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Notes -
Taekwondo is good. There are a million varieties, sometimes called things like Choikwando, or else wrapped up as Karate. But they're all fundamentally the same package, from the point of view of an American consumer. They have different heritage and will strike and train in different ways, but those details are unimportant. Brazilian Jiujitsu is popular for teenagers and guys in their mid 20s, but everyone I know who does it is always pulling something. Boxing is good for boys, but very particular, and I'm not sure I would put my kids in a sport that hits their heads.
The thing to do is see what's in your area. It makes a great deal of difference who's in charge, and who they're trying to teach to. There are a lot of martial arts programs designed for kids to run around and hit things. You can find those anywhere. In my experience, the best programs are family schools that teach to a wide variety of age ranks and groups. The big problem with a martial art, over a "traditional" sport, is that the path is much less defined. If your kids get into basketball or football or hockey the local schools will have programs that they can show up to and train in and hang out with other kids. There are matches and games and championships and teams. Martial arts isn't like that. Competition is basically solo, and not everyone competes. There's a fast rotation of kids coming in and out as they get busy or bored, and so the crew of regulars who stay becomes particular and real. Which means, in my experiences, the best martial arts studios have children and adults learning together, in the same room, and this bridges most of the problems.
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