For many people, their relationship with martial arts began at an early age. It’s usually one of the first things a child will seek interest in, if only for the brutal and awesome nature of practicing martial arts. Frequently, parents are on board with the idea of their kid learning karate or taekwondo, because it’s a healthy outlet for all that energy. Plus the mental stuff is good for a kid’s development, too, assuming the discipline sticks.
But of course, there will be parents who aren’t convinced that kids learning martial arts is such a good idea. For those who don’t buy it, here are a few good reasons why kids should learn a martial art.
First, is the obvious benefit of knowing how to defend oneself. Martial arts should never be taught with the intention of going out and starting fights, but sometimes it’s inevitable that a child will need to know some self-defense. Children can be cruel, and sadly, bullies can still run unchecked. Martial arts not only instructs your kid on how to fight but also teaches them essential self-development lessons that may stop a bully from even thinking about messing with him or her.
Martial arts show kids how to respond to stressful situations, how to act and behave at most times and be self-assured in the process. With everything he or she is discovering while learning how to fight, it may not even need to come to a point where they’ll have to demonstrate the techniques they’ve learned.
In addition to that, there are the obvious benefits such as getting active, learning to focus and calm the mind, learning how to get hit, and even the often overlooked skill of learning how to breathe correctly. All these are important skills that one could use throughout life—so it’s no question why most martial arts grandmasters are so wise! Take your kid to a dojo today, and they’ll thank you for it.
Did you learn martial arts as a child? Are your children practicing?
