Numerous studies have shown the benefits of keeping your child active. They develop strong muscles and bones, gain interactive and social skills, maintain their weight, and have better mental outlooks on things, among other benefits. Play is an important part of a child’s life and unfortunately, not enough children are getting the exercise they need. Only one in three children are getting the physical activity they need every day. Part of this is due to the new technology culture prevalent among young children. Today, kids spend on average over seven and a half hours every day staring at some kind of screen, be it a TV screen, a videogame, computer, cell phone, etc. For children who shy away from traditional sports like soccer, football, or running, parents aren’t sure what to engage them in.
One such way to engage a child in active play is martial arts, which has seen increasing popularity in American culture. Types include karate, jujitsu, hapkido, and taekwondo. Karate training can start as early as ages 5 or 6. If your child is worried about doing a non-traditional sport, assure him or her: a little over 8 million children and adults took part in karate or another martial art at least one time in the last year.
What are the Benefits of Martial Arts?
Not only do the martial arts offer your child exercise, it also offers them a base in self-defense, which can be especially useful for young girls or young women to know. Martial arts classes also focus a good deal on respect and to provide a benefit to one’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Unlike many sports that only work out one part of your body, martial arts focus on many aspects like flexibility and coordination. If one should need it, martial arts can also be used in combat, and the military is even beginning to incorporate some martial arts techniques in its training.
What Kind of Martial Arts Are There?
Perhaps the most famous is karate, which originated in Japan. It’s a striking art, although it’s more than just a fighting technique at its heart. Humbleness and gentleness are actually huge tenets in the original karate art. Learners advance through a series of ranks, earning a different color belt for their skill level.
Taekwondo is perhaps the next best known martial art in the United States and originates from Korea, with focus on kicking. It’s a more recent martial art, developed in the 1940s and 1950s. Like karate, it focuses on courtesy, respect, and self-discipline. Students are divided into junior and senior ranks and can also achieve belts of different colors.
Jujitsu is another Japanese type of martial art and was originally used for close combat against an armed and armored opponent. It uses the opponent’s energy against him or her, instead of directly trying to counteract it. This type of martial art is useful for those with smaller builds, because they can still learn how to counter a much larger or heavier opponent. Grappling techniques are popular with this form of martial art.
The martial arts are an excellent exercise for children to begin early in and continue with for the rest of their lives. They gain valuable skills and lessons and can apply it to many different aspects of their lives.
