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Martial Arts Mental Health

4 Ways Martial Arts Positively Impact Your Child’s Mental Health

Title: 4 Ways Martial Arts Positively Impact Your Child’s Mental Health | Image: black background with the title in gold writing. You can see three kids striking a martial arts pose to the left of the title.

Whether your child is interested in Muay Thai, Karate, Jeet Kune Do, Judo, or Jiu-Jitsu, encouraging them to practice a martial art—whichever discipline it may be— does wonders for their inner well-being. Here are 4 ways how martial arts can improve your child’s emotional and mental health.

1) Martial arts help replace insecurity with confidence.

“Do not allow negative thoughts to enter your mind for they are the weeds that strangle confidence.”

Bruce Lee

Learning a martial art is no easy feat; mistakes will happen and countless hours on the mats will test your child emotionally. But along the way, your child will learn that failure doesn’t define them at all. As they progress through the martial arts journey, they’ll understand that failure is just another opportunity for improvement. Through consistent training, hard work, and perseverance, confidence will illuminate your child assisting them in all aspects of life.

2) Learning a complex skill promotes discernment & strengthens decision making abilities.

“Jiu-Jitsu puts you completely in the moment, where you must have a complete focus on finding a solution to the problem. This trains the mind to build that focus, to increase your awareness, your capacity to solve problems.”

Rickson Gracie

Indecision is a trait associated with anxiety and low self-esteem. A habitual pattern of decision paralysis makes your child an easy target for bullying and peer pressure. During class time, your child will need to tune in to a higher inner awareness to execute a move decisively and accurately. The muscle memory of staying calm under pressure will reduce your child’s frustration in real times of panic and stress.

3) Working in a team helps build trust and make new friends.

“Friendship and cooperation are the most important parts of karate.”

Seikihi Iha

Depending on the size and popularity of the academy, most martial arts schools have anywhere from 10 to 30 students in one kid’s class. In this isolated day and age, it’s essential that your child has a strong support system of trustworthy friends. Laughing, learning, and growing alongside others through the common goal of learning a martial art benefits a child’s overall happiness. It also teaches them to collaborate respectfully in a group, surrendering the “me” for the “we.”

4) A tough discipline motivates goal setting.

“The danger is not to set your goal too high and fail to reach it. It’s to set your goal too low and reach it.”

Georges St.Pierre

Video games reward instant gratification and simulate “goal setting.” Martial arts, on the other hand, truly prepare children to propel forward in an emotionally and physically healthy way. After some time of training, your child may be inspired to compete and apply their classroom knowledge for real-world success. This winning mentality will inspire your child to trust in themselves and chase after their largest dreams.

How Martial Arts Created Operation Child Rescue

In 2018 martial arts brought together a group of martial arts school owners together with a common goal. To make New York and the world a better place for children. Thus Operation Child Rescue was founded. The passion we have for martial arts converted into a passion to give back to our community. We do this by fighting child hunger within our communities and more through volunteering and donations.

Look around the corner and you’ll find a local martial arts school in your community waiting to welcome your child. Martial arts schools are places of education and wonder— offering your child the tools they need to develop a positive mindset, self-esteem, and a champion’s outlook.