Blog
Is it Healthy for Kids to Sign up for Martial Art Courses?
With the release of the most recent Karate Kid film last week, a large number of people are curious if they should enroll their boy or girl in a martial arts school. If you or your child has never joined a martial arts class prior, it may be a frightening decision that comes with a great deal of questions.
The most significant worry amongst the majority of parents is whether or not their child is going to be safe when training with other students. That is a very real concern, because most of the martial arts require some contact with other children when practicing self-defense techniques, throws, or sparring. However, most trainers request assistance from assistant instructors in kids lessons to try and protect against injuries from occurring. Furthermore, many schools impose a minimum age requirement for sparring and other techniques that entail contact amongst students. The greatest suggestion I can give you would be to watch your child take an introductory class before joining any martial arts school. It will be possible to tell right away whether or not your boy or girl is at ease in the dojo by her or his body language when interacting with other kids and the teachers. In most cities, you can find a few different schools to pick from, which means you will probably want to check out a few prior to signing up for any dojo.
The second largest concern amongst most parents is the amount of investment karate lessons will require of their child. As with any sport or pursuit, your boy or girl has a higher rate of success when they attend every class and spend time training outside of class. Based on your kid’s athletic ability, he or she may be able to advance without practicing at your house, but the average martial artist spends time each day honing their skills. With this in mind, a good number of parents worry their child’s education will come second to the martial art, and their kid’s grades will start to slip. But bear in mind, a lot of martial arts schools already have a policy in place stating that kids keep up a specific grade point average if they wish to participate in classes.
For a great number of parents, price is the most important concern of signing up their children in a martial arts class. This is an extremely plausible worry, because classes are typically reasonably costly. Typically, a martial art class may cost between $55 and $110 for each month. Apart from the cost of classes, you are going to also want to take into account the price of the karate supplies you will have to buy for the class. Many senseis even request a fee when kids test for new karate belts.
In general, the gains to putting your son or daughter in a karate course far outweigh the negatives. The large majority of teachers place a significant emphasis on respect for authority and discipline, which can be incredibly significant qualities for your kid to acquire during their impressionable youth. In almost all dojos, kids are educated that destructive activities like fighting and drug use are intolerable and will ultimately result in being removed from upcoming lessons.
With somewhere around 64% of people in America overweight, young boys and girls can dramatically benefit from being active in a healthy sport such as Karate or Aikido. Nearly all martial arts provide a substantial amount of exercise for their members, and by teaching your children the joy of physical activity at a youthful age, they have a considerably better chance of growing into healthy grown ups. As they enhance and get in better shape, kids are likely to see an increase in self-esteem, which can make a large difference in other aspects of his or her life.
Possibly the greatest benefit of enrolling your kid in martial arts is that she or he will discover a new set of skills that were designed to help them protect themselves if attacked. Although fighting is looked down on in most martial arts schools, self-defense techniques are a standard component of the regimen. Instructors make an effort to coach students to defend themselves in situations where they are in physical danger or being bullied. As a parent, you could sleep much better at night knowing your kid is not defenseless in the case of a kidnapping attempt.
After reading this article, if you are still unwilling to enroll your boy or girl in a martial art school, you may possibly want to look into taking a class with your kid to lessen any reservations you might have. I’m sure you will very quickly see that there is nothing to be anxious about.