This section covers two extremely valuable life skills that many adults pay a ?king's ransom? to attain. Adults pay a life coach, business coach, or read plenty of self-improvement books, to gain this knowledge and develop these life skills. However, within a Karate class, children can be molded toward a lifetime of achievement.
Success
There are many types of success such as: The power of influence, mental, physical, spiritual, and material success. A child can get a strong grasp of most of these types of successes, within the structure of his or her Karate class. Each form of success is valuable in today's world.
The power of influence is learned through social skills, and children have to work together in order to learn Karate. Children work in pairs, or groups, to accomplish a single goal. Sometimes, the highest ranking child will lead a group, while the Karate teacher (sensei) observes or corrects at certain points.
However, the influential Karate student can be observed voluntarily helping others. This is one of many positive qualities that children learn, which are valuable in their Karate training, and it applies to having influence in life.
Mental success can be academic or something as simple as learning a new martial arts technique. The child who learns to apply his or her success, gained in a martial arts class, toward life outside Karate training, has learned one of the biggest lessons a Karate teacher can give.
Spiritual success is really left up to the parents, but many advanced Karate students learn to meditate. Meditation offers the ability to clear your mind and concentrate on one single concept, object, or idea. At the very least, kids Karate students will learn to be quiet and know how to quiet their minds. This is a relief for parents who desperately need some quiet time in the evening.
Material success arrives when all of the other forms of success work in harmony. A child who has the tools for success, learned within the Karate classroom, will be able to apply them toward school, college, and business. For most of us, success, in life, will not be attained without working at it.
Leadership
As a child attains a higher rank within his or her Karate class, the ability to lead a small group of Karate students is learned. To enhance this quality, we developed a ?leadership team.? These children, on the leadership team, have displayed leadership and compassion toward their fellow Karate students.
However, every child within our North Providence kids Karate program is taught the value of leadership as it applies to life. There is a time to lead and a time to follow, but children have to learn to think for themselves for their own safety and success. The power of peer pressure is a heavy burden on the minds of children.
Proper conduct is not always popular with children, but the child with strong leadership skills will not follow the negative path of influence. Children have serious daily concerns about peer pressure, drugs, and bullies. Karate training, and the leadership skills that result from it, will carry your child in the right direction.
? Copyright 2005 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Attraction
Doesn't everyone want to feel appreciated, popular, and get some recognition? Children need it even more that you do. This is why a child, who has leadership, success, and social skills, will go far among his or her peers. This is one more reason why a child who studies Karate will avoid following the crowd and become a trend setter.
How can a child be so self assured? It comes with inner confidence, achievements, and enhanced athletic abilities. These are all benefits that children gain from regular participation in a Karate class.
Innovation and Creative Thinking
When teaching the children, in our North Providence martial arts studio, I often emphasize the value of the words, ?martial artist.? It is the art that really separates a martial artist from the street fighter.
Otherwise, children would only learn self-defense skills, which is a by product of Karate training, but they also have a moral code. Many life skills are learned within martial arts classes. Children in a Karate class should be encouraged to find solutions that work for them.
Therefore, the young Karate student is not a clone of his or her teacher. After the basics are accomplished, all Karate students should use techniques that work for their mind and body. Karate practitioners are not all ?wired? in the same way.
As long as the basic foundations are followed, the child who practices Karate should find independent solutions, just like any other artist. I often compare this to music; and here is my comparison, ?I can give you the notes, and teach you songs, but it is up to you to create your own songs.?
Time Management
Children, who practice Karate, or any other martial art, learn to be dressed on time, line up in formation, and remember to bring their equipment. This is elementary to adults, but if your child is slowing you down, Karate is a fantastic solution for the child who needs to manage time a little better.
When this same child grows into adulthood, he or she will be thankful for the lessons in time management, when going through college, working at a job, or raising his or her own children. When learning Karate, children also learn to prioritize the important things in life and establish much better control over time management. The co-worker, or college student, who is habitually late, is rarely successful, and has always left something important ?on the back burner.?
? Copyright 2005 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul M. Jerard Jr. has sinced written about articles on various topics from Leadership, Yoga Practice and Anger Control. Paul Jerard is the director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He's a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students wanting to be a Yoga t. Paul M. Jerard Jr.'s top article generates over 165000 views. to your Favourites.