When considering after-school activities and sports for your child it’s important to consider many things including the costs involved and the perceived benefits for your child.
Martial Arts can be a great activity to get your children into for a whole range of reasons that have nothing at all to do with fighting. You can choose from a range of styles including Karate, Taekwondo, Brazilian Jujitsu and Krav Maga too.
GET ACTIVE
Of course, one of the most obvious benefits of Martial Arts for kids is that it includes a physical activity component. Not only will your child move around a lot, but they’ll also build on their strength and flexibility.
BUILD SELF-ESTEEM AND CONFIDENCE
Learning new skills increases children’s confidence and self-esteem. They’ll also need to work together with other students in the class and even perform their skills in front of people during grading or special events.
WORK ON GOAL-SETTING AND SELF-IMPROVEMENT
Most types of Martial Arts have a belt or ranking system that children work through, meaning they are rewarded for their practice and mastery of skills. Focusing on a goal such as achieving a new rank or belt is a great way to learn about goal-setting and motivation.
LEARN RESPECT AND LISTENING SKILLS
Respecting your instructor or teacher is an important part of Martial Arts. Children will need to listen to and follow instructions to learn new moves and skills.
ENCOURAGE TEAMWORK AND BELONGING
While Martial Arts are typically done as an individual, teamwork is still a vital part of the practice. Working in pairs is often used to teach sparring or to work on moves. Being part of a club also creates a sense of belonging and creates lifelong friendships.
GET PHYSICAL IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT
If you have a child who likes to punch, kick, roll or wrestle, Martial Arts offers a safe environment in which to do it. Children learn how to punch bags, how to land safely if they fall backwards and how to block someone else’s punches or kicks. It’s much safer than practising on their siblings on the lounge room floor!
LEARN ABOUT CONFLICT RESOLUTION
You might think that Martial Arts are about fighting but it’s quite the opposite in most cases. Many Martial Arts styles focus on self-defence and don’t allow fighting between students until they are older and have more advanced skills. The ultimate aim of Martial Arts is to teach children peaceful, non-violent conflict resolution skills and to help them work out ways to avoid physical altercations. Martial Arts has a lot to offer children. It gets them active and teaches them to be confident, peaceful, and focused. Plus, if your child grows to love it, they can continue practising into adulthood where they will still reap many of the same benefits.
