After twenty years of teaching martial arts to students from age three to eighty, I have observed that the benefits to every age has been nothing less than astonishing! Some include control of aggressive behavior and the gain of self-respect, self-control, self-defense, self esteem, focus, confidence, and courtesy. As an additional benefit, the child will also excel in other athletic endeavors. Martial arts training gives your son or daughter the chance to strengthen in mind as well as body. It encompasses not just the physical aspect of the “sport”, but mental and emotional lessons as well.
Comparing that to other youth activities and sports, where fierce competitiveness and “winning at all costs” seems to be the order of the day, it’s not surprising that many children grapple with issues of self-esteem and misplaced aggression.