Fitness
April 17, 2019 | 0 Comment(s)
Many parents wonder if it is a good idea to have their children learn martial arts. They have questions about whether it is just for some children, or if their child can benefit as well. One really important reason for children to learn martial arts is to boost their confidence.
The following are the ways in which the Asian fighting arts boost children’s self-confidence:
Self-Defense –
Children who have been trained to defend themselves have the poise and courage that comes with knowing they are ready to defend themselves whenever they may be called upon. Many children today are the victims of bullying, maybe more than in the past, because of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying empowers groups of children who don’t have good self-esteem to tear someone else’s up to get their “fix” of cruelty.
Children who are trained in the Asian fighting arts are prepared to defend themselves. That does not always mean a physical altercation. We teach children all of their options and provide a lot of practice so that they will automatically be able to make the right choices for self-defense when the time comes. This girds children with incredible self-esteem and poise.
A child who has no idea how to defend himself may live in fear each day of one or more bullies. Living in such a situation tears up one’s physical security needs every day and tears apart children’s self-esteem. Sadly, sometimes children who are living through this daily hell at school keep this to themselves. Their parents don’t even know, and their children carry around the shame each day, as though what is happening to them is their fault, which it is absolutely not. Self-defense training stops the bullying cycle, allowing children to go about their day free from harm and free to flower and grow in whatever way they desire.
Setting Goals –
Many employers today are having trouble with the new generation that is entering the workforce. Employers complain that employees from this newer generation don’t understand that you can’t just show up and get a gold star. These young workers have been conditioned by unwarranted praise when they were younger. Everyone was given awards in the mistaken belief it was helping their self-esteem, even when they did not earn the awards.
These young adults have not learned the value of hard work in order to achieve. They easily get discouraged when things don’t immediately go their way. They realize that they were operating in a system that was rigged in their favor, and they often feel like frauds. Giving everyone a reward backfired and produced the opposite of self-esteem and self-confidence. It produced a generation prone to failure.
Children who attend our classes learn that things are not just handed to people in life. They will have to work hard and practice diligently in order to learn the many moves that help them succeed in Asian fighting arts. They will learn that they don’t live in a vacuum and that achievement comes through practice, hard work, and devotion. They will receive the instruction and support to make that connection between hard work, practice, and results in a caring atmosphere.
When children know the value of their hard work and practice, it gives them the self-confidence that they can surmount other obstacles in the same way. This gives them discipline and tough strength to succeed in life.
Physical Strength, Agility and Fitness –
Children who are physically fit feel better about themselves. Children in Asian fighting arts classes become strong, agile and develop good cardiovascular fitness. Asian fighting arts classes are not seasonal, like other sports, so children who participate in our classes are fit the entire year.
Learn How to Achieve Under Pressure –
Children in Asian fighting classes have to demonstrate their learning in front of their class. This will likely be the first times of many in their lives that they will be called upon to achieve under pressure. They will quickly learn that those who take the time to prepare and practice are rewarded by growing achievement. This increases their discipline, confidence, and poise.
Learn Socialization Skills –
All Asian fighting arts classes are taught in a social setting. This helps children to feel more poised as they interact with others. In fact, since Asian fighting arts courses can be taught with a wide range of ages in one class, it helps children to learn how to present themselves to other children and adults and know how to socialize.
So often in the Internet Age, children are spending too much time in front of big and small screens. They often know how to deal with a virtual setting, but life is not like what is on those screens. For children to be able to achieve in the world, they are not going to just look at and interact with screens. They will have to interact with people. In fact, more employers today are looking for people with great “soft skills.” The “soft skills” are the skills about dealing with people in a respectful and positive manner. Too many young people today are coming out into the job market lacking those skills since they don’t interact enough with each other and the adults in their lives.
Children that learn Asian fighting arts must interact with their instructor and their classmates in their dojo. They first learn about respect for others in class and then feel that others are respecting them as well. Everything is learned and practiced in a social and safe environment.
If you would like your child to develop his or her confidence and self-esteem in a caring environment that emphasizes physical health, strength, and agility; self-defense and the importance of discipline, practice, and dedication towards achieving goals, then contact us today about enrolling your child in our martial arts training.
