Your child will be forced to deal with a lot of different issues as they grow up. They will have to figure out who they are as people and deal with harshness and cruelty that can exist in their peers and the world. While you will help them through this journey as much as possible, you can’t always be there for your child. The best gift you can give your kid is confidence.
Enrolling your kid into a martial arts class may seem like you are taking things to the extreme. After all, you don’t want your child punching and kicking away their problems. However, while they will learn how to do these moves (and many others), there is more to this way of life than fighting. The discipline that your child gains from taking one of these courses will help them throughout their life.
Why It’s Important to Build Your Child’s Confidence
Having a child with healthy self-esteem and faith in themselves will allow them to be curious about the world. It’s not feasible to think that your child can stay inside and never be exposed to difficult or scary situations. If you want them to be able to overcome these challenges, then you need to build their confidence.
Learning martial arts is a great way to do that. When your child is able to master a new skill or a new move, they’ll feel a sense of achievement and pride. They’ll also learn that through hard work and dedication, they can accomplish any goal that is set before them. There may be challenges and struggles on the way, but through perseverance and a desire to improve, they will.
Not only will this skill serve them in martial arts, but it’s something they can take with them for the rest of their life. They’ll know that even if something seems difficult at the moment, by working through the situation and having self-assurance, they’ll be able to achieve their goals and work their way through life’s ranks—much like they will work through the belt ranks.
Fighting Through Fear
At some point in your child’s life, they will be confronted by a bully. Most parents want to think that kids and other adults are always nice and kind, but the reality is far different. Being teased or pushed around can take a toll on your child’s self-esteem and lead to other mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.
The goal of learning different fighting techniques is not so that your child can get into battles. It’s so that your child can learn to defend themselves. The practice of learning these fighting techniques is to allow your child to discover what they are capable of, as well as the restraint to only use it when absolutely necessary.
If a moment ever arises and they need to protect themselves or someone they love, they will have the strength and ability to stand up to even the toughest opponent and not allow themselves to be pushed around. This ability can make the world less scary and give your child what they need to be happy and healthy.
Being able to defend themselves is not only good for your child, but it can give you peace of mind as well. If you know that your child has the skills and ability to stop a beating before it becomes serious, then this keeps them safe and lets you know they can handle whatever the world throws their way.
Being in Control and Making Good Decisions
When your child is confronted by a bully or other challenges in their life, you want them to have the ability to be in control of their emotions and actions and make good decisions. This will serve them well on the playground and in every aspect of their life. They won’t have to show off their fighting skills and abilities, but if they need to use them, they’ll know when the time is right and take control of the situation.
Being able to make good decisions means that your child will also know when they need to walk away. This can prevent a situation from escalating into a huge ordeal. On the other hand, if bullying and harassment continue, your child may make the decision to put a stop to it so that they or their friends can be safe no matter where they are.
Body Awareness and Coordination
There are a lot of awkward phases in life that your child will have to go through, and sometimes that has an impact on their body awareness and motor control. When your child learns a martial art, they become body aware. They have to be very focused on their body position to perform the movements accurately and safely. This helps them build muscle and fine motor skills, which not only help for this practice but in all areas of their life.
A Life of Respect
When your child learns self-defense techniques, they are building their self-esteem, but they are also developing a sense of respect—for themselves, their peers, their instructors, and their parents. There are a lot of people in this world who are missing this key component. Knowing how to respect others can open up many paths for your child and lead them to success.
Throughout your child’s life, they will face many difficult challenges. You can’t help them through these times, but you can give them faith in themselves. Learning a martial art is a great way to give your child the skills, discipline and mental strength they need to overcome any obstacle that life might throw their way.
