K.A.M.I Canada · 630 Rivermede Rd, Vaughan
Self-defence classes for kids and teens, ages 5 to 17
Four age groups, Monday to Thursday evenings. Every group trains twice a week. The first class is free, and your child can try it or watch it.
Is Krav Maga right for my child
Children start at five. Classes run 30 to 60 minutes depending on age, twice a week, and the age bands are narrow, so a five-year-old is never training beside a fifteen-year-old. Children are paired by age. The first class is free, and you are welcome to stay and watch it.
The four age groups
JK/SK · ages 5 to 6
5:00 to 5:30 pm, 30 minutes. Short on purpose – that is how long a child this age trains well.
Kids · ages 7 to 9
Grades 1 to 3. 5:30 to 6:15 pm, 45 minutes.
Kids · ages 10 to 12
Grades 4 to 6. 6:15 to 7:00 pm, 45 minutes.
Teens · ages 13 to 17
7:00 to 8:00 pm, one hour.
Group 1 trains Mondays and Wednesdays, Group 2 trains Tuesdays and Thursdays. Pick the pair that fits your week. Adults train Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 8:00 pm, listed alongside every program the school runs.
What actually happens in the class
The class opens with a warm-up, then moves into drills. Children learn to roll forward and backward. They hop over punching shields set a distance apart, and the height goes up as they get better at it. They run at a shield and strike it while shouting. One drill has them run at a wall and smash into it, to work past hesitation.
Technique is taught through games and activities, because that is how children this age hold on to it. Anything done with a partner is paired by age.
The word every child learns
Matte means stop, and children learn it early on. An instructor calls it to end a drill. A child calls it the moment a technique hurts, and the drill stops there. That is how the contact in a kids class stays under control.
The kids program runs on a belt system, so progress is something your child can see.
Schedule and where we are
This timetable takes effect Tuesday, September 1. Classes up to and including Monday, August 31 run on the previous timetable, which is on the full weekly timetable.
| Class | Time | Group 1 | Group 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| JK/SK · ages 5 to 6 | 5:00 – 5:30 pm | Mon + Wed | Tue + Thu |
| Kids · ages 7 to 9 (Gr 1 to 3) | 5:30 – 6:15 pm | Mon + Wed | Tue + Thu |
| Kids · ages 10 to 12 (Gr 4 to 6) | 6:15 – 7:00 pm | Mon + Wed | Tue + Thu |
| Teens · ages 13 to 17 | 7:00 – 8:00 pm | Mon + Wed | Tue + Thu |
We are at 630 Rivermede Rd, Unit 5 (2nd Floor), Vaughan, ON L4K 2H7. Parking is at the building. There are no weekend classes. Phone 416-562-0670.
The first class
What to bring
- Comfortable workout clothes.
- Water.
- Nothing else, the rest is on us.
One free class, no commitment. Your child can take part, or watch from the side and join in the next one. Call 416-562-0670 with your child’s age and we will tell you which group they belong in.
What it costs
| First class | Free |
| Month to month | $200 per month |
| 3-month term | $180 per month, $540 for the term |
| 6-month term | $160 per month, $960 for the term |
| 12-month plan | $140 per month |
| Starter package, one time | $300, covers registration, association and full uniform |
| Single drop-in class | $40 |
| Private lesson, one hour | $120 + tax |
| Family discount | $20 per month off each additional membership |
A drop-in is $40 for one class, so four of them already cost more than a full month of training on the 12-month plan. If your child is coming twice a week, membership is cheaper.
Who teaches your child
Classes are taught by Sergey Baskin, 2nd Degree Black Belt. He is the instructor named against every class on the timetable, the kids classes included. K.A.M.I is the Israeli Krav Maga system the school teaches, and the kids classes run it scaled to what a child can do. There is more about the instructor on the staff page.
K.A.M.I is rated 4.9 out of 5 across 48 Google reviews.
Questions parents ask
Is five too young to start?
No. Five is where we start. The JK/SK class runs 30 minutes rather than an hour, because that is how long a five-year-old trains well, and at that age Krav Maga is taught through games and movement. If your child is four, wait a year. The first class is free either way, so you can see it before deciding.
What if my child is shy?
Common, and it is not a problem. The free first class can be watched instead of taken, so a nervous child can sit at the side, see what a class looks like, and join in when they are ready. Everyone in the room started as a beginner. Sergey runs the class so that it stays a friendly one.
Can I stay and watch?
Yes. Parents are welcome to stay and watch. The first class is free to watch or to try, so if your child would rather see one before joining in, that works too. We are on the second floor at 630 Rivermede Rd, Unit 5, and parking is at the building.
Is there contact?
Yes, controlled. Children strike pads and punching shields, and pair up to work through the technique they have just been shown. Every child learns one word early on: Matte, which means stop. An instructor calls it to end a drill, and a child calls it the moment a technique hurts. Sparring comes later, and needs its own gear.
How are the children paired up?
By age. Classes are split into narrow bands, 5 to 6, then 7 to 9 for Grades 1 to 3, then 10 to 12 for Grades 4 to 6, then 13 to 17, so your child is never training against someone years older. Inside the class, children are paired according to their age for anything done with a partner.
My child has never done a martial art. Is that a problem?
No experience is needed and none is expected. Classes are open to all fitness levels and training backgrounds, and no prior knowledge of Krav Maga is required. The kids program runs on a belt system, so your child starts at the beginning with everyone else and can see their own progress as they move up.
What does it cost, and is the first class really free?
The first class is free. One class, no commitment. After that, membership is $200 a month month-to-month, $180 a month on a 3-month term, $160 a month on a 6-month term, or $140 a month on a 12-month plan. A one-time $300 starter package covers registration, association and the full uniform. Each additional membership in the same family is $20 a month less.
Book the free class
Tell us your child’s age and we will tell you which group and which evening.