If your child is dealing with behavior issues, you are not alone. Many children have difficulties with behavior, especially during their teens years. Teens can be difficult to deal with and parents often feel helpless when dealing with their child. While it might seem like an impossible task to bring your child around, there are some tools that you can use. One tool that parents are using to help improve their child’s behavior is martial arts. Below we are going to learn more about how martial arts can improve behavior in your teen.

It Keeps Them Out of Trouble

Many teens get into trouble and have behavior issues simply because they get bored. Some start drinking underage and fall into the wrong crowd. Others take a darker path and get into trouble with law enforcement. To ensure your child is not getting into trouble, why not give them something rewarding to do? Martial arts can not only give your child something to fill their time, it can also change their behavior for the better. While they might be hesitant to go to class, most simply love it after just a few sessions.

Improved Self-Worth

Martial arts will teach your teen to not only respect others but themselves as well. Having self-respect will boost your child’s self-worth which will improve their overall behavior. As a teen, peer-pressure is very strong and falling into the wrong crowd is very easy. Many children who want to fit in will engage in destructive behavior if they lack self-worth. By sending your child to a martial arts class, they will be able to build their self-worth which will help them to avoid the wrong people.

Better Behavior Equals Better Grades

If your teen is struggling in class, it may be the result of bad behavior. Children at this age often want to rebel against those in authority as well as their parents. To improve your teen’s behavior, you should think about placing him or her in a martial arts program which will teach them discipline. After a few weeks of class, you will probably see an improvement in behavior and your child will get better grades. This also works for younger children who are struggling in school.

Less Confrontations

Once your child has been trained in the field of martial arts, you will start to notice fewer confrontations in your home. Aggression is a common problem in teens and can be a real problem. Going to a martial arts class will allow your child to get that aggression out and they will learn how to control themselves. Their instructor will work closely with them to help them deal with these common teen problems.

A Place to Get Away from It All

While you do your best to provide a loving home for your child, sometimes parents can be overbearing. This can smother a teen who needs to have space in order to grow emotionally. Attending a martial arts training can give your teen a place to get away from it all, and they can do their own thing. This will not only give them a break from school and home life, it will give you the parent a break as well.

Being Physical Can Improve Their Mood

We all know that teens often have issues with depression and sometimes this can lead to tragic events. To prevent something tragic from happening to your child, you should be proactive and get them the help they need. A great way to help ward off depression and help improve your teen’s mood is by getting them to do something physical. Taking a martial arts class is a great way to get your child moving and improve their overall health. If they are dealing with a weight issue, martial arts can even help them shed those pounds and feel much better about themselves.

Martial arts training is a great way to improve behavior of teens and their health at the same time. So if you are having a hard time with your child, you just might want to contact a martial arts school near you. By doing so, your relationship with your child will improve and life will be much better for the both of you.

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Do you want to know how martial arts can help you as a professional? You may be a business person or professional specializing in a particular field. It means that you have dreams which you want to achieve, for example, expanding your business or getting a promotion in your workplace.

However, to make these dreams a reality, you need to ensure that you improve your behavior.

For instance, you need to be more passionate and focused, even when you feel that you want to give up. Enrolling in a martial arts class is one step you should consider if you want to fulfill your dreams. This post looks at 7 ways on how martial arts help you as a professional to improve yourself.

Martial Arts Teaches You That Hard Work Pays

When it comes to martial arts training, you should keep in mind that the more you train, the better you become in mastering its techniques. It means that one way of improving your behavior, for example, by being more resilient is by investing in martial arts training.
This sport teaches you the importance of valuing hard work, which is the secret of going far in life. This intensive physical activity teaches you to give everything in your power to achieve your dreams.

Teaches You Persistence

At times, you may feel as if your dreams are out of reach, which makes you consider watering them down or giving up. As a martial arts professional, you will find yourself in situations that make you feel as if you want to quit. However, despite this disappointment and frustration, you’ learn how to pick up yourself and achieve your targets.
For you to succeed in life, you’ll need to be persistent in your life, especially when it comes to trying to meet your goals. Martial arts motivate you to stay on the course to achieving your dreams even in the worst days.

