5 Reasons Why Kids Should Take Martial Arts

Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving, filled with pumpkin, turkey and lots of stuffing! But as we get back into the grind, we wanted to talk about the importance and role of martial arts as it relates to your kids. We all know it's important for children to be involved in regular physical activity.  What's more, the Federal Government recently doubled its child-fitness tax credit to up to $1000, for families who invest in physical activities for their kids, so what better time than right now to jump right in? It doesn't matter at what age you start, as long as you start! Here are 5 reasons why martial arts, in particular, can be particularly beneficial to our youth: 1) Learn to listen & respect authority This can be especially useful for children who have trouble respecting others or adults.  Every class is headed by a qualified instructor with a specific game plan.  Students must listen, line-up before and after class in accordance with their instructor.  This type of behavior helps children to recognize to authority when otherwise they might not. 2) Learn how to communicate with others Many of our drills in class involve work with partners.  This means a child must learn to communicate with different types of people in order to perform the drill properly and gain maximum impact.  Moreover, being a part of a group automatically encourages a person to do more, to raise yourself up to the level of the entire group in order to keep up, to achieve a positive, "group-enhancing" effect. 3) Gain confidence There is no better feeling that coming away from a class covered in sweat and knowing you've worked hard in class.  Furthermore, engaging in martial arts helps children to acquire skills of coordination and muscle strengthening that can help them to deal with everyday life and activities.  Increased confidence also helps young people to better cope with challenges they may face at school or at home. 4) Learn good habits early There is no doubt that getting exercise as part of a daily routine will have a positive impact as children enter adulthood.  Understanding and following a regular exercise practice will keep them well equipped to manage their weight and stay fit throughout their lives.  5) Learn structure and discipline In order to learn and improve in martial arts or in any aspect of life, you must show up. You must work hard.  These are tools every child can take with them as they develop and grow into healthy, well-functioning adults.  There is an order and flow to each Kombat Arts class; an overall purpose or theme to a particular drill.  10 sit-ups, 20 burpees, 100 push-ups?? No problem. Martial arts can toughen up even the most difficult kid. We hope these 5 reasons will encourage all children and their parents to give martial arts a try! It's a lifelong skill and passion that will carry them through all the rest of their lives. ARTICLE BY: Alice Soon @AliceSoon1 Alice has been a Kombat Arts member since 2007.  When not getting punched and kicked at the club, she also works as a Marketing Manager by day and an epic novel writer by night.