Karate - Give Your Child Life Skills for a Lifetime

Admit it. When the going gets tough at home we’ve all plopped the kids in front of the television and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, we can get started on dinner, maybe check some email or sort out that massive pile of laundry.

But when your four-year-old yells at you “Mom kids rule” or your 10-year-old horrifies you with language that would make a sailor blush, you realize there must be something a mess with what these family programs really teach our kids.

And sadly, it’s happening all over the media today. From sports, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook our children are learning things that we as parents vowed, we would never teach them.

Just the thought of your angelic three-year-old morphing into a designer clad, smart mouthed, entitled layabout is enough to make any parent frustrated, but there is a solution out there to consider.

Martial arts training. You and your kids have all seen the flying sidekicks, battle cries, karate chops and their favourite TV characters as they beat up the bad guys to submission. But you may ask how on earth can these acts teach my child anything worthwhile.

First know that what you see on TV is a far cry from what real martial arts and karate is all about. The fact is martial arts training is based on nonviolence and teaching the benefits of respect, discipline, concentration, and confidence.

Comparing that to other activities and sports where fierce competitiveness and winning at all costs seems to be the mindset it is not surprising that many children grapple with issues of self-esteem and misplaced aggression.

The advantages are karate builds confidence and self-esteem as well as self discipline, respect concentration and courtesy. Martial arts are ideal for children who do not deal well in team sports giving them the ability to flourish with this activity while combining physical and mental practises.

Now having said that not all martial arts schools are created equal and not all teachers are created equal either. Teaching methods and curriculum are part of the of the solution when attending a martial arts class. School values should line up with what you would expect in your own household. This not only reinforces the behaviour but it gives kids a perspective from somebody else that is giving the same message as mom and dad.

Submitted by Chris Gillam

...we are excited about the fall and look forward to continuing our quest for black belt excellence.

Committed to your achievements!

Sensei Chris