Introduction
As a parent, you want your child to grow into a responsible adult. To do that, they have to learn a few things about life when they are still young. One of the most crucial things that a child should learn from a young age is self-confidence. Self-esteem is very important as the child grows since it allows them to go after the things that they want in life without fear. However, this is one trait that you get to develop through experiences.
Martial arts is one activity that can be used to give the child such an experience. When most parents hear about self-defense classes, they imagine that it will make their child violent. However, that’s a myth. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Children that learn self-defense know how to control themselves. They are very peaceful.
Allowing your child to take self-defense classes can help them to boost their self-confidence. If you never had a chance to grow up confidently, you probably suffered as a result of unfortunate circumstances. I can still recall the times I had to learn how to deal with bullies at school. It was a hell of an experience because I didn’t have the confidence to stand up for myself.
If you want to give your children a boost in confidence, you certainly need to consider enrolling them for self-defense classes. Here are some of the ways in which those classes boost the child’s self-esteem:
1. It teaches them that they can Conquer Anything despite their Size
Martial arts classes are essential since they teach both physical and mental strength. Although it may seem like a male-dominated sport, they’re also girls that take part in it and even outsmart and beat the boys in competitions. In most cases, boys are built with more muscles and endurance than girls. However, self-defense classes get rid of such differences and stereotypes. It proves that size isn’t a factor that gives you an advantage over your opponent. There’s a particular form of self-defense class that’s referred to as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that teaches you how to apply focus techniques on weak areas. This is a wonderful way of exposing your opponent regardless of their body size. Therefore, not only will your kids be confident enough, but they’ll also learn the art of self-defense when the need arises.
2. It Allows your Child to Stand up for Themselves
Every day as you send your kids to school, I’m pretty sure that you’ve wondered whether they get bullied or not. Unfortunately, bullying is a rising problem in several elementary and primary schools today. This can occur anywhere be it in a public or private school. Therefore, ensuring that your child learns self-defense techniques will give them an advantage over their bullies – that is, if there are any in the first place. Despite the fact you’d always want to be there for them, it’s impossible to be with them all the time. In such instances, the best you can do is equip them with the right skills and knowledge.
3. It teaches the Child Self-Discipline
When learning self-defense, you are required to throw some kicks and punches at an opponent. Interestingly, your child will also be training with another child, and they may form bonds along the way. As a result, it’s highly unlikely that those two will ever fight in real life since they share the same self-defense values. The truth of the matter is that learning to be a guru at the practice requires a high level of discipline. This is because you can only execute moves based on instructions. This means that your child will learn to respect instructors regardless of their size, age, and appearance. This discipline will be carried further on in school as well as at home. Moreover, these classes will teach your child to only act when there is a need to do so.
4. Progress is Better than Perfection
Self-defense is a progress-based practice that requires patience and determination. At one point in time, your kids will start to set personal goals, and they’ll try pushing themselves towards achieving them. Well, as much as they may get frustrated for not accomplishing some of those goals, they will start to learn that sometimes it’s good to take things slow so as to make sure that you understand certain things. This is the same concept that’s applied by every martial arts learner. The instructors teach on the importance of progress over perfection. Everyone has a different learning curve. It might take some children a shorter time than others to learn a certain move. The instructor rarely criticizes the slow learner. He or she will guide them every step of the way until they master the move.
5. Embrace Failure
Self-defense classes require the endurance of the body and mind. It basically toughens you up over time. Even so, starting out might not be very easy since your body may give up on you. However, that shouldn’t discourage you. Get up and move on until you make progress in those karate classes. Interestingly, kids have more energy than you so they are less likely to quit. Apart from keeping them busy, self-defense classes teach your kids how to embrace failure. It allows them to know that success comes as a result of many failed attempts. As a result, your kids won’t give up at the first sign of failure as adults.
Conclusion
Letting your kids take self-defense classes can go a long way in making them feel confident and good about themselves. Furthermore, it’s important to make sure that they don’t grow up living a withdrawn life out of fear and self-doubt.