There are so many forms of martial arts, and while some practices are ancient and others are modern, they all have one thing in common: Parents love this sport for their kids. Some reasons are obvious, like the focus the martial art teaches, or the self-defense that makes people feel safer. Other reasons are a little less obvious, like the camaraderie that comes with the studio they practice in. Here are a few reasons that parents choose martial arts for their children.
- IT’S A CONFIDENCE BOOSTER
Martial arts is physically trying, so prolonged practice not only helps kids get in shape, but the longer they do it, the better they get at it. Both of these aspects of martial arts make it easy for the sport to help boost your child’s confidence. When a child starts karate early in life, there’s no doubt that learning a new skill and growing it, with the support of great instructors, can do wonders for their self-esteem.
- THEY LEARN SELF DEFENSE
Hopefully, your child won’t ever need to use your martial arts skills as self-defense, but it’s always good to have those skills in case a situation arises. While a child definitely shouldn’t take the skills he or she learns in martial arts classes to the playground, they should know what to instinctively do if they are approached by a bad stranger.
- IT’S A PRODUCTIVE WAY TO RELEASE ENERGY
While kids don’t necessarily feel the need to get into fights, many have pent up stress that they would rather not release in an altercation with another person. Kids feel stress too! Exercise is a great way to let out any anger or aggression in a productive way. Sometimes all you need is a little bit of physical activity to get that negative energy out.
- IT INCREASES FOCUS
The physical aspect of martial arts is merely a small part of the overall practice. Participating in martial arts can sharpen your child’s mind, allowing them to focus and learn easier. The stress relieving aspect of martial arts is also a key factor in enhancing focus. For example, how well do kids work when other thoughts are racing through their minds? Martial arts helps kids tune out those other thoughts and solely zero in on the practice at hand. Once they learn to do that in their martial arts classes, they can incorporate that mental strength into other aspects of their life.
- THE SOCIAL ASPECT
There are few places more supportive than your martial arts studio, even online studios! Not only will your child get to know every member of their class, as well as their instructors., who will also support and encourage your child throughout their martial arts journey. Socializing, sharing and supporting each other is a big part of the atmosphere in a martial arts studio. Your child is very likely to become friends with the people they practice with.