August 14, 2018 | 0 Comment(s)
Children being mean to one another is nothing new; instead, it’s an ageless tradition born of insecurity and power struggle. Fortunately, our children are growing up in a time where public awareness is ever-increasing and children are taught empathy, confidence, and respect. School-wide anti-bullying programs are the norm, and it’s on nearly every parent’s radar. Despite these efforts, it still pervades our children’s day to day life. Rather than feel powerless against it, we need to educate ourselves to strengthen our children’s confidence and ability to prevent bad behavior before it happens.
One way to do this is through martial arts. The value of self-defence classes are timeless, with participants from all over the world singing its praises. Self-defence teaches awareness, composure, strength, grit, and confidence. Less obviously, it is a proven measure to prevent torment.
Fitness
The physical benefits of self-defence are tremendous, with students exercising their core, their limbs, and their heart as well as their mental strength. While other aerobic activity can be fun and is also an important component of fitness, the benefits of self-defence merge both aerobic and anaerobic functions. Students will jump rope and perform jumping jacks to get their hearts moving, but focus more on the anaerobic functions of stretching, resistance, and gravity. This affords the participant enormous benefits in toning and strengthening their muscles. Students are typically lean, strong, and fit.
Confidence
One of the best things we can do for our children is to help them build confidence. Having faith in yourself and feeling strong and empowered creates stability in relationships, jobs, sports, and school. If a child is constantly doubting their own abilities, they will suffer in a myriad of ways including being more prone to bullying. Unfortunately, bullies look for easy victims, and insecurity is pretty easy to spot.
Consider enrolling your child in a taekwondo or karate class and you will quickly see their confidence grow. The tools they learn in these classes will help them stand up for themselves early and often.
Focus
One of the foundational components of all self-defence classes is focus. Students are taught to use their whole bodies and whole minds to execute precise techniques. This is not the realm for generalized or imprecise movement. Since this requires such intense focus, self-defence students improve their ability to focus. This translates well to playground politics where antagonistic behavior can cause children’s mind to overload. They will find a remarkable composure the next time someone tries to mess with them. In turn, they will be able to make better decisions in those intense moments.
Individual Achievement
One important aspect of self-defence is the focus on individual achievement. Team sports promote relying on your peers in a group arena, while individual sports promote self-awareness, grit, confidence, and motivation. Your student will be determined to learn the skills to reach the next level, whether that is moving from a yellow belt to an orange belt or to a higher level of black belt. This process offers students a unique opportunity to finetune their sense of self. In turn, they will face conflict directly and with resolve, giving bullies no chance to pounce. self-defence students see themselves as self-reliant, a formidable opponent for a potential bully.
Respect
One of the first things you learn in self-defence is that the space where you study is sacred and requires a sense of reverence. Students call this place dojo, a word that encomapsses both the physical space and the practices and behaviors expected within it. Dojo promotes the importance of respect as a primary function in practice.
Most often, when we think of martial arts as a method of self-defense for the child who is receiving the bullying. However, it is also beneficial for preventing children for those prone to asserting power in the wrong ways. Since self-defense encourages respect of others, it engenders a more balanced power relationship amongst its students. Rather than trying to beat someone or win a game, students are taught to work on their own skills and consider themselves equal to those around them. In turn, this discourages the unnatural idea that your peers need dominating (an underlying subtext of bullying).
Anyone can do it!
Some children feel they are not athletes or may say they are not “into” sports. When they self-identify this way early on, it can be a difficult pattern to break. They may have joined a soccer team when they were four or attempted little league in first grade, only to determine that they lacked the hand-eye coordination or interest to continue. Break this cycle by introducing self-defence. One of the absolute best parts about being a student of self-defence is that it is so inclusive, meaning anyone can do it.
With no expensive or intimidating gear and no experience needed to jump in at any age, self-defence offers an attractive and inviting option for people of all ages. You will find that your child claims to not like sports, but takes really well to karate or taekwondo. Since there are few cost or gear barriers, this is a great way to foster confidence and health, thereby bolstering self-esteem.
Lifelong Possibilities
How many adults do you know who still play football? Not many, I’m sure! Some sports are fun while you are young, but torture on your bones. One of the best attributes about self defence is that we can (and do) participate for life. Most martial artists never stop practicing and still attend classes as senior citizens. The classes are designed to be gentle on your body while you are gaining strength, so there is very little concern about blown out knees and torn rotator cuffs. Encourage your child to look at fitness as a means to initiate lifelong learning and health.
Teach your children to be strong throughout their lives with the power of martial arts.
