Martial artists are very confident individuals. If you were to observe a friend or family member that trains in the discipline or even an MMA athlete on television, you will notice this quality is prevalent in them. How is it that self-defense and combat sports training builds confident and self-reliant people?
How Children Grow to Be Confident
A child’s path to adolescence is determined by the interaction it has with its environment. Parents are the closest and most immediate influence children have. How parents treat kids and the effort they put into a child’s development holds an important role in how its personality is molded.
Child psychology shows us that your kid’s confidence is built through everyday interaction with you and the other people in its immediate circle. Specifically, children build conviction and assertiveness when parents:
- Give children adequate attention
- Delegate small tasks to children in order to build a sense of capability
- Make time to play and hang out
- Encourage them in their activities
How Do Martial Arts Build Confident People?
A child’s involvement with martial art gives them the opportunity to incorporate all four of the above elements into their weekly routine whether directly or indirectly. A good instructor is one that gives each student the attention they need in order to learn the techniques being taught.
As students evolve, they are asked to help newer class members adjust and are even given the responsibility to aid in teaching. In their training, kids find a second family; a group of people that will engage in constructive skill-building, mutual encouragement and attainment of self-discipline.
Being a confident child is facilitated by participating in the martial art regimen and putting in the necessary work for mastery. Here are 5 carry-overs from a martial art that will make your child more confident in their everyday life.
- Dealing with Bullying
When your child knows that it can defend itself against an attacker, bullying becomes inconsequential. Your kid can focus on their homework and social life without the often-debilitating fear of being picked on.
- Achieve Anything They Set Their Mind To
When a child internalizes how far they’ve come in their training, from a beginner that wasn’t able to throw a simple jab to performing high-level techniques that require balance, agility and speed, all of a sudden nothing feels out of reach.
- Healthy Self-Image
Child obesity is a growing concern throughout the world and statistics are showing that children are starting to experience an increasing number of weight-related health issues. A child that is able to maintain a functional and healthy body is more confident because their good health allows them to be active in any physical pursuit.
- Performing Under Pressure
Training can be intense and require laser-focus and effort. Participating in tournaments, preparing for belt promotions or practicing techniques in front of classmates will teach your child to perform under pressure. This is a quality that will follow them in their future studies and career.
- Trust in Their Ability to Socialize
Being able to interact with others in a pleasant and productive manner is essential to the growth of a child into a young adult and beyond. Calm and respectful socialization can only make your child more confident when communicating with others.
Confidence-Boosting Side-Effects of Training
Now that we’ve looked at what makes children confident and what the benefits of training are on their personal development, let’s look at a few other changes that will boost their assertive nature and cause them to believe in themselves even more.
Better emotional control
Some parents hesitate to enroll their child in a martial art. They think that their kid may become impulsive, violent or unpredictable. Nothing could be further from the truth. By learning to exercise high-level physical control on their bodies, children master their emotions and respond more logically to their everyday problems.
Independence
Training in a martial art is unique in its ability to instill independence in your child’s personality. Unlike team sports where the whole takes precedence over the individual, and unlike individual sports like tennis or golf where the athlete can become isolated, training in a martial art gathers the best of both worlds. Children learn to become self-reliant and responsible for their own progress while building camaraderie with their fellow students.
Endorphin Modulation
The endorphins released while training prime your child’s brain and nervous system to experience a lesser perception of pain and discomfort. This means that not only will they be able to deal with difficult physical situations better, like injuries or the flu, but they will also have a more positive outlook and be less prone to depression and other mental issues.
Emphasis on Progress Rather than Perfection
It’s only natural that you want your child to succeed, but oftentimes young people’s progress can be derailed when excessive pressure is placed on them. They may have their eyes locked on the goal and can become discouraged when obstacles arise on their way to achieving it.
Training in a martial art builds the conviction that success is not about perfection but rather the will to move ahead and make gradual gains. By training in a martial art, your child will understand that overcoming failure is the secret to success.
