My children have been in Judo more than half of their lives. It’s not something I dreamed of before my children were born. In my opinion all of these are great life skills, and it just makes sense to my wife and me to teach them to our children no matter what the future holds. There are a number of different Martial Art disciples all a little different but all instill these values. There are a number of different things to look for when looking to study Martial Arts. And here are the reasons you (and your children) should consider learning a form of martial arts.
It teaches honor and respect. Traditional martial arts, such as karate or judo, will teach you the importance of putting your ego aside and respecting your instructor, as well as others in higher positions, such as your parents or elders. Learning martial arts reinforces etiquette, respecting rules, and following a code of honor. You’ll learn to show some humility, for some day, you’ll be in a position of power and know what it’s like to be in your underling's shoes. It teaches you to use non-violent conflict resolution. Learning martial arts teaches you to mentally and physically refrain from violence and only use it for self-defense when it’s the last resort. Martial artists will try to refrain from conflict and use non-violent conflict resolution skills, emphasizing the importance of avoiding a physical altercation. In the real world, it’s equivalent to having the mental discipline to refrain from getting into fights with stupid people. It helps you to set and achieve goals. Life is a journey, and learning martial arts teaches you that the journey is broken down into small achievements, which accumulate into much larger goals and accomplishments. It teaches you patience, discipline, and humility, as you move up the ladder. Each step you take gets harder and harder, but it teaches you to push yourself to reach every milestone along the way. Most forms of martial arts use colored belts to represent their ranking systems. When you strive towards a new belt, you’re learning valuable lessons about setting and reaching goals. “Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.” – Mark Twain It helps you to gain confidence and boost self-esteem.
You will become more powerful than you could ever imagine. The more skills you learn, and the higher your mastery of the martial arts technique, the more confident you will become, and the more you will appreciate your self-worth. The more you accomplish, the more you’ll be comfortable with taking risk and stepping out of your comfort zone when faced with the unfamiliar. It improves your mental and physical strength. Learning martial arts strengthens the body, mind, and spirit. Any form of martial arts requires a combination of speed, flexibility, and physical strength. It provides a great all-around fitness workout and will keep you in great shape. Martial arts combine mental focus with physical toughness, which can push the body to do some incredible things. “Technique over strength, tactics over aggression.” If you want your children to improve, let them overhear the nice things you say about them to others. Children must be taught HOW TO THINK, not what to think |
After my experiences training in Judo and then Mixed Martial Arts, I’m convinced that learning a martial art is a close second. Here’s why:
Confidence When you’re confident you can defend yourself, and don’t come across as an easy target that most bullies look for. Also, if you have accomplished something a little difficult then you have confidence that you can move onto a new level, not just in martial arts but in any area of your life. Defense My daughters may not be able to take on any opponent in the world. However, they have learned techniques to help them defend themselves in hostile situations. Learn How to Take a Punch The best defense in most situations is to run, flee or remove yourself from the situation. If there is some reason you have not left the situation it usually means your opponent has thrown the first punch and is on top of you or has attacked you in some way. If you know what it feels like to take a punch and keep your wits about you, you’re chances of survival are much greater. Discipline & Endurance This is another point that ripples throughout a child’s life. However, to master the different levels of any martial art you’ve got to have physical and mental discipline. Martial arts give children practice using the body and mind in harmony. Martial arts is a sport, you build strength and endurance. Leadership & Health Part of becoming a black belt and higher is teaching beginning students. We have an epidemic of childhood obesity in this country. Martial Arts is a great way to get moving and burn off calories. Fight in a Controlled Environment This one was hard for me as a father. Of course at first it was cute. My little five year old child sparing with another five year old was nothing more than two clumsy kids trying to hit each other. But my daughter have the experience of fighting and they’ve learned it in a controlled environment without getting hurt. (at least hurt too badly) Situational Awareness This goes along with confidence and defense but studying martial arts requires that you always be aware of your environment. Ability to Assess an Opponent If you can determine that your opponent is weak in an area you can use that to your advantage in any hostile environment. This is an invaluable skill. We have save the most obvious reason for training in martial arts. Of course this is self defense. It’s the main reason why people choose martial arts and of course self defense ability will flow. The world can be an amazing place to be and live however every now and again we can come into contact with some unpleasant individuals and situations. Martial Arts Training will help you to avoid these situations and if you have to you will be able to deal with them. For children it might be a case of standing up to a bully in school or protecting yourself from a gang. For adults it might be about the group of youth approaching you as you walk home. Martial arts will give you the knowledge of how you should deal with the situations. Most situations can be avoided or de-escalated with some basic skills, however there are occasions where you need to step things up, to show you can handle yourself and you may have to get physical. It’s always better to have self defense skills and not need than to need self defense skills and have none! I hope you have enjoyed these reasons why adults and children should take up martial arts. However I have probably missed one of the best reasons off the list and that is FUN. Martial arts should be all about fun and enjoyment and I am sure that anyone who has tried martial arts came away enjoying themselves.
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