Would Training In Martial Arts Beneficial To Your Children?

Coming from a laid back and passive family I always thought that learning piano and ballet will be the first thing parents want to teach to their growing children instead of martial arts. Martial arts will be at the back of your mind because of safety precautions especially for your children, but lot of parents nowadays enrol their children in multiple martial arts such as aikido, Tae Kwon Do, boxing and so much more thinking that it will save their children when facing with life-threatening situation. But martial arts aren’t all about defending yourself but so much more from self-discipline to respect. Thus making martial arts beneficial in a more tangible and intangible ways.

Encouraging Self-Discipline
For instance training in martial arts will develop self-discipline in children from arriving in time for practice, adhering to customs for each of the martial arts learnt and even wearing proper uniform in the class. Discipline has been one of the most difficult to instil in young children because of their nature of being “just” children. Parents usually try to inculcate discipline into their children and most will fail miserably because they don’t know how to cultivate them properly. Hence, signing them up for martial arts classes could help children build self-discipline that parents find hard to instil into them.

Boost Confidence and Self-Respect
Being children is not that easy as most people said as they need confidence and self-respect that should had been cultivated from such a young age. Building confidence and respect towards themselves should be the first priority for thriving and healthy children. Of course bullying will hamper their growth but a constant support on confidence and respect will make them shine thus martial arts could cultivate this essence into them easily. Children involved in martial arts are more confident in themselves because the will keep on working through the belt ranking in Tae Kwon Do for instance or winning games in Boxing making them work hard to achieve the highest ranking or their goals. A sense of accomplishment by mastering technique and graduating to a new belt will boost confidence and respect into them because they can achieve such feat even though they are still young.

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Excellent Built and Health
Our modern world full with technologies will hinder children from going out and work their bodies. Gadgets such as mobile phones, laptops, PlayStation, Xbox and many more are great temptation for children to stay at home and won’t be bothered to go outside and work out. This problem has been one of the causes of obesity in children today as well as decaying in health. That is why enrolling children in martial arts in such a young age would kick-start their interest and motivation as well as behaviour towards health as a whole because martial arts or just working out has been a constant activities in their life so they would not question it. Children who are exposed to martial arts are indeed healthier and look better than those who are not because children’s bodies are easier to mould and shape than adults. As young children’s bodies will get into shape much quicker; thanks to their high metabolism and will continue growing as they get into adulthood.

Better in Problem Solving
Martial arts have been one of the best methods in resolving conflicts in this society. It is a popular belief that someone in martial arts will use their strength to fight when faced with conflict, but that is not always true. Training in martial arts train its disciple to focus their mind to think carefully in many aspects such as behaviour and dealing with decision making them a better decision maker. Inspiring these in young children would make them resolve conflict cleverly rather than relying on brute force. Of course they can end conflict using techniques that they learn in martial classes but all martial arts will teach their disciple to remain calm and never use their advantage on people. Instead martial arts made them rational and will not let words provoke them into fights. Children with these qualities in a young age will become better adults in the future, making martial arts ideal for raising children.

It will not guarantee a 100% success in all of these feats but it is better than doing nothing especially raising children. They are no right or wrong in nurturing children because all children born differently and the way they would respond to such exposure will be different. Some will thrive or some may fail but with continuous preservation our children could grow into someone they are proud with without regrets.