Gives You Courage

In life, it comes at a time when you have to deal with tough challenges or take risks, all in the name of achieving your goals or dreams. It means that you will face daunting tasks, which means that you need to change your behavior to succeed.
Martial arts training impart you that courage, meaning that you’ll improve your mind’s ability to adapt to unconformable situations. You’ll embrace what’s outside your comfort zone. It means that at the end, you’ll become fearless, enabling you to achieve your dreams.

Boosts Your Confidence

To succeed as a professional, you need to boost your confidence. One way to do that is to enroll in a martial arts class. The reason is that this activity enables you to grow your confidence with every training session since you get to learn new techniques and grow as a martial artist. Training also gives you that well-toned body.
The best part about growing your confidence is that it enables you to believe in yourself, which means that you’ll exhibit better behavior. As a result, you’ll drop that negative thinking and stop doubting your abilities. Instead, you’ll work to improve yourself by embracing your positive points.
This confidence will make you unstoppable because nothing will get between you and your dreams.

Provides You with Best Support System

As you pursue your professional dreams, you may at times feel worn out by them, which is okay since you’re a human being. However, all you need is a reminder of how far your journey has been and support.
By training in a martial arts gym, you’ll be surrounded by entrepreneurs, professional athletes and students. These people will go on to be your long-term friends since they are the people who you’ll be kicking with and sticking together.
They will provide you with fresh advice and perspective that you need, which means that they will be your support system, reminding that you’re capable of achieving your dreams.

Gives You a Warrior Spirit

One of the best things about martial arts in improving your behavior is that it provides you with a warrior mentality. It enables you to turn your weakness into strength, letting you get strong mentally and physically.
With this force, you’ll overcome all kinds of hardships and obstacles that may stand in the path to your dreams. The result is that you’ll keep an eye on your goals and move towards achieving them at high speed.

Teaches You Discipline

Another way that martial arts improve your behavior is that it shows you the importance of discipline and committing to your plans. When you learn to commit yourself to learning all the martial arts tricks, you’ll also be able to practice the same when it comes to achieving your professional dreams.
You’ll know how to set and achieve small goals, which in time will lead you the biggest one. Another benefit is that you’ll have the discipline that you require to follow your plans and ultimately fulfill your dreams.

Wrapping Up

The above informative post about 7 ways on how martial arts helps professionals looking at self-improvement should make you consider taking up this sport. Make sure that you enroll in the best martial arts classes, which will enable you to learn all the techniques and teachings that martial arts have and how to apply them in your professional life.

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Most parents tend to shun from enrolling their children in martial arts classes considering that almost everything today revolves around violence—from music to video games. However, what most people don’t know is that martial art isn’t brutal and violent as portrayed by movies. There is so much behind the practice that parents should consider getting their kids into. Here is a look at the benefits of martial arts training for your kids.

Foster physical activity

The only way you can get your kids off the couch and make them more active is by limiting screen time. But that doesn’t always work—it only does for a short period. However, when you involve your child in a physically demanding activity like martial arts he/she will be discouraged from living a sedentary lifestyle. He/she will also be inspired to enjoy physical activities.

Nature self-discipline

The main tenet of all the available forms of martial arts is an absolute focus on self-discipline. Today, getting kids to understand what discipline is all about is not easy. This can be attributed to the fact that they are now accustomed to receiving instant gratification. However, kids with martial arts background are continually reminded why self-discipline is so important.

Develop teamwork skills

Martial arts classes will mostly involve breaking boards, kicking the punching bag and learning new moves. But these activities cannot be done without the help of other team members. Your kid will learn important life lessons and work together with others to achieve a difficult task.

Impact socialization skills

Some kids find it hard to thrive in a high social environment. Such kids prefer getting along with other peers who share a common interest. So the kids on the playground may not always have the same interest. But there is always a common goal with the kids in a martial arts class. So such kids tend to get to know one another as they complete given tasks. There are also partner-driven forms of martial arts like jui jitsu that foster camaraderie. Such force kids to be in pairs and work as a team to build skills.

Encourage peaceful conflict resolution

It is a misconception that martial arts promote violent behavior. This is normally justified by the experience from movies and television shows. But that’s far from the truth. Many of defensive styles will instead teach kids how to be peaceful and implement non-violent conflict resolution skills. Physical altercations are only used as the last resort and for self-defense.

Educate on listening skills

There are intense exercise on listening and observation that will improve your child’s listening skills as he/she is being taught and advance through the belt ranks. The verbal instruction and a one-on-one work in their dojo can help kids who have a problem with paying attention to what they are told.

