Martial Arts for Children – Now more than ever, parents are finding that kids martial arts classes have an incredible effect on their kids, helping them achieve better grades and become more confident people. That’s because martial arts for children is about way more than just punches and kicks. It’s about transforming kids into the best versions of themselves they can possibly be! Read on to find out more about this amazing sport and after-school activity.
Discipline and Success in Kids Martial Arts Classes
Okay, let’s start off with a really important question… What does “success” mean to you? Some people define success through wealth, material goods, the time they spend with their family, or the number of lives they impact, but there’s no one concrete definition. No matter how you slice it, most successful people, like world-famous athletes, celebrities and business leaders, chalk their success up to one key thing- never, ever, EVER giving up.
We often forget that every successful person we see was once a child themselves, and somewhere along the way they turned their talents into lasting success mostly through perseverance. That’s why we teach perseverance and discipline in every single class, every single week. These skills are the foundation of leadership.
Being able to persevere through the rough stuff in life and possess the self-discipline to do what is right, even when it’s hard, makes a person successful. These skills make people kind, compassionate, respectful to others, and they create better community members and industry leaders. Can you see why it’s so critical to establish discipline and perseverance early on? Especially if you want your child to become the most successful versions of themselves, however they define it- you have to lay that foundation ASAP.
Self-discipline and perseverance are critical for performance in school too. That’s why we’ve seen countless students enter their first martial arts class with low grades and behavior problems, and soon experience huge behavioral improvements and get higher grades to boot. Our instructors help them become “indistractable,” listen thoughtfully to their teachers, instructors, parents and peers, and learn how to inspire themselves to do their school work without an adult’s influence. Kind of awesome!
Martial Arts Teaches Kids CONFIDENCE
So over the span of several martial arts classes, we see these kids really transform. They get better grades, push through to achieve their goals, behave like angels- that’s great for us as adults (and, of course, for the kids too). But you probably want to know, how do MA classes benefit your child IMMEDIATELY? What are the short-term benefits to complement those life-long habits of success we’re building? Well, the coolest thing about martial arts is that the punches and kicks, though helpful for sure, are kind of a disguise for something deeper. Martial arts isn’t just a self-defense curriculum.
It’s a tool we use to teach real inner and outer confidence that’s going to help kids right off the bat. Martial arts can be challenging for kids, especially because they’re just starting to learn hand-eye coordination and focus. A confident child is going to persevere at something because they KNOW they can do it. That’s a good thing. An unconfident child is going to persevere because they think they’re dumb, a failure, or that they’re not going to make someone proud. Which is a really bad thing. You have to pair both the discipline and the true confidence to have your child become the best they can be.
So in those moments of struggle (which are inevitable, by the way), our instructors, our instructors come in and teach them how to engage in positive self talk, which is essentially just telling yourself good things. Instead of “I can’t, I’m dumb, I’ll never get it so what’s the point,” we teach our students to say “I can and I will, I’m trying my best, and I will keep going until I achieve my goal.” And the remarkable thing is, this positive self-talk starts to have an actual impact.
The kids become more confident because our instructors get through to them. They see that they can truly do anything they put their mind to (with the right attitude), and they make themselves PROUD every week in class by doing more and more cool things. It’s amazing to see the transformations that occur in kids who start off as shy and unconfident and end up letting their real personalities shine through! One more important topic.
Confidence is REALLY important for helping kids become what we call bully-proof. The bullies at school (and in your child’s own head) don’t stand a chance against a confident child. A confident child isn’t afraid to stand up for themselves and others who are being picked on. Imagine if ALL kids were like this! This is why we strongly believe all children should take martial arts classes. The benefits are honestly endless.
Martial Arts is For EVERYONE
we’ve established how martial arts fosters life-changing success skills in kids, we’ll touch on two other practical benefits. First, another cool thing about martial arts is that it’s a great place for kids who are in other sports, as they’ll learn those life skills that make them a better athlete overall… But it can also serve as a real home for kids who are not so sporty and may feel left out because of it. Because martial arts is an individual sport in a group setting, kids who may be shy about being “not so athletic” don’t have to worry about “letting their team down” or getting picked on.
All they focus on is their own growth and improvement (while they cheer on their peers of course!). And because it’s an individual sport, our students build a better relationship with setting and getting the goals they put their mind to, and recognizing their own achievements. It’s excellent for boosting that confidence in not-so-sporty kids and allowing them to be really proud of themselves in a new way. Now that you understand how martial arts classes build the foundation for life-long success
Don’t forget that martial arts is a form of self defense. Self defense is, in our opinion, absolutely essential for EVERYONE to have in their back pocket, regardless of age, gender, or ability. We always say it’s something you don’t want to have to use, but will definitely wish you learned if you need it. Don’t worry- we don’t make bullies in our program. We teach nonviolent forms of conflict resolution and make it very clear to students that physical self defense should ONLY be used as a last resort. But, if a bully gets violent or an emergency happens, it’s important for your child to know how to protect themselves.
Join Our Kids Classes!
So now you know why we believe that ALL kids should take martial arts classes! Martial arts is an amazing tool we use to teach kids the life-changing skills of discipline, perseverance, and confidence. Plus, it’s a great sport for any child to be proud of their accomplishments and become positive leaders in their community! Get started today with our risk-free trial. Your child will LOVE IT!