May 9, 2018 | 0 Comment(s)
Martial arts are a fitness regime that combines mental and physical concentration to get results. Today’s kids are spending less and less time outdoors and plenty of time indoors with their attention fixated on PlayStation consoles, television, mobile gadgets and video games. Martial arts can provide an opportunity for your kids to engage in physical activities that can be beneficial to their health and wellbeing.
You might be surprised to find that your kid might be already interested in combat sports. If they object or aren’t sure about taking up a class, take them with you to the local studio and request the instructor to allow you to observe a session. Watching a training session in Karate, Judo, Kung fu and even Taekwondo could end up stimulating interest in your child to enroll.
If your child is not a fan of team sports, taking on a class is a good option. This is a great opportunity to get him or her out of the couch to get some physical exercises and also to meet new friends. There is a whole range of martial sports that can help a kid develop their fitness, agility, concentration, and discipline. Here are six reasons martial arts make a good fit for your kids.
1 They make kids active
This is probably the best reason why kids should take up these sports. Child obesity is at an all-time high, and the main culprit is inactivity. Extracurricular activities are no longer stressed in our schools and the time allocated for physical exercises, and sports activities has been cut.
2. They are safe
When parents are faced with making choices about activities they allow their kids in; safety comes first. In these sports, kids are taught different techniques under the close supervision of a qualified instructor. Your kid will be guided on the safe way to make a move without posing a risk to themselves or other people. Activities such as weightlifting pose a higher risk of injury due to the equipment used and the nature of the physical activities.
3. They learn to get up after getting knocked
In sports like boxing, a pugilist learns to persevere after getting his nose bloodied. But in martial sports, the trainee learns how to get up after getting knocked down by his adversary. Trainees are taught that not all sparring ends with a win. Therefore, they must learn how to take a beating with pride and conceal this feeling of anger and resentment. If your child is exposed to humiliation early, they will learn how to handle failures and disappointments in their life. From doing poorly in the swimming pool to getting tackled in a football match, they will gain the skills to get up when things go wrong.
4. Setting goals
There is no pretending that physical exercises aren’t exacting. Apart from learning to absorb pain, your kid will also learn that setting goals and achieving them doesn’t come easy. They have to work for success. The greatest achievements in martial sports are measured by earning a belt. A belt can only be received after months of hard and strenuous training. They will learn that dedication and hard work makes the achievement even more outstanding. This will help him or her to learn to apply dedication in other spheres of life whether in class or employment.
5. Fitness earns respect
In martial sports, one element that encompasses all disciplines taught is respect. At the beginning of a training session, your child will be taught to bow to his or her instructor. At the end of the session, they will bow again. This is a sign of respect. They will also be asked to respect trainees with high caliber belts than their own. If friction arises during training, your kid will be taught how to calmly take control of the situation without resorting to aggressive and coercive behavior or physical fights. These skill of conflict resolution will come in handy when your kid gets upset with his peers, family or friends. It will also form a strong foundation of their expected duty to respect classmates, peers, instructors, parents, and colleagues at their future employment station.
Once they learn how to respect, it will be easy for them to learn important skills such as teamwork that are crucial to life. So apart from being active and making new friends, martial sports can bring growth to your kid in all areas of their life. Children learn to handle the challenges of life. They become confident, mature and learn to accept the ups and downs of life.
6. Self-defense and self-discipline
The ability for your kid to defend themselves or their family against an adversary is an empowering feeling. The core discipline at the center of martial sports training is self-defense. And the different methods applied vary from discipline to discipline but you can be certain that with constant practice your kid will learn to defend themselves and those close to them. When it comes to self-discipline, martial sports can help kids better control their emotions, thoughts, and responses. Studies have shown that taking on a martial sports class can improve behavior and can make kids more attentive and sociable.
Conclusion
There are many disciplines to choose from, and it is difficult to say what is better than the other. All of them focus on discipline and developing inner strength. Kicking and punching are the two key elements of instruction and are unique to karate, and Taekwondo. Kung Fu is perhaps the oldest discipline and confines itself on strong blocks to prevent getting stuck. Others like Aikido focus on tricking your opponent and using their strength and moment to prevent them from hurting you. Some disciplines apply wrestling while others focus on kicks. Interestingly, some disciplines confine themselves to using traditional weapons such as nunchaku, one of the most popular weapons used by Bruce Lee. This is a combination of two hardened sticks fastened with a metallic chain.
The post 6 Reasons Why Martial Arts Are Good for Your Kids appeared first on Better Kids Institute.
