Admit it. When the going gets tough at home, we’ve all plopped the kids in front of the television and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, we can get started on dinner, maybe check email or sort that massive pile of laundry.

But when your five-year old yells at you “Mom, Kids Rule!” or your ten-year old horrifies you with language that would make a sailor blush, you realize there must be something amiss with what these “family programs” really teach our kids. And sadly, its happening all over the media today, from sports to cartoons, and our children are learning things that we, as parents, vowed we would never teach them. Old fashioned values like respect and self-discipline, seems to have been forgotten, replaced by the dreaded “bling bling” pop culture of today.

Just the thought of your angelic three-year old morphing into a designer-clad, smart-mouthed, money-worshipping, me-obsessed, lay-about is enough to make any parent consider that threatening military school brochure, but there is solution out there to consider.

Martial Arts training.

There are so many Benefits of Martial Arts training for kids so it makes sense to look into the potential a little closer. From Ninja Turtles to The Karate Kid -

You and your kids have all seen the flying kicks, battle cries and mighty chops of their favorite TV characters, as they beat the bad guys to submission – but, you may ask, how on earth can these acts of violence teach my child anything worthwhile?

First, know what you see on television (save perhaps the Karate Kid) is a far cry from what real martial arts are all about. The fact is, martial arts training is based on non-violence.

Originating in Asia (mainly Japan, China and Korea, although Thailand and Vietnam have their own practices as well), martial arts range from a variety of types and styles, all of which are based on well-rounded, moral teachings. The beauty of learning martial arts is that it encompasses not only the physical aspect of the “sport”, but mental and emotional lessons as well.

Comparing that to their kid’s activities and sports, where fierce competitiveness and “winning at all costs” seems to be the order of the day, it’s not surprising that many children grapple with issues of self-esteem and misplaced aggression.

Now imagine your child actually learning valuable life lessons, skills that he will take throughout life, laying the foundation for a happy, well-adjusted and fulfilled adult life. If only karate for kids was popular in the 70′s, when I was growing up!

The Advantages

o Karate, and other martial arts for kids, builds confidence and self-esteem as well as self-discipline, respect, concentration and courtesy.

o Many martial arts schools also offer leadership courses for kids, in conjunction with their karate for kids programs, or similar lessons.

o Martial Arts is ideal for children who do not do well in team sports, giving them the ability to flourish this activity, while combining physical and mental practices.

o Many do not realize this, but it is a  fact that martial arts training is safer than most school sports.

o Children with special needs, such as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), learning difficulties and hyperactivity are often recommended to participate in martial arts for kids because of the clear benefits in its structured training techniques.

Kung-Fu Master or Ninja Warrior?

Before you sign up Junior for the first martial arts class you see, take some time to check out the different methods available, and match it with what you know would suit your child best. This is a good way to avoid any problems that may sprout from a conflict of your child’s personality and the training techniques.

Is your little Zach a sensitive soul? Then maybe a class that doesn’t center on sparring (full-on kicks and punches training) but rather, slower, defensive maneuvers would fare better for him. Kids with an aggressive streak, however, may prefer the more forceful moves and thrive on competitive sparring.

Here’s a quick primer on the kid-friendly martial arts training you’re likely to find:

Martial Arts From Japan

Karate

o Uses defensive and aggressive moves

o Centers on building strength and endurance

o Involves chops, punches, kicks, strikes, blocking and sparring

o May use weapons

Jujitsu

o Forms the basis of Karate, Judo and Aikido

o Uses defensive and aggressive moves

o Involves lots of sparring

o Teaches a fair amount of weapons training

Aikido

o Uses more “spiritual” and harmonious style in redirecting the aggression of the attacker at the form of defense, using throws, pins, rolls etc.

o Taught on the? premise of disabling an aggressor without attacking, through your individual inner energy

o Doe not involve sparring or competitions

Judo

o Uses gentle, “wrestling-like” movements

o Considered one of the safest methods of martial arts

o Emphasizes physical control as well as mental development

o Engages in competitions

Martial Arts From China

Kung-Fu

o The generic term referring to Chinese martial arts with a variety of styles

o Involves attack movements as well as defensive techniques

o Teaches kicks, punches, chops, throws, falls, grappling, katas, leg sweeps and blows among others.

o Engages in sparring competitions

Martial Arts From Korea

Taekwondo

o Competitive in nature, involves techniques using elaborate footwork and unique high kicks.

o Emphasizes strength, force and attack methods.

o Engages in lots of sparring and competitions.

Choosing The Right Instruction

If you have an idea of the type of martial arts class you’d like your child to participate in, the next step would be to find the right school. Finding the right class that not only matches your child’s and your needs, in terms of teachers you feel comfortable with, the price, facilities and so on, are all important factors.

Say you’ve found a local place that specializes in Karate for Kids. What are the things you should look for?

1. Good Instructors

Check out their qualifications, teaching methods and watch carefully how they interact with the other children. It should be a  fun learning experience!

2. Space and Safety

Obviously you would want to entrust your child in an establishment that is safe, well-maintained, and clean with ample space as well as decent facilities and equipment.

3. School Values

Different martial arts schools inevitably go by different values, for instance, one kid’s karate class may handle aggression in one way, while a judo class would have a different approach. Take the time to observe which school’s ideals match your family’s principles.

