Beyond physical fitness, parents hope such lessons will help their children build confidence, discipline and resilience.
Kravist head instructor Edwin Peng conducts a Krav Maga class for children. (Image: CNA)
Kravist head instructor Edwin Peng conducts a Krav Maga class for children. (Image: CNA)
SINGAPORE: For the past six years, 12-year-old Brandon Yap has been learning Krav Maga, a martial art focused on self-defence in real-world situations.
His mother, Amanda Yap, enrolled him in the lessons hoping they would help him become fitter and more disciplined, while equipping him with practical skills to protect himself.
“We live in a very unpredictable world, you never know when something bad might happen to you,” she told CNA.
“From a young age, I want him to be equipped with the skills he needs so if ever one day he meets a bad (situation), at least he's able to protect himself.”
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She believes these skills will become increasingly important as her son grows older and becomes more independent.
“I don't need any skills that are showy. I don't need him to win competitions. I just (want) really practical self-defence skills,” she said.
“As he grows older, where he goes and who he hangs out with … is less and less beyond a parent's control. So definitely, I feel that self-defence skills will be important.”
Ms Yap is among a growing number of parents in Singapore signing their children up for self-defence lessons, with several gyms reporting rising demand in recent years.
MORE PARENTS SIGNING KIDS UP
At Kravist, where Brandon trains, enrolment among children aged six to 12 has been growing steadily.
The Tai Seng gym now runs 11 classes across its youth division, up from about six when training resumed after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sign-ups are particularly common among children preparing to enter a new school environment, such as six-year-olds moving from kindergarten to primary school, and 12-year-olds transitioning to secondary school.
Its founder and head instructor Edwin Peng said many new children trainees tend to be soft-spoken or less outgoing, with parents hoping the classes will help them build confidence and self-esteem.
“They're going to meet new friends, new teachers. I guess the parents' approach is to hopefully help them get ready for the big change in environment,” he said.