martial arts(taekwondo, karate) Clear Focus – In Taekwondo, we have kids do one thing at a time. And they never get bored or antsy. And in school.
For younger kids, and kids with severe ADD, they may only do one thing for 30 seconds – but for that 30 seconds that’s all they focus on. Then, the better and better they get at focusing, the longer we have them focus for. Eventually, kids might focus the entire session on just one exercise or activity. Before you know it, they do this at home too. They focus on their homework… on their chores… on
conversations with you… and anything else they put their mind to. Determined to Succeed – From Day 1 in Martial Arts your child sets goals, and accomplishes them. The more and more he does this – the more ambitious he becomes. Eventually he learns to set higher goals – and he learns to go after them with everything he’s got. He learns that fulfillment and respect are earned through completing challenges. Because of this, kids who go through Martial Arts are much more likely to succeed later in life as well. A recent study showed that 63% of black belts become college graduates! They then go on to live wonderful, fulfilling lives. And then they pass these principles onto their own children. Finally Paying Attention – Parents of children with attention problems breathe sighs of relief after just a few short weeks. That’s because in Taekwondo – we teach kids to look people in the eyes when they’re being spoken to. We teach them that this is how you show people you’re listening, and paying attention. After just a few short weeks, kids naturally begin doing this at home. Parents and teachers often look at each other with wide-eyes when they reflect on the changes. They can’t believe how much better their children pay attention. Completing Tasks the First Time He’s Asked – In the Martial Arts, we have just a few simple rules. One of those rules is that when your child is asked to do something – he does it the first time. We never yell at kids, or scold them, if they don’t do this. But every kid does it because he sees the other kids in the class doing it too. And he wants to make friends and be a part of the group. It’s usually a matter of a couple weeks before kids start doing this at home, too. I can’t tell you how many parents have thanked me profusely when it starts to happen. For parents of children who have a hard time following directions – this is truly a blessing. Self-Respect – When it comes to bullies, kids in the Martial Arts don’t back down. They have the confidence to look a bully in the eyes, and stand their ground. This is what nearly always happens...
The bully gets scared and backs down! It happens 9 times out of 10. And for the 1 time out of 10 the bully doesn’t back down – your child has the tools to defend himself. And if necessary, he’ll be able to get away, and seek out an authority figure. Most confrontations can be talked through. However occasionally, words aren’t enough. For either situation your child will be prepared. No one will be able to hurt him, or take anything away from him. Weight loss – It’s easy these days for kids to not exercise. As a result, many children experience weight problems at a young age. Taekwondo is an amazing form of exercise – Your child will be active the entire time. But there’s no pressure on him to do anything he can’t. We’ll encourage him to do his best – but this isn’t boot camp or anything.
10/20/2011
