Now more than ever, parents are finding that best martial arts style for kids have an incredible effect on their kids, helping them achieve better grades and become more confident people. That’s because martial arts for kids is about way more than just punches and kicks. It’s about showing kids how to become the best versions of themselves they can possibly be! Read on to find out more about this amazing sport and after-school activity.
Discipline and Success in Martial Arts Style for Kids
First things first… What does “success” mean to you? To some people, success means attaining wealth or impacting people’s lives. To others, it means spending time with family or buying cool cars. No matter how you define success, most successful people, like world-famous athletes, celebrities and business leaders, chalk their success up to one key thing- never, ever, ever giving up.
Because we only become aware of successful people when they’ve become successful, we don’t remember that they were once “normal” people who built their lives on important lessons like perseverance. That’s why we teach perseverance and discipline in every single martial arts class. Learning these skills is how leaders are formed.
Persevering through the tough times and disciplining oneself to do what’s right, even when it’s difficult, makes a person successful. These skills make people kind, compassionate, respectful to others, and they create better community members and industry leaders. Can you see why it’s so beneficial to establish discipline and perseverance early on? Especially if you want your child to become the most successful versions of themselves, however they define it- you have to lay that foundation.
Self-discipline and perseverance are critical for performance in school too. That’s why we’ve seen plenty of kids enter their first martial arts class with low grades and behavior problems, and soon experience huge behavioral transformations and get higher grades to boot. We help them become “indistractable,” listen attentively to their teachers, instructors, parents and peers, and learn how to motivate themselves to get their homework done on time without an adult’s influence. Kind of awesome!
Martial Arts Teach Kids Confidence
So over the span of several martial arts classes, we see these kids really transform. They get better grades, push through to achieve their goals, behave like angels- it’s wonderful for us as adults (and, of course, for the kids too). But you may be asking yourself, how do MA classes benefit your child immediately? What are the short-term benefits to complement those life-long habits of success we’re building? Well, the best thing about martial arts is that punching and kicking are not our main lessons in class. There’s something more important underneath. Martial arts isn’t just a self-defense curriculum. It’s a tool we use to teach confidence from the inside out, a skill that will help kids right off the bat. Martial arts can be challenging for kids, especially because they’re just starting to learn hand-eye coordination and focus. A confident child is going to keep at it, whatever it is, because they know they can do it. That’s a good thing. An unconfident child is going to persevere because they think they’re dumb, a failure, or that they’re not going to make someone proud. Which is a bad thing. You have to pair both the discipline and the true confidence to have your child become the best they can be.
So in those moments when your child is struggling, our instructors come in and teach them how to engage in positive self talk, which is essentially just telling yourself good things. Instead of “I can’t, I’m dumb, I’ll never get it so what’s the point,” we teach our students to say “I can and I will, I’m trying my best, and I will keep going until I achieve my goal.” And what’s really so cool about this is that this positive self-talk starts to have a real impact. The instructors get through to them, and the kids become more confident. They see that they can truly do anything they put their mind to (with the right attitude), and they make themselves proud every week in class by doing more and more cool things. It’s amazing to see the transformations that occur in kids who start off as shy and unconfident and end up letting their real personalities shine through! One more important topic. Confidence is huge for helping kids become what we call bully-proof. If there are bullies at school (and in your child’s own head), they don’t stand a chance against a confident child. A confident child isn’t afraid to stand up for themselves and others who are being picked on. Imagine if all kids were like this! This is why we strongly believe all children should take martial arts classes. The benefits are honestly endless.
Martial Arts is for Everyone
We’ve established how martial arts fosters life-changing success skills in kids, we’ll touch on two other practical benefits. First, martial arts is a great place for kids who are sporty, as they’ll learn those life skills that make them a better athlete overall… But it’s also a real home for kids who are not so sporty and may feel left out because of it. Because martial arts is an individual sport in a group setting, kids who maybe aren’t so athletic don’t have to worry about “letting their team down” or being picked on. All they focus on is their own growth and improvement (while they cheer on their peers of course!). And because it’s an individual sport, kids learn how to set and get their own goals and recognize their own achievements. It’s excellent for boosting that confidence in not-so-sporty kids and allowing them to be really proud of themselves in a new way. Now that you understand how martial arts classes build life-long success habits
It may go without saying, but we’re going to say it anyway. Martial arts is a form of self defense. Self defense is an important and life-saving skill for everyone to have in their back pocket, no matter their age, gender or ability. It’s a skill you don’t want to have to use, but will definitely wish you learned if you need it. Though we teach nonviolent forms of conflict resolution, and show students that physical self defense should only be used as a last resort, if a bully gets violent or an emergency happens, it’s important for your child to know how to protect themselves.
Join Our Kids Classes!
Now you know why more kids than ever are taking martial arts classes! Martial arts is an amazing tool we use to teach kids the life-changing skills of discipline, perseverance, and confidence. Plus, it’s a great sport for any child to be proud of their accomplishments and become positive leaders in their community! Get started today with our risk-free trial. Your child will love it!