Boost self esteem

There is no doubt that martial arts boost your kid’s self-esteem. Since a child’s confidence comes with achievement, every new move they master and belt earned boosts the self-esteem. Kids who had self-esteem issues grow up to become more confident once they join these classes.

Set goals and achieve them

Several martial arts revolve around accomplishment of colored belts that signify hard work. When you enroll your child in a martial arts school, he/she will learn valuable lessons about how to set goals and work towards achieving them.

Instill respect

All instructors in any martial arts class will demand unflinching respect from students. The culture today doesn’t really allow a child to show respect for authority, adults or those in advanced positions. However, when in a tae kwon do or karate class, your child will learn lessons about respect as he/she masters new moves.

Make a holistic kid

One reason why most parents take their kids to martial arts classes is to also improve their other areas of life. Martial arts increase fitness levels and foster corporate skills to help your child shine academically and fit in the social setting of school.

And with that said, you now have enough reasons to enroll your child in martial arts classes. This is also the easiest and most fun way to involve your child in a fitness routine. You should also consider involving your entire family in this form of training.

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Parenting can be tough,

…and some issues can come up between parents and their children as they go about life. There are goals that parents have for their children, and it can be difficult to raise children in a way that will make them become responsible and mature adults. Martial arts can help those who are struggling in their parenting. Martial arts can help the common parent raise an exceptional child. Many benefits come about when a parent enrolls their child in martial arts and gives them something positive that they can focus on and commit to.

Martial arts can help

…a child learn discipline. Every parent wants their child to be disciplined. Parents want their children to have self-control. Parents want their children to behave even when they are not around. A child needs to have self-discipline if they are going to make anything of their life. Children who take on martial arts develop discipline. There are certain rules that they need to follow when practicing martial arts. They push their bodies through practice. They get out of bed early to make it to class. They push on through hard stuff that comes about, and they develop discipline through all of that. Children who spend time practicing martial arts develop a particular kind of discipline, and they do that without their parents yelling at them or punishing them.

Children who practice

…martial arts are not only disciplined, but they are also responsible. They care about the practices that they have to attend, and they make sure that they arrive at the practices on time. They care about the way that they look while practicing martial arts, and they ensure that they are ready for their classes when they are about to take place. Parents who are struggling to turn their children into responsible individuals will find that martial arts can help with that.

Martial arts help

…a child by giving them something that they can focus on. Children tend to grow bored when they do not have a lot going on in their lives, and bored children tend to get into trouble more than children who live a full life. Martial arts is a great avenue for a child to focus their attention on, and practicing martial arts can be good for a child as it keeps them busy. Those parents who are dealing with kids who are always complaining about being bored may want to consider martial arts and all that it offers to them and their children.

Children need to learn respect

…if they are going to make it in the world. Parents want their kids to be respectful of those who are around them. Children need to respect their elders, their peers, and their selves. Martial arts can help children to learn respect. Children will learn to respect their teacher while they are studying martial arts, and they will learn to respect those who they fight in class. They will gain respect for their selves as they push through the tough work that is required of them when learning martial arts. Children who study martial arts will be respectful children, and they will treat others well.

Martial arts can help

…to stir up confidence in a child. Parents want their children to feel good about their own selves and all that they can do. Parents want their children to be excited about all that their body can accomplish. Children who spend time practicing martial arts will gain confidence. They will be excited as they learn new things. They will be proud as they watch their work improve. Children who spend time working on martial arts skills will gain a special kind of confidence that will help them know that they can tackle anything in life that comes their way.

Every parent who wants the best for their child

…will look into the various options that they have to help their child grow. Martial arts is something that can positively affect the parenting that a person does. Martial arts can help a child to grow in many ways, and it ccan help that child become a responsible and mature adult who has respect not only for their own self but for others, too.

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During every martial arts event we’ve always come across a couple of parents on the sideline who either motivate their kid to the core, or shout out inappropriate comments to make them feel even more uncomfortable. Very often, these words of motivation or discouragement uttered by the parents are not merely directed to their own kids but also to their teammates, referees and coaches. But have you ever wondered, how exactly this behavior influences your child’s performance? Have you ever wondered about how much you should actually be involved in the game? In case you haven’t, it’s high time you do, because you, as a parent, have a major role in child’s overall performance. Yes. Your words can either build or break your little one’s self-esteem. So it is better to choose your words wisely at any kind of sporting event.

