It's generally accepted that children should be exposed to as many diverse activities as possible to broaden their horizons, help stretch their interests and hone their skills. With the many activities available to today's children, why is martial arts training so important? Actually, there are many reasons.
Consider these :
1. Many activities are either
seasonal or short lived in nature. They don't give the child the benefit
of a long term continuous learning and growing experience.
2. Most sports endeavours deal strictly in physical activities and add very little to mental and personal development.
3. Many activities are team oriented and while teamwork is certainly important, it doesn't allow for individualized training, systematic personal growth and differences in ability.
4. Competition in many activities can be so fierce that if a child doesn't perform as well as another team-mate he/she feels like a loser (which is horrible for self esteem).
5. Many public school or town run activities are sometimes unfair because
the reason a child:
a) Makes the team
b) gets to play a certain position,
c) makes the first squad, etc., is because they (or their parents) are friends
with the coach or their children. This can be very frustrating to the child
and parents as well.
6. Martial arts training, while usually done in groups, allows a child to work, develop, improve and grow at their own pace.
7. Many martial arts programs are extremely motivational in nature. This encourages a child to stay involved for long periods of time, enabling them to reap the benefits of self-accomplishment.
8. Most martial arts programs use a belt ranking system. If broken down properly, it enables a child to have a series of winning experiences that many doctors and educators agree is essential to improve self esteem and self image.
9. Martial arts develop and improve concentration that can have a major impact on school grades.
10. Martial arts programs emphasize and teach self-discipline which many educators and national leaders believe to be a serious missing element in today's youth.
11. Martial arts teach hand-eye co-ordination, motor development skills and improve overall co-ordination that helps a child in all other physical activities.
12. Martial arts programs teach self-respect and respect for others.
13. Good martial arts programs teach goal setting which becomes a practice for life.
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