Familial Transmission Of Budo

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[gdandscompserv]

I have two son's that train under me. I often wish they had a more competant sensei, and I try to expose them to many different sensei's through the seminar circuit, but I am their main sensei. While speaking with my youngest about an upcoming event where my sensei will be visiting Washington DC we realized there would be a conflict with his football schedule. I asked him which was more important. After discussing it over a couple of days he said, "It's Yamaguchi sensei! I must go. Anyway, I'll be doing aikido the rest of my life whereas I'll only be doing football for a couple of years." Of course this made me very happy.:D
Just curious as to how many others here on Aikiweb train with their children and how they feel about the familial transmission of budo.

[Chuck Clark]

Ricky, my son was taken into the dojo immediately after birth and he began training at his fifth birthday. Judo, aikibudo, and jodo were pretty much cradle languages for him. He still trains today in judo and aikibudo with me and he also does Shinto Muso ryu and another koryu with Phil Relnick Sensei. He's thirty-six years old and is also training two daughters of his own. And... I should mention that I'm kinda proud of him. He continues to cause me problems that enrich my practice and life which keep me learning and growing. We have a number of families in Jiyushinkai that train together.

Best of luck in your family budo practice.

[gdandscompserv]

Best of luck in your family budo practice.
Thank you Chuck.

[Roman Kremianski]

Don't have kids, but my little brother begged my folks to start Aikido 2 years after I did. Hard to care about Budo when you're 10 years old though. I'm glad you're not pushing your kids, because honestly it does not work.

[philipsmith]

I look at this from the other perspective as the son of the late William Smith Shihan.
Familal transmission is fine as long as it's done in a western context and not as in the way of traditional ryu-ha.
I have seen problems where it is accepted by the instructor that their child will have a senior position as of right or is supressed in an attempt to overcompensate for their relationship.

It is difficult to keep a "professional" relationship on the mat but I think it is essential so that any child (or indeed sibling) forges their own path.