It is undoubtedly true that parents do have a significant role in their kid’s sporting development. However, one should also take necessary caution in their behavioural approach, because as mentioned earlier, it might have a positive or even negative impact on your child.

 

According to a study by McCarthy and Clark-Carter in 2008, positive involvement of parents is indeed one of the most highly essential aspects in your child’s overall development. This further implies that when a child participating in a sport receives positive involvement of their parents, then they are likely to enjoy their sporting experience even more.

 

On top of that, with regard to child development, positive impact of parents can also help your kid develop several important skills like motivation, social interaction and most importantly self esteem. These are highly valuable skills that will facilitate the holistic development of your child. It is also likely to help them in their school work and co-curricular activities. Parents can effectively assist in their child’s development of skills by motivating them to ponder about the skills that they gain from sports. Parental involvement also plays a vital role in assisting the child to reach the standards of a professional. A recent study was conducted on children playing martial arts. Almost all of them suggested that their parents indeed have one of the most significant roles in their skill development. Coaches too suggested that there is a positive relationship between the support from parents and a child’s progress to perform their sport at a professional level.

 

Proper parental support can only be ensured when the parent does not get over-involved in their kid’s development. They should rather provide the exact emotional and tangible support that will pave way for their overall development. However, coaches have also suggested that certain parents exhibit certain detrimental traits while attempting to support their kid. While some of them over inflate the child’s ego, others provide inappropriate training advice and pressurize their kid. Such behaviour will only take a toll on your child’s self esteem. So while being supportive to your kid, you should not be too overpowering because that might pressure your child and mar their success in the sport. Considering these traits, we have listed a couple of common parental behaviours at a sporting event. Read on, to know how your persona can affect your child’s sporting event.

The motivators

 

These are the kind of parents who are much needed at every sporting event. They motivate their kids to perform their best, without pressurizing or overpowering them. They encourage their child to give the best shot without comparing them with others. These kinds of parents are the best from the lot, as they have a lot of positive influence on the child. Not only do they get a boost to perform better, but their self esteem too is commendably boosted with the positive parental support.

 

The over-doers

 

Yes. On one hand we have motivators who motivate their child to the utmost, and on another hand we have over-doers who end up overpowering their child and pressurizing them to rank higher. They are way too much into the game and take every possible measure to ensure that their child is ��the best’ in his sport. At times, they also give unsolicited advice to the coaches about improving their child’s performance. While on one hand, the effort taken by the parents to boost and motivate their child is indeed commendable, one should also take note that over-doing and pressurizing the child can end up having a negative impact on his performance. Instead of being motivated for good, he will always be under the pressure to live up to his parents’ expectations. Additionally, the child might also not be able to enjoy the best from the game due to this immense pressure. So, being too concerned about your child can take a toll on his self esteem and lead him to under-perform in his martial arts session.

 

The ones who constantly compare

 

Their child might win the annual martial arts tournament, but these are the kind of people who are never satisfied with their kid’s success. Instead of praising their performance and encouraging them to do consistently well, they would rather end up comparing the child to someone else. No matter how well the child performs, these parents constantly have this idea that they can still do better. Yes. We do know that setting goals and aiming big is going to help your child. But comparing him with someone else will only take a toll on his motivation. Instead of performing for himself, he will end up performing only to prove himself better than the other person. Competitiveness is essential in every kind of sport. But if you choose harsh words to pressurize the child instead of encouraging him for whatever little he has done, your parenting is definitely likely to break your kid’s will and confidence.

 

The clueless ones

 

In every sporting event, you will always stumble upon a couple of parents who are completely oblivious about what is going on. These parents don’t love their kids any less, but they are somehow just not bothered about how they perform in sports. Such kind of behaviour too is also not recommended. All of us are busy with our lives. But as a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure that the child encouraged and motivated enough during the sport. It is a part of parenting, to take some time out of your busy schedule and talk to your child about the sport he is about to perform. It is a part of your responsibility to motivate and encourage him to perform well. Laid back attitude from the parents give children an impression that they are not bothered at all. This affects their self-esteem and confidence level, breaking them completely.

