The benefits of kids karate class are countless- that’s why it’s been practiced for thousands of years. But in our eyes, the best 4 benefits are healthy stress management, discipline and perseverance, better grades, and bullyproof-ness. Not too shabby, right? Check them out below:
1. Stress Less
From juggling unprecedented issues like cyberbullying and social media pressures to making friends in a socially distanced world, kids nowadays are really struggling to manage their stress. Stress happens to everyone, so it’s worth teaching your child early on about how to cope with and manage the stresses of day-to-day life- in a positive way. And that’s where martial arts can help! One of the benefits of kids karate is that they can exert their physical and mental energy in a safe environment.
Our instructors are ninja-like and sneaky 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! Every person, including your little one, is 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 little one will be tested in many ways over the course of their childhood that they’ll need discipline and perseverance to complete.
Kids karate school is so fun- trust us!- but it’s not a walk in the park- 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 dig deep and find self-discipline in order to keep up their healthy habits. 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 absolutely amazing – trust us!
3. Improved Grades
This one always sounds good to parents! One of the best benefits of kids karate class 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 kids karate program is that it helps them improve their behavior.
When our students learn self-control in their bodies and in their minds, we see those skills translate to the classroom. Instead of wiggling in their seats and dividing their attention between the pencil sharpener, the teacher’s instructions, and whatever their deskmate is doing… They give their full attention to their teacher and actually learn better than their peers. Parents really love to hear that 🙂 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 martial arts for kids, this one might be the most surprising. We’re really keen on building our students up to be bullyproofed, meaning they learn how to stand up to bullies and defend themselves in a non-violent way. First, we build their confidence. As our young martial arts students notice themselves improving in the dojo – 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 instruct our students to never misuse their martial arts outside of class – instead of their fists, they learn that their voice is their weapon. We teach them how to speak confidently and with eye contact to our instructors, their peers, and the classroom bully, to stand up for themselves and others. It’s a really amazing process, 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 behavioral 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. The best part of the job! Hopefully, now you can understand that the benefits of kids karate class go far beyond just self-defense- martial arts is a life-changing tool that promotes success far beyond the mat! Check out our life-changing, transformative Kids Martial Arts classes right here at our school!
