Empower Kids Through Self-Defense
Self-defense can offer kids and teens a myriad of benefits that extend far beyond the physical skill sets taught in traditional self-defense courses. There is a common misconception associated with self-defense course and that is that they only teach physical skills, but this could not be more incorrect. In wake of recent tragedies and media topics we believe that now, more than ever, we should empower kids and teens through martial arts.
These days, kids and teens are dealing with higher levels of stress, they are not getting adequate socialization, bullying has become rampant, and we are seeing this through anger, hate, and in rare cases, shootings. All it takes is one good friend to prevent tragedy, one mentor to teach a child right from wrong, and one hobby or passion to give kids the will to live and to strive for goals.
Self-defense can change a kid’s life. Not only can children prevent bullying with self-defense, they can develop a strong social circle, have guidance and mentors, and they can become passionate about things. Martial arts can provide all these things for your children. Let’s have a look at some reasons that your children and teens should learn self-defense.
Prevent Bullying
Bullying is increasing every day and it can be detrimental to a child. Bullying is one of the primary causes for suicide in teens and children and it is one of the building blocks of mental illness. Learning Self-Defense can make your child bully proof. If a child has the confidence to defend themselves than they will be able to confront anybody who is trying to bully them and in extreme scenarios they will be able to defend themselves physically. They will be confident in their abilities and they will be able to perform under pressure. This leads us to our next topic.
Confidence
Confidence is so important for kids to grow in every aspect of their lives. Kids that train martial arts and practice self-defense have much higher level of confidence than the kids that don’t. This is because they know that they are learning a skill that is potentially life-saving. This is because they learn how to defend themselves. Having the confidence to defend yourself is so important. Kids need to know how to protect themselves in any situation; they need to be bully proof. Not only do they have physical confidence, but they become confident in every aspect of their lives. They learn the power of hard work.
Socialization
Unfortunately, we live in a digital world. Kids are not learning how to socialize properly, and they are growing up more alone than they ever have. Kids do not have a strong social circle and many of them are living in a fictitious reality where they believe the image they portray on social media is what defines them. They are not getting as much physical friends, they are not getting as much guidance and we can see the negative results every day. It is vital for kids and teens to be able to have friends that they can talk to, friends that they can vent to and mentors to allow them to have guidance and martial arts and self-defense can provide all of this.
Belts and Ranking
Belts and ranking are part of many martial arts schools and academies. There is a reason this ranking system is in place, it mirrors the real world very much. This is because it shows that through hard work, determination, and focus you can achieve your goals. Learning the power of hard work is so important for kids. This is because they can apply this mentality to school, sports, life, work, and everything. When they see that if they focus and work hard they get the belts they are dying for they can take this philosophy and implement it to everything.
Discipline
Discipline is something that is hard to come by. It is difficult for many parents to discipline their kids at some point in their lives and having kids do self-defense and martial arts they will learn discipline in a different manner. They will learn how to prioritize things and become great.
Guidance
Guidance is one of the most important things for a child and teen to have in their lives. Kids will typically find guidance in their parents, older siblings, and teachers but self-defense instructors can provide a different type of guidance and can act as a mentor to the children. Not only can they be a Mentor, but they can also be a role model. It is extremely common for kids who do martial arts to want to be like their teachers. This is another unbelievable benefit.
Parents Can Also Train
It is difficult for many parents to have common ground with their kids and one of the best things about self-defense and martial arts is that both adults and kids can do it. You can learn at the same time as your child and then you can go home and practice together. It is also good for kids to be around adults in a friendly setting where they are not in a position of authority. As kids grow up the only adult interaction they have is with adults in a position of authority like coaches, parents, and teachers. Martial arts can allow kids and teens to have adult friends.
These are not the only benefits of martial arts and self-defense; there are plenty of physical benefits as well We all know that you will learn how to defend yourself, get in shape, and become more physically fit. There are so many benefits though and we definitely encourage you to go and try some classes. If you don’t have the time because of scheduling conflicts check out some of our DVD’s, below we attached one of our best sellers “Beyond Krav Maga” by self-defense expert Aaron Jannetti.
