Karate is more than just a martial art; it has several benefits for individuals’ health. As 90’s kids, in our childhood, we wanted to be like the one in the Karate Kid or one of the members of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and were amazed by their karate skills. As of today’s kids, most of them are phone addicts and don’t do any physical activities. By enrolling your child in karate lessons you can help them develop in many ways, including physical, mental, and emotional. Kids karate lessons help your child stay active and engaged. In this blog, we will explore several reasons why you should enroll your child in kids karate lessons and the benefits of these lessons on your child’s overall health.
Reasons Why You Should Enrol Your Child in Karate Kid Training
From improving their confidence to enhancing their physical fitness, karate lessons are the best way for kids to grow and develop. Here we have listed several other reasons why you should enroll your child in karate kid training:
1. Physical Fitness
Karate is one of the best ways to stay active and improve the physical fitness of kids. It doesn’t only focus on some areas of the body but provides a full-body workout helping them stay healthy and fit. The various techniques and moves involved in karate training help in increasing the strength, flexibility, and endurance of kids. It also helps in cardio health and weight loss.
2. Discipline and Focus
Another reason to join your child in kids karate lessons is the discipline and focus it teaches your child. Children learn to follow instructions, respect their instructors and mates, and practice regularly. Martial arts or karate improves their concentration skills as they have to focus on the instructions given by their instructor. Repetitive practice helps them develop better focus and concentration in school and other areas.
3. Self-Defense Skills
Unlike other physical activities like basketball or badminton, karate teaches children basic self-defense skills such as punching, blocking, kicking, and many more. Learning these skills can help them protect themselves in dangerous situations and also protect others if possible. Knowing your son/daughter can defend themselves in these situations gives you a sense of security and peace of mind.
4. Social Skills
Karate classes are best for the kids who are introverted and don’t open up easily. They don’t socialize much and like to stay alone rather than playing with their friends. However, enrolling your child in karate kid training helps them socialize more with their other kids. This social interaction helps kids develop teamwork and improve their communication skills. They learn how to interact respectfully with others, share things, and work towards common goals.
Karate Kid Training Methods
Here we have listed some karate kid training methods Daniel had to practice in the movie The Karate Kid:
1. Wax On, Wax Off
This is one of the most famous training techniques. In the movie “The Karate Kid”, Daniel LaRusso, was taught to perform repetitive tasks such as waxing a car and painting a fence. The process was boring because he had to do it with his right hand and apply it in circular motion. These activities were planned to develop muscle memory and build confidence.
2. Send the Floor
Similar to the wax-on and wax-off technique, sanding the floor was another repetitive task Daniel was given. It’s a technique that involves circular motion and makes your body flexible and helps in structure your body posture. This method is meant to improve his balance and precision.
3. Paint the Fence
Daniel was instructed to paint the fence and ordered to do it by the night using an ordinary paintbrush. Painting a fence required a specific arm movement that helped him build strength and coordination in the body. To complete the task Daniel stood in front of the fence and moved his brush up and down on the board.
4. Paint the House
Similar to method 3, he was asked to paint the house. He used a paintbrush, cans, and a ladder to paint the house. It took him the whole day to complete the task. After that he felt very tired and his shoulders were soaring. He was complaining to Miyagi and thought he was using him for doing his labour work unaware of the fact that it was actually helping him strengthen his muscles.
5. Show
At this point, he was literally tired and frustrated. He was thinking he was not teaching him anything and he had not learned anything in the past few days. To test the practice he had done over the past few days, Miyagi threw a punch when Daniel was painting the fence and was shocked when he blocked his strike.
Key Benefits of Karate for Kids Overall Development
There are several karate benefits for kids some of which we have listed below:
1. Self-Confidence
As kids progress through their karate training, they achieve new belts and master new techniques, leading to building their self-confidence. These accomplishments help build their self-confidence and self-esteem and make them believe in themselves. Karate teaches kids to believe in their abilities and encourages them to overcome challenges, both in and out of the mat. Improving their abilities and continuous practice builds their overall confidence and makes them feel like they can overcome any challenges.
2. Determination
Martial arts help in improving the determination of young children towards their goals so they can do better in every field. As they move to the next levels they become more determined to achieve the next level. In karate, there are different levels and on each level different belts with different colors are provided to students. This is another reason that makes them more determined to achieve them.
3. Weight Management
As karate involves practicing with the whole body it’s a good full-body workout. It helps in managing the weight of kids. Karate is a good exercise especially if your kid is overweight.
4. Reduce Anger Issues
Some kids have anger issues from the very beginning. Karate is a good practice if you want to reduce your kids’ anger issues. However, karate can help children reduce stress from home or the classroom by engaging in cardio activities that fight the effects of stress and anxiety.
