A science-backed guide for KRMA families

Parents often ask us:
“How many martial arts sessions per week does my child need to progress well?”

At KRMA, our programmes are intentionally structured with session lengths appropriate to each age group:

• Dragon Tots (ages 3–5) – 30 minutes

• Junior & Senior Dragons, Elite Dragons, Black Dragons (ages 5–14) – 45 minutes

• Adults & Traditional Karate (ages 14+) – 60 minutes

• Weapons classes – 30 minutes

Across all age groups, the research is remarkably consistent:

⭐ Students develop best when training at least twice per week.

Here’s why....supported by credible, peer-reviewed scientific findings.

🧠 1. The Science of Skill Learning: Why Frequency Matters

Motor skill development, whether it’s a front kick, a kata sequence, or basic coordination, relies on how often the brain receives the stimulus.

Distributed practice leads to far better skill retention than once-a-week “massed practice.”

This is one of the most robust findings in motor learning science.

Key Scientific Evidence

• Lee & Genovese (1988) conducted a major review on motor learning and found that skills practised multiple times per week were learned faster and retained significantly better than skills practised once weekly.
  Source: Lee, T. D., & Genovese, E. D. (1988). Distribution of practice in motor skill acquisition. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 59(4), 277–287.

• Schmidt & Wrisberg (2008) state that to counter the forgetting curve, complex skills should be revisited after no more than 3–4 days, which aligns perfectly with twice-a-week martial arts training.
  Source: Schmidt, R. A., & Wrisberg, C. A. (2008). Motor Learning and Performance. Human Kinetics.

What this means for martial arts:

A student training once per week has to “re-learn” large parts of the skill each time.
A student training twice a week continues building the same neural pathway, leading to faster mastery.

This is especially true for younger children with developing brains, such as Dragon Tots and Junior Dragons.

🧒 2. Youth Development Research Supports 2–3+ Weekly Sessions

Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD), used globally in youth sport science, identifies “windows of trainability” where children are primed to develop coordination, balance, agility, and speed.

LTAD recommends:

• 2–3+ skill-based sessions per week for children ages 5–12

• Maintaining consistent exposure to reduce regression

Key Scientific Evidence

• Balyi, Way & Higgs (2013) emphasise that children need frequent skill exposure during early learning phases for the most effective neural and physical development.
  Source: Balyi, I., Way, R., & Higgs, C. (2013). Long-Term Athlete Development. Human Kinetics.

This reinforces your class structure:

• Dragon Tots (30 mins) → Little bodies, short attention spans, high neuroplasticity

• Juniors & Seniors (45 mins) → Critical window for coordination and timing

• Elite & Black Dragons (45 mins) → Refinement years requiring higher frequency

• Adults (60 mins) → Longer sessions allow deeper technical work

Across all of these groups:

Two or more exposures per week ensures skills are reinforced before they fade.

💪 3. Neuromuscular Adaptation: The Body Learns Through Repetition

Kicking, striking, balance, and footwork depend on the neuromuscular system developing efficient firing patterns. This requires regular weekly stimulation.

Key Scientific Evidence

• The NSCA (National Strength & Conditioning Association) states youth athletes need 2–3 weekly sessions to create meaningful neuromuscular adaptations involving balance, speed, and technique.
  Source: Lloyd et al. (2014), NSCA Position Statement on Youth Resistance Training.

• Behm et al. (2008) show that technical skills improve fastest when the neuromuscular system is challenged several times per week, not sporadically.
  Source: Behm, D. G., et al. (2008). Neuromuscular adaptations review. Sports Medicine, 38(7), 531–545.

For martial arts, this directly applies to:

• Timing drills

• Coordination drills

• Kicking form

• Kata memory

• Reaction work

• Weapons handling

Once-per-week students simply do not provide the body enough stimulus to build these adaptations.

🥋 4. Martial Arts–Specific Studies Support Higher Frequency Training

While broader motor-learning science already supports frequent training, combat-sport research shows the same.

Key Scientific Evidence

• Chaabène et al. (2014) found that karate athletes—youth and adults—develop technical speed and reaction time through repeated weekly exposure, not occasional practice.
  Source: Chaabène, H., et al. (2014). Physiological and performance characteristics of karate athletes. Sports Medicine, 42(10).

• Bridge et al. (2014) showed taekwondo kicking performance improves significantly with multiple technical sessions per week.
  Source: Bridge, C. A., et al. (2014). Physical profiles of taekwondo athletes. Sports Medicine, 44(6).

These findings strongly support why KRMA recommends training at least twice per week for stable development.

🧘 5. Flexibility and Mobility Improve Only With Consistent Weekly Practice

Especially relevant to martial artists:

• The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends 2–3+ days per week of stretching or mobility work for measurable flexibility gains.
  Source: ACSM Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (2022).

This directly supports:

Students attending once per week will not see meaningful improvements in flexibility or kicking height.

⭐ Putting It All Together: Why “Twice a Week” Is the Gold Standard

Across all research fields:

✔ Motor learning
✔ Youth athletic development
✔ Neuromuscular adaptation
✔ Martial arts physiology
✔ Flexibility science

The conclusion is consistent:

Training once per week is enough to participate, but not enough to develop.
Training twice per week is the minimum proven dose for real progress.
Three times per week or more accelerates skill, confidence, fitness, and discipline.

This reinforces KRMA’s approach to structured, age-appropriate class durations and progression across all levels from Dragon Tots to Adults.