Most people know that karate requires a lot of discipline. But how does that translate into doing better at school?
You might be surprised at how little time it takes to see a difference in your child’s behavior in school. Most parents notice improvements in their children’s behavior within the first month of starting karate. It’s not just how karte kids behave in class that can be improved, although that’s a nice plus. There are more academic benefits to students who take karate.
Discipline
This goes beyond just behaving in class. There’s always a goal to aim for in karate, whether it’s reaching the next belt level or figuring out that new move. It’s a lot of work, and that’s good for karate kids to learn in one place, so they can apply it in school. Most karate instructors have very high expectations for how their students behave in their lives as a whole, not just how they behave in karate class. Karate is unique in that life skills are at the heart of the curriculum.
Focus
Martial arts training takes a lot of focus. Students really have to pay attention to understand exactly how each move is performed, even when the instructor shows it slowly. That focus translates into how academic work is done. Karate kids learn to keep focus on their studies, which allows them to do it more quickly and accurately.
Build Memorization Skills
As your child advances in the martial arts, many styles have them memorize a kata, or a series of moves performed in a precise sequence. Even the early ones can be fairly complex and take a lot of practice to memorize. While academic work should not all be memorization, a significant part of it will relate to having memorized the basics. This is an important skill we want for all of our kids in karate to master.
Confidence
Learning a martial art is a great way to build a child’s confidence. It’s an amazing feeling to master a new skill, especially one that is so challenging. This is a great confidence builder. Building confidence is a skill much needed in school. Confidence means your child is more likely to speak his or her mind in discussions or ask questions of the teacher. It can mean they cope better if they’re bothered by a bully. It may help them to be less afraid to learn new things.
Hard Work Is Rewarded
Hard work in karate classes are rewarded when your child takes the test and earns either a new stripe on their belt or the next level belt. They won’t get to the next level just for being in class; that stripe or belt must be earned.
This is great for students, as schools don’t always show that hard work is rewarded very well. The “A” student goes on to the next grade just as easily as the “C” student. Sure, there’s a benefit to knowing the lessons better, but it’s not always so obvious to the kids. Having a place where hard work is more directly rewarded can help kids to better understand that their hard work in their studies will be rewarded in time as well.
The Importance of Respect
Our virtual karate classes don’t just teach your child self-respect. It teaches them that others deserve respect too. This goes from the very start of classes, where the instructor has the class bow to show her respect, and respect is shown in return. This is a great lesson for kids, especially if they see how respect should be mutual. Karate helps them to see that they should respect their teachers, classmates, parents and others around them.