The benefits of martial arts for kids are countless- that’s why it’s been practiced for thousands of years. But for brevity’s sake, the best 4 benefits are- healthy stress management, discipline and perseverance, better grades, and bullyproof-ness. Pretty amazing 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 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 positive way. That constructive outlet IS kids martial arts.
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 they can find a mental one, too. Our instructors are super sneaky (like ninjas!) 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! Which 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 little one will be tested in many ways over the course of their childhood that they’ll need discipline and perseverance to complete.
Martial arts for kids is so fun- trust us!- but it’s not always easy- 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 do their homework – 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 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’ll have a gigantic smile on their face – trust us!
3. Improved Grades
This one is music to parent’s ears! One of the BIGGEST benefits of martial arts for kids is that it helps improve your child’s grades. How? Well, as we mentioned, they learn how to self-discipline, 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 BEHAVIOR. When our students learn how to be still and listen intently to the authority figure in front of them, 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 keep their attention on their teacher, and actually learn better than their peers. Pretty cool, right? And that self-control and focus 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 unexpected. We’re really keen on building our students up to be BULLYPROOF, meaning they learn how to stand up for themselves AND others in a non-violent way. First, we focus on 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 confident in their ability to “do hard things.” 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 with eye contact to our instructors, their peers, and the classroom bully, to stand up for themselves AND others. It’s an awesome process, and we’re very proud of our Bullyproof kids!
Conclusion
So – did these benefits surprise you? We’re not surprised at all! We’ve seen it year after year- 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 face. Best part of the job! Hopefully now you know that the benefits of martial arts for kids 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!
