The list of benefits of martial arts for kids could seriously go on forever- that’s why it’s been practiced for thousands of years. But in our eyes, the best 4 benefits are- healthy stress management, discipline and perseverance, better grades, and bullyproof-ness. Pretty cool right? Read on to find out more
1. Stress Less
From juggling unprecedented issues like cyberbullying and social media pressures to making friends in a socially distanced world, kids nowadays are really struggling to manage their stress. Stress happens to everyone, so it’s important early on to teach your child about how to cope with and manage the stresses of day-to-day life- in a constructive way. That constructive outlet is kids karate class.
One of the benefits of martial arts for kids is that it takes place in an environment where kids can not only find a physical outlet for all their energy and worries but can find a mental one, too. Our instructors are ninja-like and sneaky in how they teach important life skills that help your little one succeed outside of the dojo, including stress management. Their life passion is teaching martial arts to your little one, and they pass along their own sense of discipline and perseverance to your little one with every class they attend! This leads us to…
2. Discipline and Perseverance
Stress and challenges are just a part of life- and kids need to be equipped with how to handle them! All humans, including your child, are faced with tough decisions and mountains they need strength to overcome, and kids are no exception! Whether it’s a math test they’re studying for or an audition for a lead role they want to knock out of the park, over the course of their childhood, your little one will need discipline and perseverance to see it through! Martial arts for kids is so fun- trust us!- but it’s not a walk in the park- and that’s intentional.
There will be days when your child doesn’t want to come to class, just like there will be days when they won’t want to practice their instrument – they’ll say they just don’t “feel like” doing either of them. But our world-class instructors teach them how to dig deep and find the self-discipline to keep on keepin’ on. If a student is struggling to break a board, maybe they’re crying or feel like they can’t do it- we’re not giving up on them. All of us, instructors and classmates included, are going to rally around that student and cheer them on. Because they can do it, and when they finally do, they feel absolutely amazing – trust us!
3. Improved Grades
This one always sounds good to parents! One of the biggest benefits of martial arts for kids is that it helps improve your child’s grades. How? Well, as we mentioned, they learn how to self-discipline, which helps them stick it out when doing their homework or during a long school day. But perhaps one of the best benefits of martial arts for kids is that it helps them improve their behavior.
When our students learn how to be still and listen intently to the authority figure in front of them, we see those skills transfer to the classroom. Instead of wiggling in their seats and dividing their attention between the pencil sharpener, the teacher’s instructions, and whatever their deskmate is doing… They give their full attention to their teacher and actually learn better than their peers. Kind of awesome, right? And that self-control and focus are key components of kids karate class that they’ll carry with them for life.
4. Bullyproof
Of all the benefits of martial arts for kids, this one might be the most surprising. We’re really keen on building our students up to be bullyproofed, meaning they gain the confidence they need to stand up for themselves and others in a non-violent way. First, we build their confidence.
As our young martial arts students notice themselves improving in the dojo – perfecting their punches and kicks, gaining better coordination, and learning new moves after lots of practice- they gain the confidence they’ve never had before in being able to accomplish so much!
We also have our students promise to never misuse what they learn outside of class – instead of their fists, they learn that their voice is their weapon. We teach them how to speak confidently and with eye contact to our instructors, their peers, and the classroom bully, to stand up for themselves and others. It’s a really amazing process, and we’re very proud of our Bullyproof kids!
Conclusion
So – did these benefits surprise you? They’re no surprise to us. We see it time and time again- kids walk in the door with behavioral issues, low self-esteem, or difficulty focusing, and they walk out the door with improvement in all these areas and a HUGE smile on their face. These transformations are what we really love about our jobs. Hopefully now you know that the benefits of martial arts for kids go far beyond just self defense- martial arts is more of a mindset, or a way of life, that promotes success far beyond the mat! Check out our life-changing, transformative Kids Karate Class classes right here at our school!