The benefits of martial arts for kids are countless- that’s why it’s been practiced for thousands of years. But in our eyes, the best 4 benefits are- healthy stress management, discipline and perseverance, better grades, and bullyproof-ness. We know, those are some awesome results! Read on to find out more
1. Stress Less
From juggling unprecedented issues like cyberbullying and social media pressures to making friends in a socially distanced world, kids nowadays are really struggling to manage their stress.
Stress is a part of life, so it’s important early on to teach your child about how to cope with and manage the stresses of day to day life- in a constructive way.
That’s where martial arts comes in! One of the benefits of martial arts for kids is that it is a mental and physical outlet for their energy. Our instructors are ninja-like sneaky in how they teach important life skills that help your little one succeed outside of the dojo, including stress management.
They have a real passion for teaching martial arts to kids, and they pass along their own sense of discipline and perseverance to your little one with every class they attend! Which leads us to…
2. Discipline and Perseverance
Every child has their challenges. Every person, including your little one, is faced with tough decisions and mountains they need strength to overcome, and kids are no exception!
Whether it’s a math test they’re studying for or an audition for a lead role they want to knock out of the park, your little one will be tested in many ways over the course of their childhood that they’ll need discipline and perseverance to complete.
Martial arts for kids is so fun- trust us!- but it’s not always easy- and that’s intentional.
There will be days when your child doesn’t want to come to class, just like there will be days when they won’t want to go to swim class – they’ll say they just don’t “feel like” doing either of them.
But our world-class instructors teach them how to stay strong and do the right thing to keep on keepin’ on. If a student is struggling to break a board, maybe they’re crying or feel like they can’t do it- we’re not giving up on them.
All of us, instructors and classmates included, are going to rally around that student and cheer them on. Because they CAN do it, and when they do, they’ll have a gigantic smile on their face – trust us!
3. Improved Grades
This one always puts a smile on parent’s faces! One of the BEST benefits of martial arts for kids is that it helps improve your child’s grades. How?
Well, as we mentioned, they learn how to stick with their goals, which helps them stick it out when doing their homework or during a long school day. But perhaps one of the best benefits of martial arts for kids is that it helps them improve their BEHAVIOR.
When our students learn how to control their bodies and listen to their instructors, we see those skills apply to the classroom.
Instead of wiggling in their seats and dividing their attention between the pencil sharpener, the teacher’s instructions, and whatever their deskmate is doing… They can focus intently on their teacher and the instructions, and actually learn better than their peers. Pretty cool, right?
And that focus and self-discipline are key components of kids martial arts that they’ll carry with them FOREVER.
4. Bullyproof
Of all the benefits of martial arts for kids, this one might be the most surprising. Here at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Largo, we’re really keen on building our students up to be BULLYPROOF, meaning they learn the skills they need to stand up to bullies and resist being picked on in a non-violent way.
First, we build their confidence. As our young martial arts students notice themselves improving in the dojo – perfecting their punches and kicks, gaining better coordination, and learning new moves after lots of practice- they gain confidence they’ve never had before in being able to accomplish so much!
We also teach our students not to use their martial arts outside of the dojo – instead of their fists, they learn that their VOICE is their weapon.
We teach them how to speak confidently and assert themselves to our instructors, their peers, and the classroom bully, to stand up for themselves AND others. It’s incredible, and we’re very proud of our Bullyproof kids!
Conclusion
So – did these benefits surprise you? They’re no surprise to us. We see it all the time kids walk in the door with behavioral issues, low self-esteem, or difficulty focusing, and they walk out the door with improvement in all these areas and a HUGE smile on their face. Best part of the job! Hopefully now you see that the benefits of martial arts for kids go far beyond just self defense – martial arts is more of a mindset, or a way of life, that promotes success far beyond the dojo! Check out our life-changing, transformative Kids Jiu-Jitsu classes in Largo right here at our school!