Martial Arts Classes for Kids are about so much more than just punches and kicks. We say it all the time, but it’s completely true. Martial arts has a lot to offer kids of all ages, but in today’s blog post we’re going to discuss just one particular benefit- leadership.
Kids Martial Arts Classes Foster Discipline
Perhaps the most important skill needed to be a leader is discipline. Think of some of the greatest athletes of all time- their best advice is always “never give up”, “stay with it,” “don’t quit.” That perseverance that they’re talking about doesn’t come naturally to us as humans, otherwise known as “master procrastinators.” Often in life, we want to give something up after a while, especially when it’s hard, and find something new. But the best leaders that have changed the world and their communities have the discipline to do things they don’t want to do in order to get results no one else can. That discipline is what makes them the best.
So how do we teach our students discipline? Simple. When your child comes to their martial arts classes with D3 Martial Arts, they’re not just learning punch and kick combos. They’re also playing games and doing different activities to build their character and life skills without them even realizing it, courtesy of our awesome instructors. Even better, we use positive reinforcement to help those good habits stick and stay effective.
For discipline, for example, we’ll positively reward them for listening to their instructor and sitting still. As you’ve surely noticed with your own children, kids nowadays have pretty short attention spans and get bored quickly … So we also use disguised repetition to keep students focused and excited all class.
We’ll play games where they have to repeat different moves a bunch of times, and over time this format helps them develop their discipline muscle and persevere through those short attention spans.
One of the coolest things about martial arts is that these habits that we teach them every class, actually stick. There comes a time when we don’t have to discipline our students, and they naturally discipline themselves.
They absorb that self-discipline and strive for excellence, not giving up when things are tough, going the extra mile to reach their full potential, using positive self talk… It’s seriously amazing to see, and it’s how lasting leadership is fostered in our classes.
Better Grades for a Better Future
It’s not too hard to connect the dots between better discipline and better grades, right? Think of it this way- if your child’s grades aren’t the best, it could be because they’re just not focusing. Things are distracting them in the classroom, they’re bored, they’d much rather be on their devices… That discipline they learn in martial arts class is going to keep them focused on their schoolwork until it’s done, even when they would soooo rather be doing something else.
Once discipline is established, another tool we use in martial arts to help with better grades is focus. Just like with discipline, we’ll play different games that positively reward focused attention in the right places – on the instructor and on the task at hand.
Because we have rules in martial arts, and those rules are reinforced by the environment (uniform, instructors, etc.), your child is more likely to listen up and respect those rules here in our studio. One of these rules is that they listen thoughtfully to their instructor or a peer when he or she is talking, just as a baseline form of respect.
No phones or electronic devices are allowed on the mat – it’s only your child, their instructor, and their fellow students, all having fun as they learn these awesome skills. Once your child has developed that focus and released some of that desire for instant gratification, they’ll mentally link focus with positive emotions (I learned how to kick the paddle by focusing really hard! That was awesome!) and then apply it to all aspects of their life, including their grades.
That positive association will help them wield their attention in the proper direction- their homework. And then focusing on their homework means better homework scores, higher absorption of the material, and voila- better grades!
How Better Grades Makes Your Child a Leader
It’s also easy to see the connection between better grades and leadership. Even if your child improves their grades just a bit, it’s because of THEIR actions and initiatives. That’s the sign of a leader- self-leadership first. When your kid is making progress thanks to their own efforts, their teachers will start to notice. They’ll receive more positive attention and praise, which will just motivate them even further to lead themselves and build those habits of success. The rest just comes naturally!
Whether they’re leading on a sports team, their school choir, student council, or in the community, your child’s discipline skills (and all the other skills they learn in martial arts, like respect, perseverance, and focus) will help them become the absolute best version of themselves. What else could a parent want?
Martial Arts Classes Help Kids with Their Mindset
So now that we understand how discipline and focus can create the perfect environment for leadership, let’s talk about mindset. Mindset is essentially just the way that you talk to yourself, so it’s also known as self-talk. When you’re a child, everyone around you is influencing the way that you talk to yourself. If you constantly hear that you’re dumb, you’re going to believe that you’re dumb and then grow up telling yourself that you’re dumb.
If you constantly hear that you have all the tools you need to be an outstanding leader, which is what we teach in our martial arts classes, you’re going to go ahead and be outstanding. Our instructors are really amazing when it comes to mindset, and they make sure that each child knows exactly what they’re capable of- which is anything they put their mind to!
So much of leadership is about keeping that perseverant mindset, and that’s what we teach in martial arts. Think back to the last ninja movie you saw, and you’ll recognize that martial arts is NOT easy. Ask any student, new or old- moving your body in a new way and getting the moves down pat can be pretty tricky.
When a student isn’t getting something, it’s the difference in their mindset that will determine their outcome. The student who tells themselves that they’re dumb and can’t do it, won’t get it. The student who tells themselves to keep going and never give up, will. And that’s what we teach in our martial arts classes. We make sure our students know that they’re capable of success on and off the mat, and this creates leaders of them all.
Help Your Child Be Their Best- Join Us!
Discipline, focus, perseverance, mindset- these are just a handful of life lessons that kids learn in martial arts classes to help them become true leaders. If you want your child to be the best version of themselves they can possibly be for years to come, join our Palm Harbor martial arts classes for kids risk-free and see for yourself what our D3 Martial Arts Child Greatness program can do! Your child will LOVE it!