The benefits of kids karate class are countless- that’s why it’s been practiced for thousands of years. But for the purposes of this blog, the best 4 benefits are healthy stress management, discipline and perseverance, better grades, and bullyproof-ness. Not too shabby, right? Read on to find out more
1. Stress Less
From juggling unprecedented issues like cyberbullying and social media pressures to making friends in a socially distanced world, kids nowadays are stressed way earlier than any kid should be. Stress is a part of life, so it’s important early on to teach your child about how to cope with and manage the stresses of day-to-day life- in a constructive way. That constructive outlet is the kids, karate class.
One of the benefits of martial arts for kids is that it takes place in an environment where kids can not only find a physical outlet for all their energy and worries but can find a mental one, too. Our instructors are quite sneaky (like a ninja! ;)) in how they teach important life skills that help your little one succeed outside of the dojo, including stress management.
They have a real passion for teaching martial arts to kids, and they pass along their own sense of discipline and perseverance to your little one with every class they attend! This leads us to.
2. Discipline and Perseverance
Stress and challenges are just a part of life- and kids need to be equipped with how to handle them! All humans, including your child, are faced with tough decisions and mountains they need strength to overcome, and kids are no exception! Whether it’s a math test they’re studying for or an audition for a lead role they want to knock out of the park, your child will need discipline and perseverance to see it through.
Martial arts for kids is so fun- trust us!- but it is definitely challenging sometimes- and that’s intentional. There will be days when your child doesn’t want to come to class, just like there will be days when they won’t want to go swimming class – they’ll say they just don’t “feel like” doing either of them. But our world-class instructors teach them how to cultivate the discipline they need in order to achieve their goals.
If a student is struggling to break a board, maybe they’re crying or feel like they can’t do it- we’re not giving up on them. All of us, instructors and classmates included, are going to rally around that student and cheer them on. Because they can do it, and when they do, they feel on top of the world – trust us!
3. Improved Grades
This one always sounds good to parents! One of the biggest benefits of kids karate program is that it helps improve your child’s grades. How? Well, as we mentioned, they learn how to persevere, which helps them stick it out when doing their homework or during a long school day. But perhaps one of the best benefits of martial arts for kids is that it helps them improve their behaviour.
When our students learn how to be still and listen intently to the authority figure in front of them, we see those skills carry over to the classroom. Instead of wiggling in their seats and dividing their attention between the pencil sharpener, the teacher’s instructions, and whatever their desk-mate is doing. They can focus intently on their teacher and the instructions, and actually learn better than their peers. The results we see are amazing. And that focus and self-discipline are key components of kids martial arts that they’ll carry with them for life.
4. Bullyproof
Of all the benefits of kids karate class, this one might be the most unexpected. We’re really keen on building our students up to be bullyproofed, meaning they learn the skills they need to stand up to bullies and resist being picked on in a non-violent way. First, we help them grow their confidence. As our young martial arts students see themselves improve week after week – perfecting their punches and kicks, gaining better coordination, and learning new moves after lots of practice- they become more and more confident in their abilities and themselves.
We also have our students promise to never misuse what they learn outside of class – instead of their fists, they learn that their voice is their weapon. We teach them how to speak confidently and assert themselves to our instructors, their peers, and the classroom bully, to stand up for themselves and others. It’s incredible, and we’re very proud of our Bullyproof kids!
Conclusion
So did these benefits surprise you? We’re not surprised at all! We see it time and time again- kids walk in the door with behavioural issues, low self-esteem, or difficulty focusing, and they walk out the door with improvement in all these areas and a huge smile on their faces. It’s the greatest part of our job! Hopefully, now you know that the benefits of kids karate school go far beyond just self-defence. martial arts is a way of life that promotes success far beyond the dojo! Check out our life-changing, transformative Kids Martial Arts classes right here at our school!