April 17, 2018 | 0 Comment(s)
Martial arts is said to be an engaging and fun way for children to let off some steam. There are plenty of classes to choose from. Whether it is aikido, karate, judo, tae kwon do, or many others, there is a class out there for any of your child’s needs. But there is so much more to these classes than simple fighting and kicking. There are invaluable lessons that children can learn in order to make them better people in their life outside of practice. If you are curious about these benefits, check out the following reasons to sign your child up for a class as soon as possible:
Staying Fit
Fitness is an important part of any young child’s lifestyle. It helps keep growing children strong and healthy during a crucial part of their development. Regular exercise is also important for maintaining emotional balance, offering both an outlet for stress and anger. This is especially important for young children, who often have too much energy to stay indoors all day.
Martial arts classes come with all sorts of exercise and strength building routines. Jumping jacks and stretching is one of the most common warm ups during a class. Push-ups and constant movement often compliment this, in order to keep muscles flexible and tone. This also ensures that children will not get hurt as their fighting techniques get more advanced.
Learning to Defending Yourself
We all know the importance of being able to stand up to an attacker. Children are no different. Being that small can make you feel vulnerable, but having knowledge of a fighting style helps build confidence in children that can help them defend themselves. Most of us have been in a situation where we wish our knowledge of fighting could have helped us out of it. With enough training, children do not have to be scared of people just because they are physically bigger than them.
Make no mistake, however, children are not encouraged or taught as a way to start random fights. Every child is taught the importance of avoiding conflict and problem solving without resorting to violence. What makes these techniques so powerful is that the more advanced a child’s knowledge of them, the less likely they are to needlessly start a fight.
The Art of Self Discipline
In the end, fitness is really only a small part of the craft. The most important part of any martial art is the discipline with which a child approaches it. This is something that is enforced from their very first day on the mat. No child can progress without the proper control over themselves and their emotions.
The key to this art is mental focus. You must be able to concentrate on a singular task for however long it takes to complete. This is an important life skill for children to learn and can be frustrating at first. However, with time, many children are able to take what they learn and translate it into their everyday interactions.
A Deeply Engrained Respect
Quite possibly the biggest lesson that a child can learn through frequent practice is respect. While there is a fair amount of fighting, it is second to the lesson of respect that all those who enter a dojo must learn. When greeted with a master or someone senior to you, people are taught to bow to him or her. This also applies to instructors. It is only normal to show a level of deference to those who are teaching you.
We could all stand to learn from the lessons taught within these dojos. Children are made to treat each other just as they would want to be treated. Respect is repeated continuously, with students often repeating the mantras taught to them by their elders, both on and off the mat. Anyone who cannot show respect is asked to leave the dojo.
Confidence is Key
Any of us can remember how fragile our confidence was when we were a child. Being a child is an important part of your life where you build the most associations about yourself. As such, it’s important to have a sphere of people and activities that build you up. The benefits of these classes are that children are really encouraged to come out of their shell.
The emphasis is not on how you look or what anyone else is doing. Instead, you are taught to focus on your practice and improve incrementally, in your own time. A ranking system of belts helps children feel they are steadily improving in a way that they can see over time. This instills a rewards system for their hard work as well as gives them goals that they can get through time and diligence. Graduating to a new belt can be a huge experience for a child. The pride they feel stays with them for a long time after the fact.
Taking What Life Throws At You
So much of us try and shield children from the hard parts of life. Unfortunately, that is not a viable way to help children grow. Practicing on the mat and getting use to fighting can help children brace for many of the realities of life. Knowing how to take a hit, especially a hard one, and still get back up is a lesson that not many people learn even as adults.
Being able to rebound once you have fallen is the best thing a child can learn to do. It is a lesson they can carry to many areas of their lives. Whether it is getting grades in school, getting hurt by those around you, or losing at something you thought you would win, life will test children in many ways. Having the stillness and focus to sift through the emotions that accompany failure and grow will make them into hardworking and diligent adults who are ready to take on the world.
Marital arts can be a great way to positively use energy and keep kids entertained. The lessons they learn from classes can do so much more than keep them fit, however. A disciplined practice can teach children things they carry with them well beyond their childhood.
The post The Benefits of Martial Arts appeared first on Better Kids Institute.
February 26, 2018 | 0 Comment(s)
Martial arts incorporates a number of traditional combat practices that aid in physical, spiritual, and mental growth. People also learn these techniques for self-defense and entertainment. Many parents view the sport as violent, and as such, discourage their children from taking part in it. Ironically, these fighting arts are a lot safer than many other common sports. They are always practiced in controlled environments, meaning the chances of anyone getting injured are very low.
