Downingtown Preschool Martial Arts, In-Person Classes!

Physically

Generally, 3 and 4 year old children typically have low tone and poor hand-eye-coordination.

• We expect them initially to drop their arms when punching and fall when kicking or jumping. We also expect them to have no concept of spatial awareness, therefore they will drop things that are thrown to them and bump into people and obstacles often.
• The goal for our program is to get them to punch without dropping their arms; kick without falling; jump without falling; and catch objects thrown from various directions and distances.

Intellectually

3 and 4 year old kids typically have a limited vocabulary therefore learning is normally limited to visual and kinesthetic activities.

• We expect them to initially lose focus when activities are over-complicated. We also expect them to struggle with commands that have more than two instructions.
• The goal for our program is to get them to follow verbal commands with no visual demonstration. Also, our goal is for them to remember rules and commands without being reminded.

Emotionally

Typically, 3 and 4 year olds have strong preferences and fears therefore they will normally act out of bounds when their emotions get out of control.

• We expect them to run off the mat when they have anxiety. We also expect them to shut down when something either scares them or doesn’t go their way.
• The goal for our program is to help them follow directions and persevere through an activity even if they are initially emotional.

Socially

Due to their limited vocabulary, a 3 or 4 year old child’s common form of communication is mainly physical and they are typically very self-centered.

• We expect them to mock each other, such as falling when their classmate falls. We also expect them to crash into things when they are excited.
• The goals for our program are to help them build good social skills such as spatial awareness; not interrupting when others are talking; and taking turns properly.

By understanding the stages of development of 3 and 4 year olds, we are able to select 8 age-appropriate skills that make up the Early SKILLZ Program:

1. KICKING
2. PUNCHING
3. BLOCKING
4. CRAWLING
5. HOPPING
6. ROLLING
7. RUNNING
8. CATCHING

An initial reaction may be to ask, “How are these martial arts skills?”

We meet the children where they are on the 4 stages of development. For example, Crawling (on hands and feet, not the knees) builds arm and core strength. Hopping builds leg strength and coordination. Catching teaches spatial awareness which is critical not just for martial arts but for virtually all sports. Our goal is not simply to provide your children with an activity or another sport, but to bring them to the top 5% for their age by the end of the program in each of the 4 stages (Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, & Social).

As you can see, we take Martial Arts training to a whole new level! We use early elements of traditional Martial Arts curriculums to build skills that are appropriate for 3 and 4-year olds. This means that your child will learn and grow at a pace that is not too easy, nor too challenging. The best part is the Early SKILLZ program will equip your child with skills that they will utilize in every area of their life!