipline carries with me still. i'm hoping like hell i'm going to be able to get the girls in soon.

I'm going to just support your position... 'cause I'm kinda sure you could kick my *** with all that training.

But, no, seriously; thank you for your contribution.

And also thanks to you, "Ruth..." for sharing. Truly.

I worry sometimes that people can't tell when I'm being genuine or sarcastic... but I'm being serious right now. Thank you both for looking through my message.

I was young & I had 2 girls.........never got Married I worked 2 jobs I did noy have the money to put my girls in anything Luckly there was a program in my town that allowed my girls to join after school! That was yrs ago I think they charge for it now. Anyway my girls turned out pretty good! Both graduated, both working & on they're own!

Teaching a child to try to fight their way out of situations is a dangerouse false sense of security because there is no martial art that is faster than a bullet and many of todays kids can put there hands on a gun at a moments notice. What is smarter is teaching a child to avoid dangerous situations and how to control their mouth and their situation before it gets out of control.

A little bit of skill or even a lot does not mean your child won't have to fight but if they are trained to dominate it can actually hurt them if they get into a bad situation and actually hurt another person.

I believe every child should be trained how to deal with difficult people and have conversations when an adult should be brought in. What to do in emergencies. How to spot trouble as it developes. How to defuse volital situations. Or back down, even when they know they are in the right, so that they can avoid serious consequences.

i make my nephews fight till one gets knocked out. its the same thing

paul used to lose all the time so i let him use a knife. now jim gets whooped every time, but if i give jim a knife too, he`ll win every time. so how can i make the fight fair.

or should i take the knife off paul and conserntrate on getting jim to a good level of arse kicking, so he can start fighting my pit bull when jim finaly turns 6years old next year?

i realy dont know so please help pancake man

Self defense is not the point of martial arts.

my 6 year old has been in jujitsu for 2 years

My son son also took it as a child. He even showed me some of the moves. The cutting is an addiction that can be broken. My son also used to cut but hasn't for several years.

I'm glad to hear your son is doing better. It's a scary thing for a parent to see.

Yes, it is heart wrenching. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It is something that is happening more than most of us would ever imagine with the majority of cutters being girls.

My mom was a cutter as a teen. I never was, but I had other ways of hurting myself. People don't understand why they do it. But, the pain you feel when you cut is a relief from the pain you feel on the inside.

Firsty, Ruth and pkd, thank for being so open about your situations.

I'm 22.

I used to do lots of cutting. Martial arts and meditation helped me focus my nervous energy.

I am a pancake man the way water flows through the empty vessel, unexpectedly and openly.

You see, you got the order all wrong.

Usually, children with sociopathic tendencies START by fighting or torturing the dog or other animals.

I would suggest using the blunted, wood blades they carry in women's self-defense classes.

Your comment reminded me of a certain scene in "Redbelt" when this young woman, who is a pill addict, comes to her first Jiu-jitsu class and her teacher tells her to "just sit, first."

She apologizes and explains she just doesn't feel as if there's anything that she can learn here.

He tells her that "... there is no situation you cannot turn to your advantage. There is no situation you cannot escape from."

She starts crying and explains that a man raped her. A man twice her size found her in an alley, held a knife to her neck and raped her.

She starts walking out.

The teacher says, "He held a knife to you?"

Still in tears, she says, "Yes." as she's walking out of the training center.

He goes... "Oh, like this?" And puts her in a rear naked choke and holds the traditional red, blunted, wooden knife against her throat.

She struggles at first, terrified.

He says, "Don't move - there's a knife there. Now go to your right and under me."

She does.

He says, "Stab me with the knife."

She jabs at him with it, still almost petrified with fear.

He starts screaming, "Stab me with the knife!"
She starts really digging this wood piece into his chest until he lets her go and she almost collapses out of the suffering she'd endured internally up to that point from having been raped, stripped, made impotent and powerless by a stranger.

He says, only, "Don't worry. It's okay. There's no one here but the fighters."

Any discipline that can be followed or a creative outlet can be of help. My son turned to writing lyrics and playing guitar. Glad you don't cut anymore.