4. Prices and Schedules

Prices for martial arts training can vary according to school and location, so make sure the instruction you choose represents fair value. Finding the most effective way to fit martial arts training into your family’s lifestyle is also essential, knowing what works best with your schedule and other activities.

Baby Black belts

Starting your child young in karate training is ideal (children as young as the age of four are usually accepted, it is also a good way to hone fine motor skills), and lots of parents have found that in as little as a year, their children who were involved in martial arts had noticeably gained positive traits such as increased self-esteem, respect and overall physical fitness.

Many parents also opt to join a martial arts training program themselves, making it a great bonding experience for the entire family

Have Fun – Train Hard – Train Smart

Sensei Malcolm Bale

Do you think parents would do a better job of teaching Basic Martial Arts Program to their own kids?

I personally think that most good parents would do a far better job than most Instructors these days for many reasons. Firstly in this information age all the information you need to find is readily available and easy to find. A Kids Martial Arts Program should include several areas such as Safety Awareness, Personal Values and Fun Fitness and the Martial Arts Techniques themselves should be very simple. Information required by young children is a little different to the information required by older children and certainly to information taught in adult Martial Art classes. The trouble is most programs  do not include these elements and for most families they are the most important areas they were looking for in the first place.

Not everyone wants to join a Kids Martial Arts Program for a Competitive Sport but to find a great activity where they can learn some essential skills. A kids program has to be loaded with fun, it’s how they best learn. Many kids join a program and end up leaving shortly afterwards. The other problem is the sessions can be too long or too frequent, it becomes a chore for all involved and both the parent and child’s enthusiasm soon fizzle out. Kids really need a short blast of real fun and excitement to ensure they want to return for more fun the following session. Not only does that make a good learning atmosphere but it creates a great connection to an activity which could last a lifetime.

When it comes to Safety Awareness no one cares more than the parents themselves and nobody knows their kids better than the parents.

You as Parents can ensure you get all the right information and also ensure your child gets all the attention they need.

Go and watch a few Kids Martial Arts Classes and see what you think for yourself , you’ll find my points very interesting. If you are really fortunate, you’ll stumble across a fantastic Club with a great program and it’s problem solved. If you are struggling to find a good club or some useful information you can pass on to your children, feel free to contact me directly.

All The Very Best

Sensei Malcolm Bale

Here’s another Testimonial. It demonstrates how Martial Arts helps with Anger Management at all levels. That’s not only controlling the anger of others but controlling your own anger.

On a personal note, I wanted to let you know that before Aidan began your classes, he was showing a lot of anger, depression, anxiety and lack of confidence. After a few months of your Ju-Jitsu classes, Aidan is happpier, his anger has decreased, he doesn’t worry about things as much and he’s very confident. He protected himself in school from a bully and now the bully is his friend.

We are very impressed with your teaching of the art, the respect for others, and showing the children how to have fun.

Thank you Malcolm

We receive Testimonials from parents and students on an ongoing basis. It’s great to know we can have such a positive impact in the lives of so many people. Most people do not realise Martial Arts goes so far beyond Punching and Kicking and holds a multitude of benefits for all involved.

Sensei Malcolm Bale – Ju Jitsu Rugby

In a Kids Martial Arts Program it is so important to Grab the Attention of Your Youngest Students. So how do you keep them focused, even the kids with focus issues such as ADHD.

The main reason we keep the kids classes apart from the adults is the different way you have to approach training. It can be harder to teach kids as you must keep their minds constantly stimulated to prevent boredom from setting in as the boredom spreads like a virus throughout the class.

Finding the right balance can be difficult and you are not only keeping the kids happy and focused be giving parents plenty of value by teaching valuable skills going far beyond punching and kicking.

It is really important to add great Martial Arts Games for kids which really grab the attention of even your youngest students. There are some excellent programs available if you know where to look, see the following program for a great example.

…or even come along to our classes and experience them for yourself )

Train Smart – Fightwize

Sensei Malcolm Bale

Chief Instructor – Ju Jitsu Rugby

Our Kids Classes at Ju Jitsu Rugby have a Focus on Self Defence and Safety Awareness. Martial Arts is great but it needs to focus on practical requirements. If you are looking for an activity for your children then do your due diligence and check with the club to see what the Syllabus actually covers. You will find that most of them are geared towards Sport or Competition which is fantastic if that was what you were looking for.

Self Defence and Safety Awareness

At Ju Jits Rugby, we have incorporated elements in the Syllabus that all kids can benefit from – Safety Awareness, Personal Values, Fun Fitness and the Martial Arts skills too. It is all incorporated into the Syllabus. Kids make progress every week to really give them a sense of achievement and parents recognise this progress very quickly.

The Safety Awareness covers The Golden Rules of Safety, information to help keep your children safe and sound. The Personal values covers Discipline, Self Discipline, Focus, Respect, Integrity and Excellence – All qualities to help your kids in all areas of life. Fun Fitness is an important area as kids really need to have fun in exercise, this keeps them wanting to come back for me without realising they are reaping the many benefits of an exercise program. The Martial Arts Skills is where kids gain confidence in quickly learning new skills.

Testimonials from parents have been fantastic, it’s so rewarding to hear from parents we make such a big positive impact in their children’s lives right from behaviour, Concentration, Awareness to becoming much more athletic.

Train Hard – Train Smart – Fightwize

Sensei Malcolm bale – Chief Instructor – Ju Jitsu Ruby