A few days ago we told you some examples of sports that children who are not motivated by team sports could play. One of them was to practice martial arts, and today we help you discover 7 reasons why your son should sign up for this type of activity if he is really interested in it.
Kids (and parents) get more active
The reason why everyone should do some kind of physical exercise is because it helps us stay active. Unfortunately, being overweight and obese affects children and adolescents a lot, which is why sport has become a suitable fighting tool.
It is true that there are sports and physical education programs that are incredible, but not all children are athletes or are motivated in the same way.
Martial arts offer many benefits, but above all it ensures a correct physical condition. Boxing, karate or muay thai are disciplines that will help your child to get fit in a healthy way.
They learn to find the silence
You will agree that nowadays it is quite difficult to keep a child quiet and calm, unless we give him free rein with the Internet and video games.
With martial arts they learn that the biggest obstacle in life is themselves. In this type of class you will not find distractions like those that usually occur in any other type of gym. Everyone is focused, there is no loud music or televisions. So your son will learn to sit still and focus on what he has to do.
Connection between mind and body
In few gyms they teach you to really listen to your body. You need to learn to listen to the signals, just like you do with your thoughts.
In martial arts, it is taught to feel, see and listen, both internally and externally. Fear, intuition and courage are some of the mental factors that must join the physical. I'm sure it's not the first time you've heard about being “blocked by fear”.
Increase your trust and respect
In most sports this aspect occurs. When a child sees himself able to move on and play with older children, their self-confidence increases. In addition, it indirectly reminds them that they must have respect for their opponent, who is usually stronger and bigger.
Relax, in the martial arts school there are no bullies or tough guys who are going to hurt your son. Just learn the sense of respect and trust, both for himself and for others.
They learn to take hits
In any martial art, they not only prepare us to strike, but also teach us to receive them. It could be compared as a metaphor for life, in which we must learn to achieve success and handle any type of disappointment.
In martial arts, children learn to fail. Everyone loves to put the bandage on their hands and start hitting things, but few mention how unpleasant it can be to get hit without being prepared.
learn to breathe
Although breathing is the unconscious practice of our body, doing it correctly when we do sports is essential for good performance. I advise you to enjoy watching a martial arts video and observe how the athlete breathes.
Keep in mind that the body uses the force of the breath to move successfully. Now just a skill that you can enjoy when you do some physical activity, it will also save you in your day to day.