 

The ones who think that their kid is never wrong

 

These are the kind of parents who scold the coach, if the coach scolds their kid or advises him to make his performance better. They cannot hear a word against their child and end up over encouraging them than they actually should. These kinds of parents too, have a negative impact on the child as they often end up over-inflating the child’s ego. The kids end up think themselves to be better than they actually are which makes them over-confident during the game.

 

Dos and don’ts for parents

 

Dos

 

Always encourage your child to develop an inherent self-awareness about the skills they have achieved during the martial arts session. This will boost your child’s self esteem and help them perform better in many other fields of life.

Try to put a lot of trust in the methods suggested by your child’s coach. If the same kinds of guidelines are given by both the coach and the parent, then the child is likely to be less confused about their techniques. They will end up focusing more towards better performance and also set goals to achieve the same.

Give them proper and consistent emotional support. This might seem quite obvious, but reassuring your kid that you are always there when they look out for you, will make them more confident.

 

Don’ts

 

Don’t become over-involved in the child’s sport. Although this might be your own way to show how much you care, be aware of the fact that there is one fine line between supporting them and getting over involved.

Don’t provide inappropriate advice about coaching. This might lead to a situation, where you and the coach have conflicting ideas about your child’s technique. If you disagree in some aspect with the coach, it is better to have a personal discussion with him, instead of being disrespectful in front of the child.

Don’t put too much pressure on your child to perform. Do not emphasize the significance of doing better than others and winning every tournament. No matter whatever the standard of competition is, your little one should always enjoy their sport. Additional pressure will not only take away the enjoyment but also act as a hindrance in their performance. Their confidence too might be broken due to this kind of attitude.

 

How martial arts boosts your child’s self esteem?

 

Self confidence is an ability to trust oneself and one’s inherent abilities. However, for that, one first needs to be aware of what and how exactly they are competent on a physical, mental and emotional level. For understanding this, it is highly essential for you to challenge yourself constantly and push limits to check how much you can actually take. Challenging and pushing yourself from time to time eventually helps in extending and improving your capabilities. Since martial arts, is an excellent way for self improvement of one’s mind, body and inherent soul, this training is an enjoyable way to gain self confidence.

 

As parents, you can always train your child to practice better by challenging their limits from a considerably young age. In this way, they learn to give their best in every kind of situation. If you are looking out to boost your child’s self esteem from a young age, enroll them at a karate class right from the pre-school years. These are the early and formative years that play a vital role in the development of their minds and bodies. This also boosts their self esteem and helps them to tackle the adverse situations of life, flawlessly.

 

Martial arts, involves a kind of progression, from one specific level to the corresponding ones. Each of the successive levels requires your child to perform a series of simple and complex moves. With every passing level they end up challenging their old self and performing for the better. The desire to perform better boosts their self esteem which in turn paves way for their overall success in life. Not only do they gain some amazing self defense skills, but with the support of their coach and the motivating words of parents they gain a different kind of confidence that plays a vital role in the long run.

 

By qualifying the different skill tests, your kids get a different sense of accomplishment. They learn to experiment with the different test strategies which further improve their agility, tolerance level and speed. Along with praise and good feedback from the coaches and parents, if the kids continuously progress in their martial arts skills, then their moves and techniques improve with time. This pushes and motivates them to perform better. Reaching every new level in martial arts can be a great milestone and this itself can be best achieved with proper parental support.

 

Being adept in martial arts also helps your kids to combat bullying. They end up defending themselves and being safer and better. Understanding themselves and improving their skills with each passing day, give your kids an amazing sense of self-motivation and self-reliance. Their attitude towards life changes and they have a positive attitude towards everything. Likewise, they also master the art of setting goals, being patient and tolerant while trying new things. They end up tackling the adversities of life flawlessly.

 

So as parents it is indeed essential for you to support your child’s martial arts training, in order to boost his confidence and motivation levels in the long run. With your consistent support and guidance he will gain better self-esteem to tackle difficult situations in life. Follow these tips to ensure better and consistent development of your child’s sports training.

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To pinpoint the character flaws in anyone is an easy thing to do, but to help them correct it, seems more difficult. Since it’s not known to many that martial arts can help overcome character flaws in an individual, therefore this article will cover this topic in detail. Training in martial arts is the only help’ one needs to perfect his/her character.

