Better Kids & Martial Arts; By Andrew Marr
- April 24, 2008
When considering martial arts for their children, most parents do so because they wish to give their
children improved physical fitness and the ability to defend themselves. Helping a child (or a teen or an adult for that matter) to live a healthier and safer life is a wonderful and priceless gift. But children can get more from the martial arts than just that; there are many valuable life skills that can be gained by learning a martial art.
While martial arts may at first appear to be just a physical activity, they also teach children to focus, give their best efforts, and follow instructions in a respectful way. Dr. Michael Kaye, a clinical psychologist at Pennsylvania State University, studied children taking martial arts, and found that while actively training, they tend to show improvements in:
- academic performance
- attention span
- behaviour
- self-esteem
Some people may be surprised to learn that studying something that is called “martial” can actually help a person become less aggressive and violent. In fact, martial arts actually teach discipline, positive work ethic, and an understanding that violence is a last resort. Researchers found that the higher a student’s belt rank (or the longer a student practices a martial art), the lower that student’s levels of anxiety, aggression and hostility tend to be. (As reported in the journals Perceptual and Motor Skills; the British Journal of Sports Medicine; and the American Journal of Psychotherapy).
And the martial arts can be better at providing these types of social and personal benefits than other activities such as fitness training and regular sports. Many North American sports emphasize competition and winning, while martial arts include an emphasis on self-improvement and discipline. The martial arts tend to be better at:
- improving self-confidence
- reducing moodiness
- preventing juvenile delinquency
(According to papers in the journals Research Quarterly; Journal of the International Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation; and ProQuest Abstracts)
And don’t forget - martial arts are great for the whole family. For example, Tony Gummerson, a physiology and sport science lecturer at St. John University in York says that relative martial arts skill in adult students continues to increase after middle age, unlike most conventional sports.
Parents that are physically active and live healthy lifestyles are more likely to raise kids that are also active and healthy. Training in the martial arts along with your children lets you spend fun, quality time with them – - as the saying goes, “families that kick together, stick together!”
- Andrew Marr is an environmental engineer; an occasional instructor at BCIT, West Vancouver Martial Arts, & Lynn Valley Martial Arts; and a father of two very active teenagers.
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