These fighting techniques are especially important for fitness. Here are some ways the sport can make your child grow fit:
• Flexibility
These sports involve a lot of complicated kicking movements. As such, most students have to start off with stretching exercises. These are meant to loosen the muscles that have grown sedentary over time. As a student, your child will be instructed on how to practice without hurting their muscle fibers.
One of these flexibility stretches is the seated and standing hamstring stretch. In this workout, you have to raise one leg up and rest it on a bar in order to stretch the rear leg muscles. The training also involves the hurdler’s stretch, which loosens the muscles in the groin and hamstrings. This specific workout has to be performed under supervision as it can cause stress in the knee ligament.
For the inner thigh muscles, participants are given instructions on how to perform the seated groin stretch. The standing hip stretch is much simpler and helps to ease the hip and buttock muscles. To improve the flexibility of the front thigh, hips, and buttocks, students will perform the lunging exercise and the thigh stretch.
There are many variations of these workouts, some of which are too complicated for beginners. As your child becomes more flexible, he or she will learn tougher stretching exercises.
• Strength
Sports such as jiu-jitsu require participants to workout heavily in order to handle their opponents well in self-defense. Participants need to be able to pack enough power behind their punches. Students will be enrolled in sessions that involve pull up exercises, push-ups, and burpees. These workouts also help to condition the students.
The fighting sports mainly focus on building the art of fighting. These include quick responses to attacks, coordination, fighting techniques, and motor control. However, these are incomplete if the child lacks the strength to resist and initiate attacks.
• Stamina
Physical endurance is important in these sports. Without enough stamina, a fighter easily loses technique, and their movements become sloppy. If any part of a fighter’s body gets too tired to move with mobility, they will be unable to fight as well. Even a fighter with the best techniques will lose any fight as long as they don’t have the stamina to endure the duration of the match. This is why stamina is always listed as an important aspect of these fighting sports.
Stamina is achieved through the vigorous training offered to students. These workouts raise the heart rate steadily and require the participants to keep going without giving up. As a result, the children will be able to develop physical and mental endurance, both of which are important in living a healthy and fulfilling life. Stamina is measured by the length and intensity of an activity, and the muscles involved in the workouts.
Some schools improve the stamina of their students through simple cardio activities such as rope skipping and running. Strength training can also be included in the workouts as a way of conditioning the students for more aggressive fights. Since these workouts are only meant for training, the instructor will be careful enough not to let the children injure their muscle fibers or even do cardio beyond what their bodies can handle physically.
• Posture
Good posture and balance are often neglected in young people. Children need to care of their backs just as much as older people. If they learn proper postures at young ages, they are likely to maintain it as they grow up. In these fighting sports, people build healthy body postures and balance through specific workouts.
Posture, in these arts, is directly linked to coordination and structure, both of which are of critical importance. A good fighter needs to coordinate all the parts of their body so that he or she can work in harmony.
To coordinate their movements against opponents, their bodies need to be well-balanced, and this means their bodies have to be aligned with gravity. That way, their movements will not be affected by excessive tension.
Building good posture will go a long way in maintaining proper breathing and improving the health of your child’s spine.
• Healthy Body Weight
These sports also incorporate cardio exercises. However, participants don’t necessarily have to engage in separate workouts in order to burn calories. Workouts such as karate, judo, and other kicking exercises are enough to keep them fit. In fact, a person can burn more calories with these exercises compared to workouts such as the stationary bike. Young children are unlikely to engage in workouts that they consider boring. These sports help them find an enjoyable activity, which is also highly effective at burning fat.
It is important to note that many movements can be dangerous if done improperly. So, ensure that a professional trains your child at all times.
• Self Confidence and Discipline
The fighting arts also make children become mentally fit. This is because they get to learn new techniques and skills, and at the end of every stage, they receive a belt as a reward. That way, they are able to grow into disciplined people who can see a task to its end. Also, these techniques are not easy; the children will have to make sacrifices to learn the skills successfully. This further teaches them self-discipline. At the end of the day, they will have a sense of capability since they completed a task successfully.
Conclusion
Traditional fighting arts are important in the development of children. The sports will help them gain fitness, physically and mentally since this is important to their development. You should consider signing up your child in martial arts school for them to enjoy the highlighted benefits.
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