Little Ninjas karate (ages 3–5) at our Gilmer martial arts academy

Little Ninjas Karate in Gilmer, TX — Martial Arts for Ages 3–5

A first karate class for three, four and five year olds at our Buffalo St academy in Gilmer — the class a small child can start before they are old enough for anything else we run.

FREE TRIAL Call 903-494-7040 Gilmer map ↗

Where the Gilmer program happens

202 Buffalo St, Gilmer, Texas 75644

Google Maps ↗Call 903-494-7040

The class a Gilmer three year old can start now

Little Ninjas is our Gilmer academy's class for children aged three to five, and it meets at 202 Buffalo St. It is karate taught at a small child's pace — a bow in, a game that is really a warm-up, one stance or one block at a time, a turn with a partner, a bow out — and it is the start of the same karate curriculum our kids, teens and adults classes work through.

In a small town, a child's first activity is usually decided by what is already running. Little Ninjas exists for the family whose three or four year old is too young for team sign-ups and not in school yet. There is no season to wait for and no equipment to buy before the first class.

The class is also where a lot of Gilmer children first learn to be in a room with other children and one adult who is not their parent. Listening, following an instruction, standing in a line, handing the next turn back — that is most of what a three year old is being taught, repeated and praised the way the karate is.

Our Gilmer building runs the after-school program for students from Gilmer, Harmony and New Diana schools, and it runs the kids, teens and adults classes as well. Little Ninjas is its own class for the youngest students rather than part of the after-school program, so a parent brings their Little Ninja to the academy. If there is an older child in the after-school program and a three year old at home, the two share a building, which is why many families here start when they do.

Karate is a martial art, and this is where it begins in Gilmer: a stance, a block, a count, a belt to work toward. What a five year old can do on this mat after a year of it is impressive to watch.

Gilmer parents

Who Little Ninjas in Gilmer is for

It is for children aged three, four and five — including the three year old whose parents have been told elsewhere to come back when they are older. It is also for the four year old who is the youngest of several and has spent their life watching from the side of a mat. If your child is six, ask about the kids class.

It is for parents who are not sure it will work. Plenty of Little Ninjas are nervous at the start: some will not let go of a hand, some cry at the door, some run onto the mat and forget their parent is there. Every one of those is normal, none is a reason to wait another year, and a parent can stay and watch.

And it is worth saying plainly what the class is not. It is not a school-readiness program and we make no academic claims for it. It does not fix behaviour at home, and it does not treat or improve any medical or developmental condition — we are not qualified to promise that. It is a karate class, and the honest gains are the ones a parent can watch: a child who stands still when asked, who waits a turn, who is a little braver at the edge of the mat.

Little Ninjas are not part of XMA, weapons training or competition teams either. Those are open to students in the kids, teens and adults classes at all three of our academies, and they are not offered to the three to five year old class.

Inside the class

What a Little Ninjas class in Gilmer looks like

Sit at the side of the mat and this is what you will see.

A bow, and finding a spot
Class starts with a bow and the children find their place. In the first weeks that takes a while, and standing still in a line is the first real skill being taught.
A warm-up dressed as a game
Running, hopping, animal walks, chasing a partner to a count. Coordination, balance and a first bit of stamina, without a single lap that feels like punishment.
One technique at a time
A stance, then a block, then a strike from that stance. The instructor demonstrates, the class copies, and the correction is usually a single word. Nothing new is added until the first piece holds.
Turns with a partner
Children work in pairs on a pad or a simple drill, then swap. Waiting for a turn is harder than any technique at this age, so it is taught on purpose rather than assumed.
A parent in the room
You can watch the whole class from the side of the mat. Nobody moves you to a waiting room. That is how you find out whether your child loves it, and it beats any description on a page.

We do not put class days or times on this page — a schedule on a website goes stale quietly. Call 903-494-7040 and we will tell you exactly what is running for Little Ninjas in Gilmer right now.

Getting started

How a Gilmer family starts Little Ninjas

01
Book the free trial
Every ProComp academy offers a free trial class, Little Ninjas included. Sign up at procompsma.com/register.php, or call 903-494-7040 and we will set it up.
02
Come to 202 Buffalo St
Come a few minutes early so your child can see the room before class. Comfortable clothes are fine to start with; ask us if you are not sure. Tell the instructor if your child is shy or having a hard day — they will not be the first.
03
Watch, then decide
Sit where your child can see you. There is nothing to sign to try a class. If it fits, enroll at procompsma.com and we will get your Little Ninja back on the mat.

BOOK A FREE TRIAL Enroll Here ↗Call 903-494-7040

Questions parents ask

Gilmer Little Ninjas questions, answered

What ages are in the Little Ninjas class in Gilmer?

Three to five. The kids class starts at six, so a five year old moving up is a step rather than a jump, and both classes run in the same Buffalo St building.

Is Little Ninjas part of the after-school program?

No. The after-school program is for school-age students from Gilmer, Harmony and New Diana schools and runs in the afternoon. Little Ninjas is its own class for three to five year olds and a parent brings their child to it. Call 903-494-7040 and we will explain how the two fit together if you have children in both.

My four year old is nervous around new adults. Should we wait a year?

Not necessarily. Nerves are the ordinary state of a three or four year old meeting a new adult in a new room, and our instructors teach this age all the time. Come to the free trial, stay at the side of the mat, and tell the instructor beforehand. Some children need a few weeks; that is fine.

Do Little Ninjas do XMA, weapons or competition teams?

No. Those are open to students in our kids, teens and adults classes and are not offered to the three to five year old class. Little Ninjas work on the basics of karate at their own pace.

Can an older brother or sister train at the same time?

Kids, teens and adults classes run at 202 Buffalo St as well, so a family can often make one trip of it. Call 903-494-7040 and we will tell you how the Little Ninjas class sits against the older classes on the current schedule.

More at our Gilmer academy

Keep reading about Gilmer

Kids Karate in Gilmer (Ages 6–11)

Where a Little Ninja goes next: the class for six to eleven year olds in the same Buffalo St building.

Karate classes in Gilmer, TX

The full Gilmer academy page — all five programs, address, map, and phone.

Ask us about Little Ninjas in Gilmer

One phone call answers the questions this page can't: current class days, what to wear, and how the Little Ninjas class fits around an older child's after-school or evening class.

CALL 903-494-7040 ENROLL HERE ↗

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