Now more than ever, parents see excellent results with kids martial arts classes, helping them achieve better grades and become more confident people. That’s because martial arts for kids is about so much more than just punches and kicks. It’s about transforming kids into the best versions of themselves they can possibly be! Read on to find out more about this fantastic sport and after-school activity.
Discipline and Success in Kids Martial Arts Classes
First, let’s take a step back and define a really important word. What does “success” mean to you? Some define it through wealth or material goods. Some define it through the number of lives they impact. No matter how you slice it, most successful people, like world-famous athletes, celebrities, and business leaders, can attribute all of their success to one key thing- never giving up.
Something we tend to forget is that every successful person we see was once a child themselves, and somewhere along the way, they turned their talents into lasting success mostly through perseverance. It’s not a coincidence that we teach perseverance and discipline in every single martial arts class. Learning these skills is how leaders are formed.
Being able to persevere through the tough times and have the self-discipline to do what is right, even when it’s hard, is what makes a good person great. These skills make people kind, compassionate, and respectful to others, and they create better community members and industry leaders. Can you see why it’s so critical to establish discipline and perseverance early on? Especially if you want your child to become the most successful versions of themselves, however, they define it- you have to lay that foundation.
Self-discipline and perseverance are critical for performance in school as well. That’s why we’ve seen countless students come into their first martial arts class with low grades and behavior problems, and then do a 180 with better behavior and higher grades than ever as classes progress. Our instructors help them become “indistractable,” listen carefully to their teachers, instructors, parents, and peers, and learn how to inspire themselves to do their school work without an adult’s influence. Kind of awesome!
Martial Arts Teach Kids Confidence
So we have this amazing kid who pulls great grades and behaves like an angel- that’s great for us as adults, and it really is great for the kids too… But you may wonder, how does martial arts benefit the students right now? What are the short-term benefits to complement the life-long habits of success we’re building? Here’s a secret, the best thing about martial arts is that punching and kicking are not our main lessons in class. There’s something more important underneath.
Martial arts isn’t just a self-defense curriculum. It’s a tool we use to teach real inner and outer confidence that’s going to help kids right off the bat. Martial arts can be challenging for kids, especially as they’re just starting to learn how to coordinate all their body parts together and focus. A confident child is going to keep at it, whatever it is because they know they can do it. That’s a good thing. An unconfident child will persevere because they think they’re dumb, a failure, or that they’re not going to make someone proud. Which is a really bad thing. You have to pair both the discipline and the inside-and-out confidence to have your child become the best they can be.
So in those moments of struggle (which are inevitable, by the way), our instructors come in and teach them how to positively talk to themselves. Instead of “I can’t, I’m dumb, I’ll never get it so what’s the point,” we teach our students to say “I can and I will, I’m trying my best, and I will keep going until I achieve my goal.” And the remarkable thing is, this positive self-talk starts to have an actual impact. The instructors get through to them, and the kids become more confident. They see that they can truly do anything they put their mind to (with the right attitude), and they become so excited and proud of themselves as they achieve their goals. Some of our favorite moments are with kids who enter our classes shy and unconfident and end up letting their real personalities shine through!
One more important topic. Confidence is huge for helping kids become what we call bully-proof. If there are bullies at school (and in your child’s own head), they don’t stand a chance against a confident child. A confident child isn’t afraid to stand up for themselves and others who are being picked on. How amazing would it be if all kids were like this! This is why we strongly believe all children should take the best martial arts style for kids. The benefits are so amazing.
Martial Arts Can Be for Everyone
Now that you understand how martial arts classes build life-long success habits we’ve established how martial arts fosters life-changing success skills in kids, we’ll touch on two other practical benefits.
First, martial arts are a great place for kids who are sporty, as they’ll learn those life skills that make them better athletes overall. But it’s also a real home for kids who are not so athletic and may feel left out because of it. Because martial arts is an individual sport in a group setting, kids who maybe aren’t so athletic don’t have to worry about “letting their team down” or getting picked on. All they focus on is their own growth and improvement (while they cheer on their peers of course!). And because it’s an individual sport, our students build a better relationship with setting and getting the goals they put their mind to and recognizing their own achievements. It’s perfect for boosting that confidence in not-so-sporty kids and allowing them to build a healthy relationship with physical activity.
Don’t forget that martial arts are a form of self-defense. Self-defense is an important and life-saving skill for everyone to have in their back pocket, no matter their age, gender, or ability. It’s one of those things you don’t want to have to use, but will definitely wish you learned if you need it. Don’t worry- we teach and emphasize nonviolent forms of conflict resolution and make it very clear to students that physical self-defense should only be used as a last resort. But, if a bully gets violent or an emergency happens, it’s important for your child to know how to protect themselves.
Join Our Kids Classes!
So now you know why we believe that all kids should take the best martial arts style for kids! Martial arts is an amazing tool we use to teach kids the life-changing skills of discipline, perseverance, and confidence. Plus, it’s a great sport for any child to be proud of their accomplishments and become positive leaders in their community! Get started today with our risk-free trial. Your child will love it! Free Trial!