Martial Arts are becoming more popular as the years go on and they do provide us with the skills that we need in order to protect ourselves form others. However, when it comes to kids and Martial Arts, some parents are wary of whether or not a Martial Arts school is for them. How do you know if your child will like the school and just how do you know it will teach them all of the right things?
Martial Arts and What They Teach Our Kids
There is a misconception that Martial Arts schools teach our children to fight. Obviously all Martial Arts consist of some kind of physical activity, but it is purely taught so that our kids can protect themselves against harm.
In a world packed full of danger it is always a good idea to get our children to be able to look after themselves. At the end of the day there is only so much a parent can teach their child but once they get out into the open world, they are literally on their own. That means that they need to be able to protect themselves and Martial Arts schools do help them to do that.
Now, there are obviously going to be some kids who just want to cause trouble. However, generally Martial Arts are only learned by those who are serious about the practice. All Martial Arts require some form of focus and kids who are just out to cause trouble and fight all the time will not be able to stick with Martial Arts for long.
Martial Arts schools never teach children to fight. If anything they teach the opposite, as using the skills that you have learned through Martial Arts to just simply fight, is opposed.
So just what are Martial Arts schools teaching our children then? Well, they teach them to look after themselves, to stay focused, to have a higher self confidence and overall to keep calm. There is definitely nothing sinister going on and Martial Arts classes are extremely safe to leave your children in. You just have to make sure that you find a good school and that you do not get sucked in by the many fake Martial Arts schools out there.
Overall Martial Arts schools are good for our kids and they do not teach anything dodgy. If you do have a child enrolled in a Martial Arts school and you are not particularly happy with the attitude they are developing, then you should really consider swapping schools. It is all a matter of doing your research and finding one to suit you and your child. You should eventually find one and you can rest safe in the knowledge that your child is bettering themselves and learning to become more protected against the world.
In a word, ?No.? Children learn self-control by practicing martial arts; and the code of conduct that is enforced, within the studio, is carried outside into every day life. The average martial arts school works with parents, and academic teachers, toward the goal of optimum student success.
When you see a Karate demonstration team perform, that is not an indicator of the life skills taught within the Karate class. It is the ?flashiest? component of Karate training, presented to capture the public attention. Ten minutes of kids using ancient weapons, breaking, and working in synchronized choreography, is more interesting to the public, than a lecture, by me, about dealing with bullies without violence.
However, let's take a closer look at the ten minutes of flash. The next time you see a martial arts demonstration team, remember those children have to practice those techniques over and over again. This requires self-discipline, goal setting, perseverance, and each child being a team player.
There is no room for a ?one way? personality on any martial arts demonstration team. Such a personality would work against a good public performance. In a typical Karate class, all of the above-mentioned life skills are learned and much more.
Children learn much more about violence on the television, playing with video games, and dealing with daily life, than they will ever learn in a karate class. Even if a Karate teacher was the classic ?evil sensei,? that you may have seen in the Karate Kid movie or on Kung Fu Theatre, most children can think of far worse violence.
All you have to do is watch the news, cartoons, listen to the radio, or read a newspaper, to see things worse than unsupervised hand-to-hand combat. So, the self-defense methods taught to children actually pale in comparison to school shootings, bombings, wars, and drive-by shootings.
Karate was created by unarmed civilians on the island of Okinawa and was taught in secret among family members for their personal protection. The philosophy, within a martial arts school, will not always be the same, but the seeds of violence are not sown within a martial arts setting.
All you have to do is look around you to see more, and far worse, violence than learning self-defense - integrated with constructive life skills. The fact is a martial artist is not a ?street fighter.? If that were a requirement, we would recruit the toughest kids in North Providence.
As I explain to the children in my Karate and Jujitsu classes, ?Never forget the word, ?artist,? means to be creative, to be an innovator, and to think for yourself.? Children who learn martial arts are more apt to be well adjusted and defuse a potentially violent situation.
On top of that, most children who study Karate, or any other martial art, will not be ?trouble makers.? The children we teach from the Greater Providence, Rhode Island area have learned enough about leadership, in our Karate and Jujitsu classes, to think for themselves. For parents, the gift of martial arts training to their children has many rewards, right now, and into their future.
? Copyright 2005 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Both James Liu & Paul M. Jerard Jr. are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
James Liu has sinced written about articles on various topics from Martial Arts, Recreation and Sports and Martial Arts. For more information go to . James Liu's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.
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.