What is the age appropriate for a child to learn martial arts, like aikido or karate?

Aikido is more complicated and requires more practice than karate to master it so generally aikido is not open to pre-teens. Aikido is %26#039;the thinking persons martial art%26#039;, whereas karate is populated by %26#039;punch and kick%26#039; types.|||My husband teaches Aikido, and his classes start at age 4.|||that depends on the child and the classes offered. Some classes don%26#039;t take kids until 4-6, others might start at 3. Why it also depends on the child as well is some children aren%26#039;t ready for such activities in the area of balance, coordination and also authority.|||Some places have classes for kids as young as 4. My husband and I plan on getting our son in around age 5-6.|||They can start early, like 4or 5|||My son is 6 and I wish I would have started him at east a year ago. He%26#039;s a %26quot;stunt man%26quot; kid. Full of energy too. I think a Karate class would be perfect for him.|||I started martial arts (Shaolin Kempo) when I was 6 years old and I got my first degree black belt when I was 12 and my 2nd degree black belt when I was 16. I quit when I found out I was pregnant when i was 18. I would love to start it up again, but I need to find a school that is right for me in Los Angeles... The school that I was with for 12 years had a class for 4 and 5 year olds (which I taught) and then the kids class was 6-12/13. I think that the earlier the better for martial arts training because it teaches children a lot of self control and dicipline and it is proven that it helps kids do better in school. Also it%26#039;s better to start them when they%26#039;re 4 or 5 becase then they are acclimated to it when they move up to the kids classes. It%26#039;s hard to place a begginer 6 year old in a class with kids as old as 13... I know from my personal experience on that one... Karate definately helpped me, my parents never forced me to do it but I always loved it. It definately helpped shape me into the person I am today. My daughter is only 2 years old, but I plan on starting her in martial arts when she%26#039;s 4.