How Does Martial Arts Help Children?

How Does Martial Arts Help Children? 
Martial arts is a sector of physical fitness that includes things like jiu-jitsu, taekwondo, and karate. Enjoyed by adults and children alike, the most apparent benefit is the improvement in physical health. Many adults will join martial arts as a way to reach their fitness goals. 

For the same reason, many parents have sent their kids to our classes. As a class member learns and grows, they will see healthy changes in their body including losing fat and gaining muscle. However, there are many other surprising benefits as to why children especially should start martial arts from a young age.
​
Improved Concentration
Martial arts requires concentration and control to improve in the sport. This work is excellent for children, especially at a young age. Children as young as three years old can join our martial arts classes. Should the teacher notice, their mind wandering they will often employ a “ready stance” to get them back on track. 

This stance teaches the child how to refocus when they drift in daily life. Over time it helps the child to realize when they are getting distracted. As they get older, the children will use their own “ready stance” to stay more focused. You can see improvements in concentration during school and even at work as they get older.

Improved Coordination
Martial arts is a sport of repetition and learning. The deliberate and repetitive movements involved in karate can often help kids develop a better understanding of how their body works. Children that struggle with fine motor skills can reap significant rewards from the slow and repetitive movements that the sport employs. 

It's also valuable to children who have a hard time relaxing or sitting still. Hyperactive children can benefit from the mind over matter teachings. Over time, they will understand how to use a calm and focused mind to sit still. 

Self Defense Skills
When a child goes to martial arts, they can have fun while learning new things. However, what the child may not realize in the beginning is that those new things could one day save their life. While wanting the children to have fun, the instructor is also teaching them is how to defend themselves. 

The instructor will always focus on defense teaching that they should never use martial arts to hurt others or start a fight. Our program concentrates explicitly on taekwondo. However, we've designed a curriculum to maximize self-defense skills by incorporating other forms of martial arts. This mixing creates a well-balanced student that gets all the benefits possible from the program.

Energy Release
If you have a hyper child, you know how hard it can be to find an outlet for them. Unlike sports that keep them sidelined, martial arts is all in all the time. This all-in mentality provides an excellent outlet for children who need a way to channel excess energy at the end of the day. While many parents might worry that this energy release could teach them violent behaviors, the instructors are there to help.

As mentioned before, the instructors emphasize each class that fighting should be the last resort. They teach the kids healthy was to channel frustrations as well as how to employ mindfulness and compassion when they are upset. Through the use or bags and boards, children are shown the correct ways they can use their anger or frustration while also working on self-control.

Individually Focused
Though still in a classroom environment, martial arts is individually focused. Each child grows and learns at their own pace and with their own skill set. Children can often be seen helping each other get it right. The children do this because each child is working on his or her personal goals rather than competing against each other. 

Enjoyable for children who aren’t great at “normal” sports like basketball or soccer, this sport allows for as much time as they need rather than one season where they might be on the bleachers. Lastly, it’s also great for children who don’t like the idea of competition and instead desire to better themselves and beat their own goals. 

Overall, children can heal a lot from martial arts. It’s a form of physical activity that teaching mind over matter, self-control, self-defense, coordination, and anger management. Over time, participants will get more in shape both physically as well as mentally. If you are interested in learning more about martial arts for your child, why not come to one of our classes!