Martial arts have always been seen as one of the major skills of defense systems, but that’s not what they are entirely composed of. Their training in self-discipline prepares an individual to overcome any character flaws, irrespective of how deeply rooted they are.

Character flaws can easily be overcome in kids as well as adults through proper and rigorous training. Martial arts require a lot of integrity, honesty, disciple, and respect; that is hardly found in any soul, unless one is properly trained. An old adage says: “If it were easy, everyone would do it.”

In this article we shall have a look at how one can find flaws in one’s character and treat it accordingly; and we’ll also discover how proper training in the school of the martial arts can help one, in building a perfect character.

Martial Arts

Before we look at how martial arts can help in eliminating character flaws, we must know what martial arts are, in the first place. The phrase __martial arts’ is treated in both singular and plural forms. In its singular form it represents one particular kind of martial arts like: Thai-Kickboxing, Tae Kwon Do, Jiu Jitsu, Karate, etc.; and in its plural form it represents the entire school of all martial arts.

One of the oldest and most famous forms of martial arts is Kung Fu, which originated in China in around a period from 21st century BC to the 17th century BC. It gained popularity from 1271 AD to 1368 AD, and then witnessed its peak from 1368 AD to 1911 AD. Apart from the development of Kung Fu in China; Tae Kwon Do and Karate were developed in Korea and Japan, respectively.

Although all of the variegated forms of martial arts teach fighting skills like: punching, kicking, striking with knees and elbows, etc.; it certainly does not advocate the practice of using these skills to bully or harm any innocent being. Everything is taught for the purpose of defending and protecting oneself and if required, others as well. To achieve this level of discipline and moral status, students are trained to control their mind as well, apart from their bodies.

All martial arts classes teach meditation and self-inventory at all levels of training, for improvement on a daily basis. These two assets can teach any individual to find and overcome any flaws in their character.

 

Developing Integrity

Integrity has been defined simply as: “firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values”, according to the Webster. However, in real life, it means much more than that. Integrity involves developing the traits of always being honest; keeping your promises; and speaking the truth. Integrity is a lesson taught in martial arts so that students can reveal their personal truth to themselves.

Integrity makes you earn respect in society. Everyone loves to follow and imitate people who walk their talk. Think of the persons in your surroundings who promise something very confidently, but never deliver whatever they affirmed on. If your child or you fall under the group of the aforementioned people, then martial arts training can help you to become an individual holding immense integrity.

The following principles are taught in almost all schools of martial arts to train an individual to attain respectful integrity:

· While making promises, make sure that you over deliver them.
· Honor your word. Whether you reply in “Yes” or “No”, mean it, and then show it.
· Maintain proper behavior every time, whether someone is watching over you or not.
· Abhor excuses and finish the job, no matter what obstacles come in the way.
· Always be discrete i.e. be rational in your opinions.

The instillation of integrity from early childhood will enable a child to take school assignments seriously. In adults, the trait of integrity can help us win more clients in business; or a higher responsible position in jobs.

Developing Discipline

Discipline can only be developed, once an individual has started practicing the traits of integrity. Discipline’s main teaching can be summed up as “self-control.” This teaching is practiced not only by the students, but even by the most experienced and revered masters of martial arts till the very last day of their lives.

The doctrines of discipline, teach one to remain calm in any given situation. Easier said than done, this kind of behavior requires persistent practice on a daily basis. To achieve proper discipline, anxiety must be removed from our lives.

In martial arts classes, the following teachings are given and practiced to harness discipline in one’s self:

· Mediation must be done for at least twenty minutes every day, preferably early in the mornings, to calm one’s mind. Calmness of mind is the first step toward learning discipline.
· Make a habit of responding properly in a situation, rather reacting. Reaction is a natural habit that has been developed subconsciously in an individual depending on their environment. To respond, one needs to think. Therefore, proper meditation must be done to develop proper thinking which in turn will help one to respond duly in arising situations, rather than reacting.
· Keep a track of the goals you want to achieve and then make a schedule; allotting a certain period time for every action needed to fulfill each goal.

Can you imagine anything else apart from __discipline’ that can help a child keep his calm at all times; respond politely in any given situation, showing the validity of his arguments; and get every assignment completed in time?

Developing Respect for Others and Self

When you respect someone, it means that you listen to their thoughts, feelings and opinions attentively. It doesn’t matter whether you agree with them or not, you show respect to others by making them feel special. When it comes to respect; the more you give, the more you get.

