Resources for Parents

Day in and day out assaults on confidence and personal self-esteem attack kids in every environment possible. At school, a bully makes fun of your child, at home your child tries to accomplish a task he thinks he can manage but then fails, in the neighborhood your child tries to play basketball with the other kids but is the last one picked for the teams, homework comes home and your child gets easily frustrated by a simple math problem and continues on a downward spiral of low self-esteem.

But how do parents identify if their child suffers from low self-esteem and thus a low confidence level? Here are a few areas you should probably take a look at:

“I Quit” Attitude – Your child may not say the words “I Quit” but it could be all over his or her expression. Upon starting something, whether it is a game, an activity, a sport, or homework your child may get easily frustrated and remark that doing the work or activity is not worth it, he may not want to attend the event, or he may get in an angry or upset mood at the slightest bit of difficulty with the task.

Physical Body Language – You often see your child walk with her head held low looking at the ground as she walks. Parents with children that have low confidence also notice that their children tend to keep their hands in their pockets and not very eager to point, handle, or get excited about touching an object of interest like a new ball or perhaps an exhibit at school. A final demonstration of how low confidence might demonstrate itself through body language is an unwillingness to ever be a leader or to do something for the first time. Usually these children would rather follow others than step up to the front.

Bullying – Children who have low confidence are the very first to get bullied or picked on at school. Your child may never be in a physical confrontation, but the verbal assaults by other children that are inflicted to demean your child often do more damage to confidence than physical blows.

Grades – Confidence and good grades are directly tied together. Those students who posses high confidence tend to do better in school than those that don’t. One reason could be because your child feels too embarrassed to ask questions of the teacher, another could be because he or she does not want to appear “dumb” or “stupid” in front of his or her classmates. Homework often tends to end up in a battle between frustrated parents and anxious children to complete the work given.

How can karate benefit a child with low confidence? In elementary school the primary purpose of the educator is to provide the necessary skills or reading, writing, and arithmetic to the student in order for him or her to function successfully in school. In a certified karate center, the instructor's primary purpose is to teach martial arts related to the attitude of a Black Belt, such as confidence, self-control, perseverance, and above all an “I Can” attitude.

A qualified instructor at a karate center can effectively motivate your child to succeed to his or her best and can help the child gain a sense of worth and accomplishment through an active goal setting program. It is important, however, that when a parent is choosing a karate program for a child, that the parent looks at the center that teaches more than just punching and kicking. An excellent karate center will have a “Life Skills” program designed to influence your child in and out of karate and their instructors should be willing to work with you to help you and your child reach the attitude and behavioral goals you set from the beginning of the program.

There is hope out there for parents and children that need help in the area of confidence and low self-esteem and it may be just one kick away!

Is Karate Right for my Preschooler?

Should pre-school and kindergarten age children get involved with karate at such a young age?

Most definitely.

Developing children into well balanced individuals occurs at an early age and the steps that parents take at this crucial time of emotional and physical development are very important to their child's overall outlook on life. All parents know that your 4, 5, and 6 year is like a human sponge. We have all experience children coming home learning the good, the bad, and the ugly from their social peers and teachers. During this crucial developmental your child is learning the physical, mental, and emotional traits that will sustain him or her for a lifetime.

But what advantages does karate have over t-ball, basketball, or seasonal sports to develop children into strong individuals? First, karate isn’t just a physical avenue of learning for young children, although your child will certainly develop hand-eye coordination, balance, flexibility, speed, power, and endurance by being involved in karate. At certified, professional karate centers, children also learn life skills that have been used for centuries to develop strong leaders. From karate, your child will learn about being self-disciplined (meaning he or she will do known chores like putting toys away, hanging wet towels back up after bath time, and placing clothes in the dirty laundry). He or she will also develop confidence to make new friends and be put in a safe and positive environment to develop friendships with other children who are being positively impacted. Focus for school and listening skills for home are a major part of any licensed karate center’s life skills program and many parents see positive development begin anywhere from 3 -6 months from being in the program.

Children that have gone from a 4 year old entry level program to earning Black Belts in martial arts as youth are often found to be well focused, goal oriented, and well spoken individuals. They possess coordination to enhance any other athletic pursuit and academic development to pursue college degrees and professional fields of high standing.

Getting your young one involved in a positive karate center can do wonders for his or her development as a young adult and will help enhance the skills necessary to sail through pre-school and kindergarten toward life success.

Resources

Whether you're child is curious about karate, or whether you're an adult considering the benefits, these resources can help guide you in making a decision that can last a lifetime!

Resources for Parents

Is Karate Right for my Preschooler

Karate for Adults

Karate for Adults

When you think of self-discipline, learning to defend yourself, and being in top physical condition – you think of karate. For thousands of years, adults have engaged in this discipline of mind, body, and heart melding together to form a perfect cohesion of a martial artist in motion. The health benefits alone have made martial arts a time honored classic for losing weight and gaining physical fitness through the innovative workout routines that involve the total body. Utilizing warm up routines, punches, kicks, and other self-defense techniques karate practitioners begin to see immediate development in their arms, abs, and thighs.

For years, the military, police, and other safety officials have used the effective techniques from karate to defend themselves against combatants. Karate then became the official and best method for personal defense amongst men, women, and teens of all ages because of it’s easy ability to defend one’s self without the use of weapon or “empty hand”, which is what the word “karate” actually means.

Self-disipline, which is at the forefront of every certified karate center develops each man or woman to become the person they have always yearned to be. Having the discipline to stick to a fitness routine, earn a Black Belt, become a leader, and develop a positive mindset are all aspects that an adult student of any age can learn from being involved in martial arts.

While it is true that many people begin putting their children or teenagers into karate, it does not mean that adults are too old or ineligible to receive the benefits of karate training. The average adult karate student at most karate centers tends to be in their late 30’s. It is not uncommon for students in their 50’s or 60’s to get involved simply because of all the health benefits that karate training offers.

At any stage of life, whether man or woman, karate is what you want to get involved in if you wish to develop yourself mind, body,and heart. All that is waiting is for you to take your first step towards changing your life!