Why is Martial Arts the Best Workout For Kids?

Martial arts is a workout that combines mental and physical concentration to achieve results. Today our kids are spending less time running around outdoors and more time inside with their attention solely on the television, phones, and video games. Martial arts allows your children to physically engage and mentally focus on their instructor, form, and classmates. Here’s why martial arts is the best workout for your children to begin! 

Safe Practice:

Parents always have the same #1 concern when it comes to activities that their children are involved in - safety. In martial arts classes, your child will safely be taught different techniques that they will practice on their own many times before engaging with classmates. Instructors provide hands-on guidance to show your child the safest way to master each move. Children are more likely to get injured in sports which contain weight training because their muscular systems are underdeveloped. In martial arts, your child won’t be running for a ball with a high risk of collision either with a teammate or a piece of equipment. Your child will be using their own inner strength to master techniques. 

Setting and Achieving Goals:

Your child will learn the benefits of setting and achieving goals. Their hard work and discipline will allow them to achieve goals that they set out to reach. They won’t be handed a new belt after each class. Your child will have tactile objects that symbolize their martial arts journey (the belts) but they will only receive these after months of hard work. They will learn that hard work and dedication makes achievements even more outstanding. This will reinforce your children to understand dedication in other areas of their lives. Saving up for a fun toy may take chores and many weeks of allowance, but they will find the feeling of purchasing something on their own is well worth the wait. Getting an A on a test doesn’t come without studying hard. Your child will be even happier with an A after taking the time to study. They will learn the importance of taking time to achieve through their martial arts training!

Get Back up After Getting Knocked Down:

Part of martial arts is learning how to overcome failure. Not all sparring ends in a win, therefore students need to be trained to take a loss with pride and funnel this feeling of disappointment into gain for their future. Your child’s martial arts training will also help them with handling other disappointments in their lives. From doing poorly on a test, losing a board game, or when things just don’t go right, they will have the skills needed to understand and deal with their disappointment in a healthy way. They’ll learn to use their disappointments as fuel to overcome and eventually succeed!

Respect:

In martial arts one of the main values taught is respect. Your child will start and end each of their classes bowing at their instructor. This bow is a symbol of respect. Your child will learn the importance of respecting their teachers and parents as well as all other adults in their lives. They will also learn important teamwork skills, listening skills and conflict resolution skills, all of which are crucial to their lives and all of which fall under the umbrella of respect. You child will need to patiently listen to their instructors and classmates. They will also be asked to work together with students who are at a similar level as them to practice new skills. If conflict arises either with an instructor or another classmate, your child will be taught how to calmly overcome the conflict without negative language or physical action. This conflict resolution will help your child when they become upset with siblings, friends, or family and they will come to a levelheaded place of moving forward. 

Aside from being active and meeting friends in a new community, martial arts can bring your child growth in all areas of his or her life. Children become more confident, mature and accepting of the different ups and downs of life after they begin training in martial arts. Allow your child to give martial arts a try! You won’t believe the positive difference you will see in their attitudes and happiness!