Why Martial Arts Alone Won’t Help Kids Stand Up For Themselves
by admin- Tags:
- Bullying
Martial Arts is an art form that has been around for years. Its foundation is built on self discipline and self defense. If used properly, it can teach a person some of the fundamentals of life and also to help them protect themselves, if needed. There is no age limit for martial arts and anyone can benefit from practicing this artwork, especially kids.
How do kids benefit from taking martial arts classes?
Children are the most impressionable when they are young and it is easy to begin teaching them life skills. Just like a child who starts school at the age of five to begin learning essentials that will need later in life, martial arts can/will have that same effect. If children are taught early in life, they can take what they have learned and apply it to other areas of their lives as they grow.
Why does a child need to know how to fight?
It’s not as much about fighting as it is about learning to protect oneself. Children will learn early on that there are some nice people in the world and some that are not so nice. Even their own peers can be mean and bully a child. Even with the efforts to stop bullying, it still happens and mentally preparing your child for these situations, can cause them less heartache. Martial arts is not solely about fighting, it is a process that trains not only your body but your mind. This will help a child know how to fight and when it is okay to fight. Children can benefit from the physical fitness and learning how to be disciplined in all other areas of their lives.
Is martial arts safe?
If executed properly, martial arts is very safe. Considering the fact that martial arts is all about self discipline, it will teach a child how to defend his or herself, if needed. Bullying can sometimes only be verbal but there can be situations where it turns violent. If your child knows the proper self defense maneuvers, they can learn to fight off an attacker. This is also something that will benefit them throughout their lives.
Will martial arts help my child stand up for his or herself?
Martial arts will teach the child the fundamentals of defending his or herself but that doesn’t mean all children will act upon it. Knowing how to fight, if needed, doesn’t necessarily mean that the child will fight when that time comes. Children are taught from a young age to keep their hands to themselves and that is is not nice to hit others. This can be a hard habit to break, even in the midst of a fight. Bullies feed off of weakness and if they aren’t stood up to, the bullying can continue. Parents need to encourage their kids that it is okay to fight, if you have to. They have to know that there is no need to fear getting in trouble for defending themselves. A child who has the confidence and support to stand up for themselves, will have the courage to tackle other hard aspects that they may encounter throughout the duration of their lives.
How to let a child know that it is good to stand up for themselves?
For starters, let your child know that it is not okay to be treated badly, verbally or physically. When a person starts to treat you badly, they will continue to if they see they can get away with it. Let your child know their worth and that they deserve nothing but the best in life. Just feeling like they are not alone and that you are standing behind them, can help them have the courage to stand up to the person who is treating them badly. This doesn’t happen overnight because fears don’t disappear overnight but they will have the tools and confidence to move in the right direction. Martial arts is great in helping to achieve this because children will learn to stand up for themselves at an early age and possibly won’t ever have to encounter bullying but if they do, they will know how to handle the situation.
Will the bullying continue if my child stands up for his or herself?
Bullies pick on who they deem as being weak and individuals who will take whatever is dished out to them, most of the time out of fear. Standing up to a bully will show them that you are not afraid and most of the time, the bullying ends. When a bully sees that you can’t be pushed around, they will move on. Children who are bullied and have conquered their fear of the bully, often realize that they are stronger than they ever imagined and that the bully was the weak one all along.
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