The martial arts are a great way to develop fitness, dedication, healthy confidence and respect in a controlled environment. Self-defense is a lifetime skill that is developed in a martial arts dojo, and the ancillary skills that are strengthened and developed are just as useful.
Physical fitness is something that is sorely lacking in our sedentary lifestyle. We need to ensure all members of society participate in healthy activities throughout their lifespan. Martial arts studios foster cardiovascular and stength building as part of the training. As a child in the martial arts, our warmups included running, pushups, weights, wrestling and stances that built muscle strength. It burned off some of my youthful energy and instilled a love of physical conditioning in my life from a young age.
Respect, confidence and dedication are important for citizens in the civilized world, and the martial arts imparts these vitues on children. As a child, I learned to respect others, dedicate myself to my work and craft and to be courteous to strangers. I learned to say sir and ma'am and avoid being overly aggressive or sensative. Instructors were able to supplement my training by my parents and school in a way that really connected with me at the time.
Self-defense is your responsibility. Most of thr martial arts teaches the student to avoid trouble. Instructors teach the importance of situational awarness and mental toughness that can deter violence. As a child in the martial arts, I knew that fighting could hurt myself or someone else, and I knew it was something to avoid.
Martial arts are a wide variety of sports and disciplines. Have your child try a number of martial arts to find the best fit. Karate and Kung Fu are two styles I recommend.
Picture from Pixabay.
Martial arts gives kids a great well balance of keeping fix, self defense, discipline.
Whats the difference between all the martial art sports?
There are many differences between styles. Some are a hard style, soft style, wrestling, grappling etc.