Allowing your children to practice Martial Arts is one of the greatest investments you will ever make. It will teach them valuable skills that will stick with them for life. Skills such as self discipline, confidence, self defense, confidence, body awareness, and to be great movers. will teach your children all of these things at Inspire Martial Arts, so without further ado, this is why your children should practice.
SELF DISCIPLINE
Most of our daily habits require it, and when children practice Martial Arts they learn self discipline. It starts with showing up to class on a consistent basis. It shows them that to be successful at something first they have to show up. Second, it takes many repetitions in order to be good at Martial Arts – they have to practice. This will carry over into their lives whether it is the repetition of brushing their teeth or finishing their homework before running outside to play. In order to get things done, you need to stay disciplined and sometimes this may require doing things that are not so enjoyable, but in order to get to the good part of the process, first, you need to complete the ‘’not so fun’’ ones. For example, during a class the instructor will spend time showing and explaining techniques, which is necessary, but to be honest, not the most fun part of the training. Regardless, they still need to have the discipline and focus when the teacher has the spotlight so they can learn techniques faster and become proficient at them.
CONFIDENCE
Being confident might get them the career they’ve always wanted Martial Arts teaches your children confidence through physical work. One of the most challenging things is accomplishing something physically demanding. You know this if you have ever tried to lose weight with exercise and diet or achieved a better 5k time. You quickly find out that it takes a lot of physical effort which makes it even more rewarding. That is how children feel when they do their first cartwheel or arm-bar class. With every achievement, their confidence grows- whether that achievement is on a small or large scale. Martial Arts instructors know how to recognize achievements and reward them with belt promotions, which further motivate kids to work harder and also serve as a confidence builder.
BODY AWARENESS
Children are usually uncoordinated and not aware of where their body is in a space. Now add athletic movement with a high intensity, and things get even more complicated. Body awareness is an innate skill that has to be developed with stimulation of the muscles and the nervous system. BJJ is exactly that, it teaches children body awareness and how to control their limbs in a space through positive stress on their muscles and nervous system with the help of activities, games, and drills that will also decrease their chances of getting injured. Practicing Martial Arts they will find out the physical potential of their bodies, and that being aware of your body makes you a better mover. Things like coordination and body to space awareness will make them better at everyday activities such as hiking, running, going down the slide, and being comfortable in the dark. Children get scared of the dark because they may rely mostly on their visual sense. Understanding where their body is in space will build their confidence up and help them conquer their fear of the dark. Also, later in their adult life they will be able to learn new tasks much easier and faster than most people do.
BETTER MOVERS
Ever wonder why kids are able to get on the floor and crawl, play, turn, toss, and get back up to their feet like it is second nature to them? If you have ever observed your kid you probably have noticed that they are able to get into a squat position without any trouble at all. Kids are already amazing movers, but if they stop practicing movement they lose that ability as they get older. Martial Arts makes kids amazing movers even if they are not already. It will teach them the ability to be comfortable in the most uncomfortable positions. They will be able to maintain this level of movement throughout their lifetime.
STRENGTH
This is the base for anything that you do in life. For example, a great mover without the proper strength base will not be able to reach their full potential. Young kids are still developing, and giving them the opportunity to build their strength at an early age will allow them to maintain it for a longer time as they age throughout their life. If you are a parent you can take advantage of this also by letting your kids carry the groceries or paint the house when they are 7 years old. Strong is healthy, and healthy is strong.
SELF DEFENSE
Being bullied as a kid is a very high probability, and the answer to bullying is learning . Martial Arts Knowing self-defense will boost your kids’ confidence which will teach them to also carry themselves that way, and how to handle a bully in a physical altercation. The great thing about Jiu Jitsu is that it teaches kids to never resort to violence, except if they are attacked, and there is no other option. One sign of weakness that bullies look for in a victim is walking with a poor posture due to a low self-esteem. Learning Martial Arts will make your kid more confident, and this will show in their body language. Many times the way kids carry themselves reflects how they feel about themselves. Having the confidence and standing up to a bully is the best way to stop any further bullying. Young kids that bully others often lack confidence and are scared, which is why they usually choose easier, smaller-looking victims.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As you can see Martial Arts has many great benefits. Most of them will last for a lifetime and serve your kids only in a positive way. Every parent wants the best for their children, and giving them the present of Martial Arts has great returns on your investment. Valuable skills such as self-discipline, self-defense, confidence, body awareness, and to be great movers are not skills that are found in just any random area of life. They start at home and are further developed or practiced outside in the real world. That is why Martial Arts is ideal for kids and their development.