We are always taught to give respect to others because it is one prime thing that helps us connect better with our humankind. By giving out respect, we open doors for ourselves where people easily reach out to us. Better grades, increased salary, more trustworthy friends, and better career can all be yours if you learn to give and receive respect.

In martial arts training, respect is one of the most vital modules. In this module, most schools of martial arts teach the following:

· To respect elders with responses such as: “Yes, Sir.”, or “Thank you Ma’am.”
· To respect classes by always arriving in time.
· To respect homework and assignments by taking them seriously and submitting them on time.
· To pay attention in class and listen attentively to the teacher.
· To treat both juniors and seniors with honor; just the way you’d like to be treated.

If one has not earned respect in life, it surely shows that he never gave respect to anyone ever. Students are taught to give respect to others, which helps them substantially during their school and career life.

Developing Self-Confidence

Kindly allow us to ask you a question. Would you associate yourself with a confident person whose speech and actions are strong, or would you like to be friends with a weak personality, who is uncertain of his speech and actions? Obviously, you love to be in the company of confident people and wish to be like them.

Martial arts concentrate on developing confidence and a good self-image in every student. How? The masters do this by asking the children to perform a martial arts routine in front of their classmates. In regular intervals, martial arts schools host tournaments and competitions, which are the best ways to develop confidence.

When children take part in tournaments, they know that they have to display all their skills in a formal spar. Going on stage; facing your opponent; offering him respect; indulging in a spar with him; showcasing your martial arts skills without hurting your opponent, except in self-defense; all these activities go into developing self-confidence.

When self-confidence is developed, everything in life seems easy because you exhibit the trait of tackling any task fearlessly. Confidence helps you to begin any task easily and end it effortlessly. Confident people never leave any task incomplete. Whether you are participating in a class or taking part in a tournament, every time you are training yourself, you are conditioning yourself that you can take anything that life throws at you.

Developing Perseverance

Perseverance is a unique trait seen in someone who does not give up his goals even in the most difficult circumstances. Perseverance directly leads to the development of resilience in one’s character. Resilient souls are rarely found.

However, in martial arts, perseverance is one of the pillars of its philosophical thoughts. The first three levels of martial arts training, namely: white, yellow and orange; students find it easy to pass and go on to the next level, but from there on every level starts getting progressively tougher than the previous one.

This format of training in martial arts, gives the students two options in the early stages: give up after being defeated; or to “fight” and earn a higher deserving position.

Perseverance comes only when martial arts students learn to: trust their own abilities; have faith in the ongoing process; accepting defeat as a valuable lesson to learn from; trusting peers; and the hard work put in for a very long period of time. The senior students of martial arts display magnificent perseverance in their character by showing that they broke all the barriers of problems to earn higher level positions in martial arts.

Have a talk with a black belt holder of any martial arts student and notice how hungry they are for taking in more knowledge of martial arts training and practice every day. They went through hurdles like: illness; work commitments; family issues; everyday challenges; fatigue; etc., and yet, achieved the highest position of black belt. Your trainer is your best living example of perseverance.

Benefits of Finding Character Flaws through Martial Arts

As we’ve seen from above, martial arts are not only beneficial for kids, but for adults alike. The dedication toward, and study of martial arts helps any student to develop:

· Integrity, in which the student learns to keep his promise, show honesty and speak the truth.
· Discipline, with which the student learns to control the self through meditation. Meditation and self-control reduce doubts, fears and anxieties in the mind, thereby leading to a more vital behavior.
· Respect, so that the student can give and receive respect graciously. The student also realizes that respect can only be __earned’ and in order to do so he has to honor the thoughts, beliefs, and ideas of others.
· Self-confidence, that brings out the __effulgent life’ in a student. Being punctual in classes; showcasing martial arts drills in front of other students; showing respect to the opponent in a formal spar; honoring the teacher’s instructions; etc., goes into building a higher self-image and confidence in students.
· Perseverance, in always completing all the goals ever dreamed of. Perseverance is an intangible trait that can be observed by a student in his teachers or other black belt holders in martial arts. The student learns perseverance from noticing the teachers’ way of walking, talking and acting.

It cannot be denied that developing all five of the aforementioned traits can help anyone eliminate their character flaws.

