Get More Active (you and your kids)
We`re having an epidemic when it comes obesity problem. Population is also increasingly unfit in addition to being overweight. The problem is particularly alarming as it relates to our kids.
Karate offers many benefits, but when it comes to fitness, becoming a true martial artist means becoming a supremely fit person. When I was practicing boxing or muay Thai kickboxing on a daily basis, I was in the best shape of my life by a long shot. Martial arts can help your child get fit and healthy.
They’ll Find Focus and Stillness
There are many benefits in stillness and silence. Unfortunately stillness and silence seem to be rare to find. At some juncture in life, every one of us comes to learn that the greatest obstacle we face in this lifetime is ourselves. That battle is fought in the stillness of our hearts and the willingness to confront ourselves. Behind the punches, kicks, and knees, a Karateka learns to sit with himself and see where his weaknesses are. Your child will learn what it is to be still, challenged, and focused.
They’ll Learn to Take Hits
In the martial arts, your child will learn what it is to take a hit,whether that hit is a literal blow or a disappointment like failing a test. Part of life is learning to bite the dust. The key is in learning how best to take that hit and get back up. Unfortunately, this lesson seems to be lost on many in our every-kid-gets-a-trophy culture. In Karate, your kid will learn to fail - a lot. Half of martial arts is hitting, but half is also getting hit.
They’ll Gain Self Confidence and Self Respect
I was able to witness firsthand the confidence kids gained by participating in the martial arts. Being able to advance and play with the big kids gave them a tremendous amount of confidence.
Of course, playing with the big kids also gives all of us a little reminder of humility - someone is always bigger and stronger. The right martial arts school will teach your child that there are no tough guys. Every martial artist ultimately learns this sense of respect and true confidence. Your child will learn that confidence and respect for others comes from a deep sense of self-knowledge.
They’ll Connect Their Mind and Body
What they don’t teach you at your local health club is how to really listen to your body. To listen to your body is to also see your thoughts and have heightened awareness of your emotional construct.
A martial artist is taught to see, feel, and listen - both internally and externally. Tapping into intuition, fear, and courage are examples of being able to put the physical together with the mental. How often have we heard the phrase “being paralyzed with fear”? Being able to combat such a thing is what you learn in the martial arts. It applies in any aspect of their lifes.
They’ll Learn Conflict Resolution
People often ask me whether I have ever used my martial arts and boxing training in a fight. Indeed I have used the skills learned from martial arts many times to resolve conflict, but thankfully, never in a physical altercation outside the ring.
One of the first lessons learning martial arts is that words were never grounds for a fight. In the martial arts, your children learn that there is no such thing as “fighting” words. Instead, they learn to respond without reacting in the martial arts.
They’ll Learn to Breathe
Of the many things I have learned in the martial, breathing is near the top. Indeed, nothing is more essential to the success of how we move our body than tapping into the life force of our essence - our breath. Ask a professional athlete, or an actor, dancer, or signer, and they will tell you that to succeed in any physical craft is to access your breath correctly.
In the martial arts your kid will learn the essence of how to breathe and even relax under pressure.
The Take Home - How to Proceed
The bottom line is that almost any child can and will benefit from participation in the martial arts. As to what martial art, it’s honestly not very important. For a typical four o five year old the point is to just get them moving and focused. The key in choosing a Sensei (teacher) or Dojo (school) is to do your due diligence when it comes to evaluating the integrity of the program. As a starting place, You should choose an instructor or coach who talks more about the needs of your child than his program. And more important he must love teaching kids
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