If you're looking for a way to build your child's confidence whilst helping them grow in fitness, karate for kids is the perfect choice. This ancient martial art combines the benefits of self-defence with a full body workout and mental resilience and fortitude, for a combination of unshakeable self-confidence that grows with time, and the ability to stay humble.
For children who begin karate and then commit to it, this is a lifelong art, rather than a sport, which means the mental benefits are as profound as the physical.
Why Martial Arts differ from Traditional Sports
Sports can be extremely beneficial for children and help them grow their cardiovascular and muscular health whilst increasing their flexibility. Participating also helps them to learn skills such as discipline and teamwork. But martial arts such as karate take this to the next level, and because they are an art, they are designed to be practised for a lifetime.
The Benefits of Karate for Kids
A sport tends to lose its appeal over time as children become adults and lose their physical ability to practice or the ability to attend competitive team events, for example.
But martial arts such as karate can be practised from a very young age, well into later years. A lifetime of practice will result in profound benefits to the mind and body.
The structured nature of progress means that children can begin karate at white belt and then progress in a highly structured way through gradings and assessments to reach the highest levels of attainment - black belt and beyond.
What Parents Notice When Children Start Karate
Many parents sign their children up for karate because they notice that they are lacking in confidence and want to become more physically able. Karate begins by teaching children self defence so that they can avoid bullies and know how to respond in situations of physical confrontation.
The karate drills that children practice involve a degree of contact, and this takes away the fear of being hit and kicked; primarily as students very quickly learn how to evade and block these unskilled attacks, and launch their own successful counters.
Along with the physical and technical lessons of karate, students rapidly grow in self-confidence as they realise their techniques can help to protect themselves in a difficult situation, even with someone bigger. They become more confident and also grow in discipline as they attend regular lessons and see their own progression.
As children progress through the belts, they see the benefits of their hard work pay off, and they are constantly challenged with new levels of attainment. As an added bonus, they will usually make new friends, and they will certainly feel the benefit of the physical training, as well as the resilience, mental strength, dedication and quiet inner confidence that grows with this fascinating and ancient martial art.
With all of these benefits in mind, now is the perfect time to encourage your child to start their karate journey and experience the benefits of a lifelong art.
So why not give it a try? Come and try our Karate for Kids Lessons, and let your child experience the benefits of karate.
