Parents most certainly seem to have their hands full with regards to their children.
All too often we hear the same old story about parents who are struggling to keep their kids in line and are plain and simply at a means to an end when it comes to meeting their child’s specific needs.
We hear stories of children being diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, Bipolar, even Depression and are prescribed adult-level medications to attempt to help curb whatever it is that they are lashing out against… and more often than not the problems that these children are facing only continue to escalate.
So, what can we do? One thing that has been tried and true in terms of its overall effectiveness is to keep your kids active. Kids who live sedentary lives are often the ones that lash out the most when all they are really seeking is something to keep their busy little bodies and minds active. That is precisely why a great option that parents should eagerly be considering is to enroll their child into a local martial arts school. Here we will be delving into why karate and other martial arts have long been trusted and widely regarded as an accurate and highly effective method that can help kids to grow and become better people who can actively cope with the issues that they are facing in a healthy, more positive way.
Interestingly, one of the most common drawbacks that parents who are unfamiliar with the world of martial arts is the fear of their child getting injured. It should of course be noted that martial arts training is never done without your child being ready to move from one step to another. Your child will fully be trained under the supervision of masters of a martial arts and will be shown how to properly complete each move to ensure the safety of both themselves and those around them.
When your child begins to progress deeper into their martial art, they will be trained how to properly spar and will be wearing all the gear required to keep them safe and avoid injuries. This of course includes protective belts around their midsection, helmets, shin guards and gloves (if you are in the market for a good martial arts gear, MMA Gear Addict has developed a comprehensive lists of some of the top rated boxing gloves, headgear, shin guards and other gear on the market that you may want to consider for your child).
Let’s first start with some of the top martial arts options that are available for your child to be able to take advantage of and how the specific form of martial art can assist your child:
Karate
The Japanese martial art of karate is comprised of a unique method of improving your childs self-development skills by way of utilizing kicking and punching. The methods require sharp and quick actions which require your child to snap their joints safely, however your child will need to warm up properly to ensure they avoid injury.
Tae Kwon Do
The Korean type of karate was initially developed as a military martial art, and remains today as one of the most popular martial arts in the United States. Utilizing both kicking and punching forms your child will be able to energize their body while the use of breathing and meditation techniques teaches your child the ability to build upon their focusing skills.
Judo
Judo us typically taught to be a competitive sport that teaches your child how to be able to throw their partner by way of utilizing leverage and balance, while teaching them to be able to learn better self-control and respect for not only their opponent, but also themselves.
Brazilian Jujitsu
BJJ is a highly competitive method of self-defense of which teaches children the ability to use an opponent’s strength and weight against them, while unlocking and fostering their cooperation skills.
Aikido
Quite similar to BJJ in terms of moves, Aikido is significantly more gentle and is way less competitive. It provides excellent discipline skills for your child while teaching them how to properly work with a partner.
Kung Fu
Kung Fu is a more rigorous, physical method of karate in which it involves the fluidity of movements, which makes it easier on your child’s joints. It is also often very fast-paced, which will give your child a great workout as well.
Now that we have broken down some of the top martial arts that you may be able to enroll your child in, let’s go on to discuss some of the top benefits that martial arts has for children and why they are so effective and essential for your child’s growth and development:
- Fitness and Health: Kid’s today are so out of shape it is alarming. As a nation far too many people are out of shape and faced with countless diseases that wreak havoc on their bodies. Martial arts is a wonderful way to get your child back into the shape that they naturally should already be in. Your child’s body will become stronger and far more healthy, which will allow them to grow into healthier adults as well.
- Focus and Stillness: Martial arts teaches your child the ability to be able to unlock their mind’s own sense of stillness, which will additionally assist them in their overall capability to focus as well. This is a truly remarkable thing to young one’s to be able to achieve and these are also incredibly beneficial tools for your child to be able to take with them into their school years as well.
- Confidence and Respect: With martial arts training, your child will gain significantly higher levels of confidence in themselves, while additionally learning what it truly means to show respect for others.
- Breathe: Martial arts teaches you child how to properly breathe. While this may not seem like much, understanding how to properly breathe can help your child work through a number of quite serious issues, like being able to properly breathe through a stressful or scary issue that is happening to them or even being hit by a bully and not getting injured from it. Learning the art of breathing is something that far too many people simply overlook the importance of.
- Protection: Martial arts no longer trains kids to be able to protect themselves “in case” something happens, but they no teach for “when” it happens, because let’s face it, it more than likely will. The rise of bullies in our nation is only continuing to grow, as is violence in the streets. And while this is most certainly something that no parent wants to even think about, parents must keep in mind that the more your child knows how to protect him/herself, the better equipped they will be to actually deal with is when it happens.
Martial arts has changed millions of lives around the world for decades, and only continues to grow as more and more people begin to realize just how powerful martial arts is and how is can literally morph ones life into a more positive and healthier manner. If your child is struggling from any issue, ranging from simply being too sedentary to struggling in school or at home, or anything else, martial arts is sure to be an incredible life-transforming tool for both you and your child to be able to take advantage of for leading a more positive and more healthy way of life.
