Question
my son now just 4 years has been taking tae kwon do now for 8 months. i have quite a few medical texts on the back. I was thinking of applying it to my son. I was thinking to avoid all flexion of the lumbar spine. as it is proven to cause disc bulges. also to try to strenghten or increase the endurance of the gluteus medius to hopefully avoid lower crossed pelvis syndrome i think it is called, not to hyperextend the back, dont punch or kick into air as say after 1 million kicks into air you will have made problems for the joint involved. rather better to use a pad to absorb the kick. Well i do have more thinks i read just cant remember them at the moment. What do you recommend for safety for tae kwon do? thanking you in advance.

Answer
Dear Jii,

In my professional opinion, at 4 years old the body is still developing.  The bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves..etc are very pliable and flexible.  At the age of 4, he won't be generating enough power or strength to really do any harm to his own body.  For safety, just focus on him not getting hit (impacts) or fall.  Flexion and Extension very rarely cause disc bulges.  In general the movement of the back the causes the most problem to the disc is the twisting motion usually executing an improper swing kicks, hook kicks, or any kicks involve rotating the trunk.  

Kicking air is safe as long as the kicks are controlled and not over powered where the knees become hyper-extended.  As for the lower crossed-syndrome, those are only applied to certain muscles in the legs that are tight resulting in the pulling of the lower back into hyper-extension.  In Tae Kwon Do, proper stretching is adequate to prevent this syndrome and also help if one is suffering from it.  

Your son is only 4 years old.  Don't focus too much on developing his endurance or strength.  His body does not have enough or much testosterones or growth hormones to achieve that.  That usually occur during puberty.  Enjoy the time with your son and let him have fun in Tae Kwon Do and allow his body to develope first without any physical pressure.

Any techniques when properly trained and executed will not cause injury.  This is one reason why I integrated Chiropractic into my Tae Kwon Do training and teaching.  In order to train the student safely, knowledge of the human anatomy and biomechanics are a must.  

Good job in doing your research for your son.  My recommendation is to let your son have fun until after puberty.  

Sincerely,

Dr. Man Tran

www.DrManTran.com