10 Reasons to Teach Your Kids Martial Arts

10 Reasons Why a Martial Arts Education is a Good Thing for the Prepared Kid >> Momwithaprep.com” width=”616″ height=”400″></p>
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My children have been in Martial Arts more than half of their lives, eons before I ever heard the word “prepper.” It’s not something I dreamed of before my children were born. I know of expectant mothers who insist their children will do this or study that. No, it was nothing that contrived. It was much more of a serendipity situation. I got an email from a homeschooling group that there was a couple teaching “karate in the park.” More than 7 years later I have one black belt, one red belt and one brown belt in Tae kwon do.

In my opinion all of these are great life skills, and it just makes sense to my husband and me to teach them to our children no matter what the future holds. There are a number of different Martial Art disciples all a little different but all instill these values. There are a number of different things to look for when looking to study Martial Arts.

10 Reasons for Your Kids to Learn Martial Arts

  1. Confidence: When you’re confident you can defend yourself, and don’t come across as an easy target that most bullies look for. Also, if you have accomplished something a little difficult then you have confidence that you can move onto a new level, not just in martial arts but in any area of your life.
  2. Defense: My boys may not be able to take on any opponent in the world. However, they have learned techniques to help them defend themselves in hostile situations.
  3. Learn How to Take a Punch: This is a difficult concept for a mother to get her head around let alone accept. The best defense in most situations is to run, flee or remove yourself from the situation. If there is some reason you have not left the situation it usually means your opponent has thrown the first punch and is on top of you or has attacked you in some way. If you know what it feels like to take a punch and keep your wits about you, you’re chances of survival are much greater.
  4. Discipline: This is another point that ripples throughout a child’s life. However, to master the different levels of any martial art you’ve got to have physical and mental discipline. Martial arts give children practice using the body and mind in harmony.
  5. Endurance: Martial arts is a sport, you build strength and endurance.
  6. Leadership: Part of becoming a black belt and higher is teaching beginning students. My older son is now teaching younger students and this is part of his training.
  7. Health: We have an epidemic of childhood obesity in this country. Martial Arts is a great way to get moving and burn off calories.
  8. Fight in a Controlled Environment: This one was hard for me as a mother. Of course at first it was cute. My little five year old child sparing with another five year old was nothing more than two clumsy kids trying to hit each other. My oldest son sparing during his black belt test was stomach turning. But my boys have the experience of fighting and they’ve learned it in a controlled environment without getting hurt. (at least hurt too badly)
  9. Situational Awareness: This goes along with confidence and defense but studying martial arts requires that you always be aware of your environment.
  10. Ability to Assess an Opponent: If you can determine that your opponent is weak in an area you can use that to your advantage in any hostile environment. This is an invaluable skill.

Jack Spirko of The Survival Podcast discusses how to find the right instructor and goes into more detail about some things I’ve mentioned. You can find his podcast here.

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GUEST POST BY JENNIFER OSUCH of AreWeCrazyorWhat.net  Be sure to stop by Jennifer’s blog, Are We Crazy or What,  to learn more about her, her boys, and how they live life!

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Katy Willis is a writer, lifelong homesteader, and master herbalist, master gardener, and canine nutritionist. Katy is a preparedness expert and modern homesteader practicing everyday preparedness, sustainability, and a holistic lifestyle.

She knows how important it is to be prepared for whatever life throws at you, because you just never know what's coming. And preparedness helps you give your family the best chance to thrive in any situation.

Katy is passionate about living naturally, growing food, keeping livestock, foraging, and making and using herbal remedies. Katy is an experienced herbalist and a member of the CMA (Complementary Medical Association).

Her preparedness skills go beyond just being "ready", she's ready to survive the initial disaster, and thrive afterward, too. She grows 100% organic food on roughly 15 acres and raises goats, chickens, and ducks. She also lovingly tends her orchard, where she grows many different fruit trees. And, because she likes to know exactly what she's feeding her family, she's a seasoned from-scratch cook and gluten-free baker.

Katy teaches foraging and environmental education classes, too, including self-sufficient living, modern homesteading, seed saving, and organic vegetable gardening.

Katy helps others learn forgotten skills, including basic survival skills and self-reliance.

She's been published on sites such as MSN, Angi, Home Advisor, Family Handyman, Wealth of Geeks, Readers Digest, and more.

0 thoughts on “10 Reasons to Teach Your Kids Martial Arts”

  1. I love martial arts and as a 70 yr. Old enjoy
    Learning along side younger students.
    What a great article.

    Reply
  2. OK…. Add these:
    Health; Physical, mental, & Spiritual.
    Focus, Ka, Loyalty, & teamwork.
    And the free time YOU get while they evolve.

    Reply

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