Martial arts classes for kids are about so much more than just the punches and kicks you see in movies. We say it all the time, but it’s completely true. It’s a really special sport with a lot to offer kids (and adults too!), but right now we’re just going to focus on one little-known benefit of martial arts classes- leadership!
Kids Martial Arts Classes Foster Discipline
Perhaps the most important skill needed to be a leader is discipline. Think of some of the greatest athletes of all time- their best advice is always “never give up”, “stay with it,” “don’t quit.” These aren’t just empty words. Those athletes are the greatest not necessarily because they were born with supernatural talent, but because they’ve learned discipline.
They’ve learned that doing things they don’t want to do, like working out or eating salads instead of sweets, will give them the results that no one else can get. That discipline is what makes them the best.
So how do we instill world-class discipline in our students? Simple. When your child comes to their martial arts classes with Campeao United Jiu-Jitsu, they’re not just learning punch and kick combos. They’re also playing games and doing different activities that sneakily teach them life skills and build character, courtesy of our awesome instructors.
Even better, we use positive reinforcement to help those good habits stick and stay effective. For discipline, for example, we’ll positively reward them for listening to their instructor and sitting still. As you’ve probably seen in your own children, kids nowadays have very short attention spans and get bored easily …
So we also use disguised repetition to keep students interested and engaged. We’ll play games where they have to repeat different moves a bunch of times, and over time this format helps them develop their discipline muscle and persevere through those short attention spans.
One of the coolest things about martial arts is that the life skills we’re teaching them actually make a difference. There comes a time when we don’t have to discipline our students, and they naturally discipline themselves.
They absorb that self-discipline and strive for excellence, not giving up when things are tough, going above and beyond to reach their full potential, using positive self talk… These are amazing transformations for us to witness, and it’s how lasting leadership is fostered in our classes.
Better Grades for a Better Future
It’s not too much of a jump to see how better discipline can create better grades, right? Think of it this way- if your child just can’t get those grades up, it could be because they’re just not focusing.
They’re not motivated to sit down and do their work, they’re bored, they’d much rather be on their devices… That discipline they learn in martial arts class is going to keep them focused on their schoolwork until it’s done, even when they would reeeeally rather be doing something else.
Once discipline is down pat, another tool we use in martial arts to help with better grades is focus. Just like with discipline, we’ll play different games that positively reward focused attention in the right places – on the instructor and on the task at hand. Because we have rules in martial arts, and those rules are reinforced by the environment (uniform, instructors, etc.), your child is more likely to listen up and respect those rules here in our studio. One of these rules is that they pay attention to their instructor or a peer when he or she is talking, just as a baseline form of respect.
No phones or electronic devices are allowed during class – it’s only your child, their instructor, and their fellow students, all having fun as they learn these awesome skills. Once your child has developed that focus and released some of that desire for instant gratification, they’ll associate focus with positive emotions (I learned how to kick the paddle by focusing really hard! That was awesome!) and then apply it to all aspects of their life, including their grades.
That positive association will help them direct their attention in the proper direction- their homework. And then focusing on their homework means better homework scores, higher absorption of the material, and voila- better grades!
How Better Grades Makes Your Child a Leader
It’s also easy to see the connection between better grades and leadership. Even if your child improves their grades just a bit, it’s because of THEIR actions and initiatives. That’s the sign of a leader- self-leadership first. When your child is making progress thanks to their own efforts, their teachers will start to notice.
They’ll receive more positive attention and praise, which will just motivate them even more to lead themselves and build those habits of success. The rest just comes naturally!
Whether they’re leading on a sports team, their school choir, student council, or in the community, your child’s discipline skills (and all the other skills they learn in martial arts, like respect, perseverance, and focus) will help them become the absolute best they can be. The confidence they feel from being awesome is just the cherry on top!
Martial Arts Classes Help Kids with Their Mindset
So now that we understand how discipline and focus can create the perfect environment for leadership, let’s talk about mindset. Mindset is basically how you talk to yourself, so it’s also known as self-talk. When you’re a child, everyone around you is talking to you, and you learn to internalize what they’re saying. If you constantly hear that you’re dumb, you’re going to believe that you’re dumb and then grow up telling yourself that you’re dumb.
If you constantly hear that you can truly do anything you put your mind to, which is what we teach in our martial arts classes, you’re going to go on to do amazing things. Our instructors are totally on the ball when it comes to mindset, and they make sure that each child knows exactly what they’re capable of- which is anything they put their mind to!
So much of leadership is about keeping that perseverant mindset, and that’s what we teach in martial arts. These moves and the way that you coordinate your body to do martial arts is NOT easy. Ask any student, new or old- getting a grip on yourself and learning the moves can be pretty tricky. When a student isn’t getting something, it’s the difference in their mindset that will determine their outcome.
The student who tells themselves that they’re dumb and can’t do it, won’t get it. The student who tells themselves to keep going and never give up, will. And that’s what we teach in our martial arts classes. We make sure our students know that they’re capable of success on and off the mat, and this creates leaders of them all.
Help Your Child Be Their Best- Join Us!
Discipline, focus, perseverance, mindset- these are just a few of many, many benefits that kids martial arts classes provide. If you want your child to be the best version of themselves they can possibly be for years to come, join our Kingsport martial arts classes for kids risk-free and see for yourself what our Campeao United Jiu-Jitsu Child Greatness program can do! Your child will LOVE it!