Now more than ever, parents see amazing 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 helping kids become the best versions of themselves they can possibly be! Read on to find out more about this amazing sport and after-school activity.
Discipline and Success in Kids Martial Arts Classes
First things first… What does “success” mean to you? Some people define success through wealth, material goods, the time they spend with their family, or the number of lives they impact, but there’s no one concrete definition. No matter how you define success, most successful people, like world-famous athletes, celebrities and business leaders, can attribute all of their success to one key thing- never, ever, EVER giving up.
Because we only become aware of successful people when they’ve become successful, we don’t remember that they were once “normal” people who built their lives on important lessons like perseverance. That’s why we teach perseverance and discipline in every single class, every single week. Learning these skills is how leaders are formed.
Persevering through the tough times and disciplining oneself to do what’s right, even when it’s hard or inconvenient, makes a person successful. These skills make people kind, compassionate, respectful to others, and they create better community members and industry leaders. Establishing the foundational skills of discipline and perseverance early on is absolutely critical for every child to become their most successful versions of themselves, however they define it.
Self-discipline and perseverance are critical for maintaining good grades. That’s why we’ve seen countless students enter their first martial arts class with low grades and behavior problems, and soon experience huge behavioral transformations and get higher grades to boot. We help them become “indistractable,” listen attentively to their teachers, instructors, parents and peers, and learn how to motivate themselves to do their school work without an adult’s influence. Kind of awesome!
Martial Arts Teaches Kids CONFIDENCE
So over the span of several martial arts classes, we see these kids really transform. They get better grades, keep at it until they get their goal, behave like angels- that’s great for us as adults (and, of course, for the kids too). But you may be asking yourself, how do MA classes benefit your child IMMEDIATELY? Where is that short-term benefit to complement those life-long habits of success we’re building? Well, the best thing about martial arts is that the punches and kicks, though helpful for sure, are kind of a disguise for something deeper. 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 because they’re just starting to learn hand-eye coordination and focus. A confident child is going to persevere at something 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 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, 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 what’s REALLY so cool about this is that this positive self-talk starts to have a real impact.
The kids become more confident because our instructors get through to them. They see that they really are able to 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. It’s amazing to see the transformations that occur in kids who enter our classes shy and unconfident and end up letting their real personalities shine through! One more thing on this.
Confidence is REALLY important 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 martial arts classes. The benefits are so amazing.
Martial Arts is 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 is a great place for kids who are in other sports, as they’ll learn those awesome skills that make them a better athlete overall… But it can also serve as 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 being picked on.
They get to focus on 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.
It may go without saying, but we’re going to say it anyway… Martial arts is a form of self defense. Self defense is, in our opinion, absolutely essential for EVERYONE to have in their back pocket, regardless of 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.
Though we teach nonviolent forms of conflict resolution, and show students that physical self defense should ONLY be used as a last resort, 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!
Now you know why more kids than ever are taking martial arts classes! 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!
