Now more than ever, kids are majorly impressing their parents with their kids martial arts classes transformations, helping them achieve better grades and become more confident people. That’s because martial arts for kids is about a LOT more than just punches and kicks. It’s about showing kids how to 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
Okay, let’s start off with a really important question… What does “success” mean to you? To some people, success means attaining wealth or impacting people’s lives. To others, it means spending time with family or buying cool cars. No matter how you slice it, most successful people, like world-famous athletes, celebrities and business leaders, credit their major 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. It’s not a coincidence that we teach perseverance and discipline in every single martial arts class. These skills are the foundation of leadership.
Persevering through the tough times and disciplining oneself to do what’s right, even when it’s hard, makes a person successful. These skills make people kind, compassionate, respectful to others, and they create better community members and industry leaders. Can you see why it’s so beneficial to establish discipline and perseverance early on? Especially if you want your child to become their most successful versions of themselves, however they define it- you have to lay that foundation ASAP.
Self-discipline and perseverance are critical for performance in school as well. That’s why we’ve seen countless students enter 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 motivate themselves to complete their homework and projects without an adult’s influence. Kind of awesome!
Martial Arts Teaches Kids CONFIDENCE
So we have this amazing kid who’s gotten great grades and behaves like an angel- that’s awesome for us as adults, and it really is great for the kids too… But it’s natural to ask, how does martial arts benefit the students here and now? Where is that short-term benefit to complement those life-long habits of success we’re building? Here’s a secret, the coolest 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 control their bodies 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 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 when your child is struggling, 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 an actual 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. The bullies at school (and in your child’s own head) 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. Imagine if ALL kids were like this! This is why we strongly believe all children should take martial arts classes. The benefits are honestly endless.
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 sporty, as they’ll learn those life skills that make them a better athlete overall… But it’s also a real home for kids who are not so sporty and may feel left out because of it.
Because martial arts is an individual sport in a group setting, kids who may be shy about being “not 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 be really proud of themselves in a new way.
Don’t forget that martial arts is a form of self defense. Self defense is, in our opinion, absolutely essential for EVERYONE to have in their back pocket, no matter their age, gender or ability. We always say it’s something 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 show students that physical self defense should ONLY be used in a true emergency. 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 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!