Why Should Your Kid Experience Martial Arts?

Does your son or daughter need more discipline, focus, and activity in their life?

Is your child interested in martial arts and you want to learn more?

Not sure about the benefits of kids martial arts in Ann Arbor or your community?

Picture an after-school activity with countless benefits for the body, mind, and behavior. Martial arts checks all these boxes. Among all the options for kids' activities today, martial arts may have one of the widest range of benefits. Although fitness may be what draws people to the dojo at first, martial arts like kids karate or kids judo help people improve in so many other ways as well. Parents are often impressed by the variety of skills and lessons kids learn in martial arts and are even more impressed when they see these things translate to other areas of life like performance in school, behavior at home, and with focus and the ability to learn .

Ready to learn more? Check out a few of the top benefits your kids can get from martial arts.

9 Benefits of Kids Martial Arts in Ann Arbor

Fitness: every kid needs physical activity in their life. From cardio warm-ups to the strength-based challenges of routines, martial arts will get your kid moving and burning energy. Keeping up with practice at home will enhance these benefits.
Empowerment:: kids gain confidence by learning self-defense moves and mastering skills to advance to new levels. A kid who struggles with bullies can feel more confident learning techniques to avoid a fight; a kid who has struggles academically and/or athletically will feel more confident by focusing on personal growth instead of competition.
Discipline:: training in martial arts requires concentration and focus and there are elements built right in to help kids develop these skills. You'll see discipline reinforced in the moves, uniforms, customs, and attitudes of martial arts. The discipline kids learn in the dojo often positively affects behavior off the mat, too.
Respect:: for their master, instructors, peers, self, others, and for skills they develop, kids learn many forms of respect through martial arts. Respect is often seen as the primary lesson of martial arts, even before the powerful moves that initially attract so many martial artists.
Socialization:: Not only do kids learn how to interact with people respectfully, martial arts practice also gives them the opportunity simply to interact with people who have a similar interest. This can be a huge benefit for a kid who is shy or has a hard time making friends.
No Bench: unlike team sports, kids with better skills and athleticism don't get more playing time than others in martial arts. All kids have the same opportunity to develop and display skills and the same benefits of participating. While there are surely amazing benefits to team sports, many kids will thrive in the martial arts environment with a more individual focus and community setting.
Gender Equality: martial arts are one of the few sports where boys and girls practice together. Although more males participate statistically, there are no rules preventing girls from having the same opportunity as boys. Additionally, with young boys and girls practicing together, they learn first-hand the lessons of respect extend equally to everyone.
Year-round: there's no off-season in martial arts! Your kid will stay active all year and you don't have to worry about retaining skills and lessons over an extended break. Progress will also happen more quickly with year-round practice which is a great incentive for kids who need the motivation to stick with an activity.
Parent Practice: most schools don't have classes with adults and children training simultaneously, but kids and parents can both practice a Japanese martial art at the same facility, potentially even in back-to-back sessions. Practicing together offers the benefit of family bonding and learning from each other.

Experience Kids Martial Arts in Ann Arbor at JMAC

It's easy to see why martial arts have been and continue to be an enchanting and rewarding activity for kids of all ages. And when the benefits and skills of their martial arts seep into other areas of your kid's life, you'll see that the decision to enroll was a great one.

Are you ready to see the benefits of martial arts in your kids? Contact a member of the Japanese Martial Arts Center today. You can start by observing, scheduling private introductory lessons, or just getting a few questions answered by our experienced and passionate staff. And remember, at JMAC your satisfaction is guaranteed. Give us a call today!