9 Surprising Benefits of Martial Arts for Kids
As a sport, martial arts is something that attracts many kids. The very nature of martial arts requires that in order to be any good at it, students work at it for long periods of time. Thus, parents who want their kids to be excellent martial artists will put their kids in the sport often far earlier than is typical for other sports.
This is for good reason — there are many excellent benefits of martial arts for kids. Martial arts offers development for kids in a way that no other sport can quite parallel. In this article, we’ve listed nine such benefits, with explanations of how kids achieve each of those benefits.
1. Excellent Coordination
One of the best benefits of martial arts for kids is the coordination that is sure to result. As a child, one is still learning how to use one’s body and coordinate it. Any kind of martial arts imparts excellent coordination skills.
This is because the punches, kicks, and defenses that are required in martial arts are very varied, but all rely greatly on timing and precision. A punch has to be thrown precisely, and the same goes for a kick and any type of defense.
Thus, the kid learns how to control his or her body, and also gains excellent hand-eye coordination.
2. Mental Strength
One of the key attributes that one requires to be good at martial arts is mental strength. After all, when one is in a sparring match, think of what that entails. At the end of the day, someone is trying to impart physical hurt on you!
To be able to understand that, absorb that, and still perform at a high level physically under that mental pressure will no doubt develop intense mental strength in your child. This mental strength will crossover into many other things later on in the child’s life, be it with regard to tough schoolwork or major life decisions.
3. Teachability
Martial arts for kids is an excellent choice because like any other sport, it requires the child to be extremely teachable. No martial arts coach will allow any nonsense or tantrums from your kid. In order to at better at it, your child must approach the sport with a teachable spirit.
If your child is not willing to be coached, chances are the martial arts coach won’t allow him or her to pursue the sport for very long!
Once your child learns this teachability, you’ll find that parenting him or her home becomes much easier as well!
4. Physical Progression
Martial arts is easily one of the most demanding sports out there. Just try punching or kicking a bag for several three-minute rounds. It isn’t easy! In addition to being excellent cardiovascular training, it will also physically progress and train your child in other ways.
The net result is that your child’s muscles will grow faster, they will have greater core strength, and they’ll be able to perform far better at any other sports that they may decide to play down the road.
5. Teamwork
You might be scratching your head at this one. Teamwork? Isn’t martial arts an individual sport?
Yes it is — however, martial arts is still able to teach kids great teamwork. This is because in order to get better at martial arts, one has to spar with other students frequently. Thus, the students have to be able to communicate with each other after these sparring matches in order to learn what they could do better and how they can improve.
Consequently, your child will learn one of the most fundamental skills of teamwork: how to give and take constructive feedback. In addition, many martial arts competitions are team-based, and your child is sure to form extremely close friendships that will stay with him or her for years.
6. Compassion
Martial arts teaches compassion. Whether one is in a true competition or in a simple sparring match, one will learn to never take his or her opponent past their limit. It suffices to beat their opponent; they never need to mercilessly crush them.
With the right coach, your child will learn to be compassionate on those who may not be as good as them and will learn to be careful to use their own strength in a way that doesn’t physically damage another child in the long-term.
7. Fighting Skills
At the end of their martial arts training, your child will be a better fighter! The skills that they have will come in handy if there ever should arise a situation where your child has to stand their ground against a bully or needs to employ self-defense tactics while getting robbed at night.
These skills are extremely valuable and will no doubt be given to your children if they train for martial arts.
8. Confidence
Being good at martial arts, due to the very physical nature of the sport, will inspire your child with much confidence growing up. Being good at any sport gives your child something to take pride in, and the very nature of martial arts will allow your child to hold his or her head high among their peers.
9. Athletic Competition
Competition is good for a child so that they can learn how to compete graciously and exhibit sportsmanlike behavior. If your child ends up having a natural ability for martial arts, he or she may be able to participate in some competitions.
Not only will this teach them work ethic as they train for these competitions, but it will teach them how to be a good winner, if they are fortunate enough to win, but also how to be gracious in a loss if they ever miss the mark at a competition.
The Best Benefits of Martial Arts for Kids
At the end of the day, it is clear that the benefits of martial arts for kids simply cannot be ignored. If you’re on the fence about putting your child in martial arts training, think about these benefits that your child is sure to gain!
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