THERE are many things kids look forward to as soon as the school holidays begin.
But rather than spending unnecessary time at home, it could be a valuable period for your children to pick up martial arts.
Whether your kids are bursting with energy or extremely shy in social situations, martial arts can go a long way towards developing your child’s confidence, habits, and soft skills.
Here are some of the benefits of picking up martial arts:
1 Discipline
One of the central principles in any traditional martial art is to develop self-control and discipline.
Coaches, teachers and master instructors around the world often say this is a primary requirement for success in life.
Whether or not your child ends up having a career in martial arts or something else, this is one of the most important lessons the sport can teach you.
It’s the same reason why Hunter and Jacey’s parents signed them up for their first martial arts lesson.
2 Confidence
If your kid is struggling to make friends, then attending a martial arts class will allow him or her to meet other students in their age group who may share a similar trait.
4th Degree Master Instructor Alexandra Liciaga struggled with confidence and self-esteem issues from a young age.
However, the 19-year-old demonstrates daily as a full-time teacher at Dinoto Karate Center how martial arts training gave her confidence, and eventually a career.
3 Physical fitness and better coordination
This is among the main reasons why most people practice martial arts. Karate instructors push their students to their limits in order to stimulate conditioning, knowledge, and strength.
Another interesting benefit — and possibly the most underrated — is developing hand-eye coordination.
Hand-eye coordination is the ability to do activities that require the simultaneous use of our hands and eyes. It is important, especially in the developmental stages of younger kids where complex cognitive ability is vital to their physical development.
The various movements in martial arts will enhance your child’s hand-to-eye coordination.
4 Humility and respect
In any martial arts, training comes second to learning respect and humility.
Most martial arts own certain unique rituals that are done to honor certain things and promote respect, as often seen at Dinoto Karate Center.
One example would be the bow. It is done as a form of respect to your instructors, teachers and training partners.
