Parents Guide To Martial Arts For Kids
In the eyes of many parents, martial arts classes are not places where they would love to see their child playing around. All of those takedowns, kicks, punches look so dangerous when you watch pro matches on TV. But in reality, martial arts are great for kids of all ages, and above all, are safe and playful.
With your child sparking an interest in martial arts, what you can do as a parent to help and support them on this road? What is the role you need to play and steps you need to make to be sure that your child is safe, and above all, enjoys the training? Well, there are more than a few steps, to be honest, but let’s start by answering the most important question.
What are the benefits of martial arts for kids?
Like any form of exercise, martial arts classes have many health benefits. Above all, training is safe, playful, and has a positive impact on the life of your child outside the training as well. Here are some of the benefits and important lessons your child will learn.
Discipline, respect, and concentration
Martial art training is all about high discipline and respect between the students. Most schools will not tolerate bullies or any type of bad behavior in classes. Your child will learn to respect others, not just in school, but all people in general. Due to high discipline needed, they need to stay focused all the time, while listening and following the instructions. which improves their concentration.
The importance of hard work
Martial arts will teach your child one of the most important life lessons: hard work always pays off. This is because they won’t achieve anything in training without putting in hard work. Kids quickly learn how to set goals, and what are steps they need to take to achieve them. There is no fooling around, taking shortcuts, or faking ‘till you make it, just hard work. We don’t have to spend too many words talking about how this will have a positive impact on their lives outside of training.
Self-improvement and confidence
Most martial arts have a belt ranking system and strict promotional criteria. As the kids get better, they make a progress through the ranks, which boosts their confidence like nothing else. From an early age, they will learn how to set goals and stay motivated which are the two key components when it comes to self-improvement.
Coordination and memorization
Throwing kicks, punches, and grappling around improves coordination and memorization. In training, kids do a lot of strength and stretching exercises that will improve their motor skills and balance. And, they also need to stay focused on memorizing all the moves, poses, and how and when to execute them. This keeps their minds active, which will have an impact when it comes to schoolwork for instance.
What are the best and safest martial arts for children?
There are many martial arts to choose between, and which one is the best for your child depends on many factors. The best thing you can do as a parent is to let them try as many and pick the one that suits them the best. Here is a list of the best and safest martial arts to choose between.
What Is the Best Martial Art For Kids (Top 5)
Martial arts is great for kids of all ages and in fact safer than some other sports like football or rugby. If your…medium.com
Karate
Karate is, perhaps, the most popular martial arts for kids and it is well spread all around the world. It has many forms out of which most focus on mixing kicks with the punches. The emphasis is on light contact, fast movement, and technique. Most kids start their journey in Karate, and there is a high chance that your child will as well.
Wrestling
Wrestling is one of the oldest martial arts. It is also a part of the education program in the US and some eastern countries. Even if you are not into martial arts, you have likely heard about high-school and collegiate (college) wrestling. It is a very safe art as it doesn’t include any punches at all.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ)
BJJ is a popular option for kids since the art offers a perfect balance between self-defense techniques and safety. It focuses entirely on grappling and ground fighting, and it is very playful. Your kid will have a ton of fun grappling around with other kids. They will learn good self-defense skills and many valuable life lessons.
Judo
Judo is a grappling art and an Olympic Sport. Created by Kano Jigoro, Judo as a concept focuses on physical, mental, and moral pedagogy. This is why it is a popular option for parents who want to enroll their kids in martial arts. The goal in judo is to learn how to perform various throws and fight on the ground using chokes and joint locks. It has a really long history and will teach your child all about respect, honor, and help them grow into a person with good manners.
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and an Olympic sport since 2000. The emphasis of the art is on kicking techniques and it teaches some basic hand strikes as well. Your kid will learn how to throw all types of spinning and jumping kicks in a very safe environment. Training improves balance, strength and will make your child very flexible.
Visit the school and talk with the instructor
Let’s say that your child has made a choice, and you have found a school near your home. The next step for you is to visit the school and meet the main instructors who will teach your kid martial arts techniques. This is crucial because the last thing you need is to entrust your child to a fake martial arts master. How you can find out whether they are legit instructors or not, you may ask?
Well, you don’t have to be an expert in martial arts to see if someone is selling a fake story or not. The instructors are, in most cases, lifelong martial artists who have many years of experience teaching classes. They must have some type of certificate, medals they won in competition, or any other proof. If you don’t see any in their office or on the wall, be sure to ask them directly about what makes them credible to do this type of work.
Although this may sound insulting or as an aggressive approach, it isn’t. First, we are speaking about the safety of your child. And second, legit instructors are more than happy to talk about their achievements and the love and passion that they have for martial arts.
Check the hygiene in the gym
When you visit the school, be sure to check whether the facility maintains a high level of hygiene or not. We don’t have to spend too many words explaining why this is crucial as we are speaking about the health of your child. Most martial arts include a hand to hand grabbing, pulling, grappling and striking. Things like dirty mats can lead to various infections and other serious diseases.
One of the most common ways people get an infection is through famous mat burns. Mat burns are the first-degree burns you get when your skin is rubbed hard against the mats which leave a burn on the skin. The mix of dirty mats and mat burns is a perfect mix for developing infections like staph germs. To prevent this from happening to your child, be sure to check the hygiene in the school.
Do not hesitate to ask to check the dressing room, and of course, the toilet. The lack of hygiene speaks a lot about the school, their approach to training, and how much they care about the students.
Stay for at least 10 minutes and observe the class
If you have some extra time, be sure to stay a couple of minutes and observe the class. This is a great way for you as a parent to get familiar with how the training looks like. You can see how dangerous it looks, or how good the instructor is. Stop for a moment and visualize your kid in there with the others, and how do you feel about that.
Watching other kids training and seeing them being disciplined, and working hard will help you make the right decision.
Inform yourself about how your child can benefit from martial art training
Just by reading this article, you are doing the right thing. As a parent, you should inform yourself about martial arts and all of its pros and cons when it comes to training. Do not overreact trying to stop your child from signing up for classes just because you are afraid. Millions of kids around the world train martial arts every day and there is a reason why this is one of the most popular forms of activities among kids.
Even when you finish this article, continue doing your research. Check out all the martial art schools in your area, read about different styles, find the safest ones, talk with your kid, visit the gym. There are so many things that you can and should do as a parent. And once your child starts with the training, remember that you are into martial arts together. Be sure to support them on this road, and be proud of their achievements. You will be a happy parent.