Conclusion

All in all, it can be said that any character flaw can be easily eliminated with proper martial arts training. When the student will see the exemplary teacher practicing beneficial traits, the student will automatically pick up the teacher’s habits. Think about it carefully; integrity, discipline, respect, confidence and perseverance are not easy traits to pick up or develop on one’s efforts alone. The student must be placed in an environment where the other students and the teachers are also practicing the same doctrine.

Toward the end of this article, it is hoped that you have erased your old thought about martial arts that they are violent sports teaching self-defense. Now, you know that all forms of martial arts are a strict school in themselves. Their doctrine not only teaches self-defense tactics; but also character traits that must be developed so that we can flow in harmony with the natural energies of our universe.

In closing, it must be asserted that your child deserves to be in a martial arts school to learn to live a balanced life. Not only your child, but even you should take out time from your busy schedule and take martial arts classes. What better way to erase all the character flaws in oneself; and to develop highly respected traits, than to be in the company of people who already possess them and live those traits in their daily lives?

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Martial arts is about much more than merely physical exercise. The real study of martial arts is about exposure to mindfulness and how to become a better person in your everyday life. A quote from Bruce Lee sums up martial arts entirely:

“The martial arts are ultimately self-knowledge. A punch or kick is not to knock the hell out of the guy in front, but to knock the hell out of your ego, your fear, or your hang-ups.”

Although through martial arts people learn how to defend themselves and gain the ability to hurt other people, the real key to martial arts is learning how to respond intelligently to hard situations. This is achieved by providing students of martial arts with the ability to overcome some of the life’s challenges. Whether the student is a three-year-old boy or an eighty-year-old woman, martial arts can help to improve mindfulness in stressful situations throughout life.

5 Conditions Martial Arts Helps to Improve

In assisting people who struggle with everyday confrontations in their lives, martial arts improves standard conditions which can lead to a clearer thought process and the ability to make an intelligent decision when confronted with a desperate situation. Five primary conditions martial arts helps to improve include:

1. Depression

Depression is extremely common among adults, with almost one in ten adults suffering from major depression at some stage in their life. Signs of depression include fatigue, pain, and struggles with negative emotions. Even if you feel there is no light at the end of the tunnel, martial arts can help and is proven to combat depression.

2. Anxiety

Ordinary tasks can become a huge deal if you suffer from anxiety. Being anxious can produce many adverse side effects and prevent a healthy and enjoyable life. However, the mental lessons learned through martial arts can provide you with discipline and focus, helping to reduce feelings of anxiety. These experiences and the reduction in anxiety can lead to more intelligent decision making in stressful situations.

3. Aimlessness

Many people reach a stage in their life when they feel like they’ve lost direction or feel adrift with no escape. Feeling like you’re simply going through the motions in life can be tough, but martial arts can help you rediscover your spark. Finding that passion again and reconnecting with your inner spirit will reinvigorate the mind and lead to smarter decision making.

4. Stress

Daily life can be extremely stressful, and the effect of stress can stretch far beyond the day to day with long term stress responsible for heart disease, strokes, depression, and much more. Martial arts helps to reduce stress levels, relax, and refocus, leading to the energy and desire to deal with everyday confrontations that would have stressed you out before.

5. Loneliness

Feelings of loneliness can often lead to misplaced aggression and poor decision making. Upon taking up martial arts, you will instantly become part of a community of like-minded people and as you learn and grow together will form lasting bonds.

How Martial Arts Changes Your Response to Difficult Situations

The five conditions listed above can all contribute to poor decision making during a difficult situation or a conflict. However, martial arts teaches peaceful conflict resolution by improving these conditions and providing you with the ability to have confidence in your choices. Another aspect of martial arts which changes how you may respond to a difficult situation is the physical side. By learning how to defend yourself properly and becoming confident in defending yourself in any situation, you will gain the confidence to use other options to attempt to diffuse a situation first.

Martial arts teaches you to properly defend yourself but also demonstrates how to use mindfulness and intelligence to reach a non-violent resolution to a conflict. By improving and dealing with depression, anxiety, aimlessness, stress, and loneliness you will have the confidence to attempt to de-escalate a situation, and with the backup of your physical martial arts training, you will have even more confidence to try every other solution first.

The most important lessons learned in martial arts relate to the mind and its well-being. Once you have mastered your mind, you will find solutions to situations and problems that you may have never imagined before.

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