By Charles Fuller
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports that sporting events provide the opportunity to teach children how to handle disappointment, competition, frustration and anger in a respectful manner.
Modeling positive behaviors that are taught by coaches, parents and sporting officials encourages children to use the same tools to solve conflict in other areas of their lives such as school or in their first jobs.
Quality traditional karate training goes even a step further than simply mentoring students while they train. The majority of life skills taught to young martial artists are done while training in the art.
All students experience the vast spectrum of human emotions while on the karate path: frustration, anger, envy, sadness, exhilaration, resentment, fear (both real and perceived), the motivation rollercoaster, etc.
In our karate dojo, mentoring happens in real time. In other words, the child is mentored while experiencing the emotion, which is vastly more productive than through lecture.
We form a bond with all of our students because we want them to succeed as much as you do. In addition to emotional understanding and control, the mental focus required to execute extremely well defined karate moves spills over into a child’s everyday life that will eventually improve:
- Study habits,
- School performance,
- Respect for one’s self and for others, and
- Ability to listen and follow directions.
These experiences instill confidence in a child. A confident child is more resilient to peer pressure.
We Change Lives Through Kids Karate Classes
A child’s success throughout life is a direct result of positive life skills learned early. Traditional martial arts training provides these powerful and indispensable skills:
- Perseverance,
- Problem solving,
- Discipline,
- Self- reliance,
- Fortitude,
- Initiative,
- Crisis resolution,
- Resilience,
- Creative thinking,
- Honor,
- Respect
There are a litany of life enhancing qualities that are absorbed in real time in The Dojo. They are persistently introduced and reinforced, embedded within the culture of the martial arts and the karate experience itself. We aim to shape each child’s future through the life transforming potential of kids karate.
Kids Karate Classes at The Dojo
Our vision is to give every child in Pinellas County the opportunity to learn these life skills through the training of traditional Okinawan Karate.
As parents we all want to protect our children from the difficulties and problems they will face. The reality is that it is simply impossible for us as parents to be there for them all of the time.
The skills they will learn at The Dojo will allow them to recognize the different situations, react accordingly, and protect themselves.
Children’s Martial Arts helps promote and maintain a healthy lifestyle that lasts a lifetime.