Notes & Articles
How Martial Arts Can Help Coax Your Shy Child Out Of His/Her Shell
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Making friends and participating in school can be very difficult for children who shrink from the spotlight. Children who are socially awkward usually have a very hard time engaging with peers or defending themselves physically, mentally, or emotionally.
Painfully shy children often suffer from anxiety and behavioral inhibitions in social situations. As a parent, you may notice that your child is always frozen in fear with his/her eyes on the floor and shoulders down. Watching your son or daughter clam up in social situations can be very frustrating. Fortunately, martial arts can coax your child out of his/her shell and help him/her become more confident.
Here are some of the ways martial arts can help your shy child blossom and find his/her inner strength:
1) Boosts your child’s confidence
Enrolling your child in a sport can help boost confidence and social interactions. If your child suffers from crippling shyness, team sports such as soccer should not be the first sport he/she signs up for. According to behavioral psychologists, the best way to encourage your child to get over his/her fears is to enroll him/her in a sport that boosts one-on-one interaction, such as martial arts. Martial arts allows your child to shine individually without competing for field time. The more your kid shines, the more confident he/she becomes.
Martial arts are very structured, and there are routines and techniques your child must master. Some socially anxious children are afraid of failure, so they never try at all. However, as your child learns new routines and drills, his/her confidence goes up. This confidence will spread to other areas of your kid’s life, and he/she will have an easier time confronting challenges in school and at home.
2) Boosts self-esteem
One of the most important lessons a child learns training martial arts is a positive sense of self. By setting goals in the class and accomplishing each one of them, children gain a sense of achievement that boosts their self-esteem. It helps them to realize that they can work hard and improve in other areas of their life as well.
3) Bully-proofs your child
One of the most frustrating things about a shy child is that they have a hard time speaking up for themselves. This makes them a prime target for bullies. Furthermore, as they grow older, they may have a harder time saying no. Shy and socially anxious children are more likely to give in to peer pressure and make poor decisions. Martial arts gives your child the skills to defend himself physically if he ever needs to do so. Your child also gets the confidence to speak up and defend himself mentally and emotionally.
4) Social skills and friendship
If you want to improve your child’s social skills, enroll him/her in a martial arts class that’s specifically designed for kids. Here, he/she can gradually interact with other children. Martial arts gyms foster a non-threatening family environment that your child can easily become a part of. The structured atmosphere encourages a shy child to open up and make friends. Martial arts also teaches your child the basics of compassion, empathy, and conflict resolution, which can make him/her more confident when interacting with others and making friends.
5) Mental toughness
The values martial arts instills in children stick with them for life.
Sometimes, children who are physically small are more timid and shy because they feel they cannot stand up for themselves. Martial arts teaches kids that size is not the most important factor in any confrontation. A person who is small but disciplined and hardworking can defeat a bigger person in a confrontation. The child learns that they can overcome any challenges if they are strategic and hardworking, and if they regularly practice their techniques. This skill gives a shy child the mental toughness to conquer other hurdles in their life.
6) Improves problem-solving skills
Shy kids usually have a hard time working under pressure. In fact, whenever they are put on the spot, many of them shut down. They may even lose their sense of personal motivation. However, when kids are enrolled in a martial arts class, they are taught how to react quickly to situations and how to think on their feet.
When sparring with an opponent, there is very little time to deliberate or make slow responses. With time, your child will learn to work under pressure and they will no longer freeze when faced with time constraints.
7) Fosters Leadership skills
As your child moves from one level to the next one, they will be tasked with teaching new kids the basics of martial arts. The purpose of these lessons is to teach a child to be patient and a good listener. Your child will also learn leadership skills that will encourage him/her to open up and become more responsible. This skill will translate to other areas of his/her life, as he/she learns to overcome shyness and take initiative in situations that require him/her to show leadership.
8) Respect
Respect is one of the major lessons a child learns in martial arts. Your child will be taught to respect his teachers because they have more skill and experience. He will also be taught to respect his peers. Above all, your child will learn to respect himself/herself. Martial arts encourages children to appreciate the worth of others and to see the true value of other people. Therefore, your child’s teachers and fellow students will appreciate him/her and see his/her true value.
All children experience shyness at some point in their life. However, for some children, shyness can be debilitating. It can rob them of the opportunity to have a proper childhood and leave them feeling like outcasts – which can lead to even more serious mental health issues.
If your child has a hard time participating in social activities, martial arts can help him/her get out of his/her comfort zone. With lots of practice and plenty of encouragement from you and his/her instructors, your shy child will become more open to making new friends and trying new things.
Bring your child for a complimentary introductory trial class to learn more about martial arts.
Top 10 Health Benefits of Martial Arts
Many young people in the UK, now grow up with martial arts as one of their first competitive sports/activities. Not only is it a great activity that keeps participants physically active, but it instills a sense of achievement and ethics, as you work your way up to earning a black belt. But even if you have no previous experience in martial arts, it is still a great activity to pick up even as an adult. And here are the reason why, as we present the top 10 health benefits of martial arts:
Total body workout:
Martial arts are a high-aerobic workout that uses every muscle group in the body. Your stamina, muscle tone, flexibility, balance and strength will all improve through martial arts.
Healthy lifestyle:
Due to the total-body nature of a martial arts workout, tons of calories are burned during every class. However, you’ll also find that your natural eating signals become better regulated, so food cravings will disappear and you’ll eat less as a result.
Self confidence:
Due to the goal setting, positive encouragement and respect for values that are part of all martial arts programs, the greatest benefit usually reported by martial arts students is greater self-confidence. You become more comfortable in all situations – whether you’re in danger or simply doing a task that takes you beyond your comfort zone — and you’ll discover you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.
Improved cardiovascular health:
Research has found that the only real way to improve the status of the cardiovascular system is by participating in activities that stress the heart, such as martial arts.
Weight loss:
A one hour session of moderate intensity martial arts can burn up to 500 calories.
Improved reflexes:
Research has found that by participating in martial arts, you not only improve your reflexes while performing the activity, but actually experience faster reaction times during all activities of your life. This is very important in a number of daily activities, such as driving.
Focus and stillness:
As Bruce Lee pointed out, behind the punches, kicks and knees, a true martial artist learns to sit with himself and see where his weaknesses are. As a martial artist, your will learn what it is to be still, challenged and focused.
Teaches great morals and values:
Martial arts wisdom has it that after consistent practice, one becomes less impulsive and aggressive towards others. The Shaolin moral code for example comprises 12 ethics, 10 forbidden acts and 10 obligations. Patience, insight and calmness are considered pre-requisites of good Kung Fu. This reminds students of the right attitude, frame of mind and virtues to strive for inside and outside the studio.
Muscle tone:
By participating in martial arts, you can greatly improve the amount of muscle mass you have in your body. The higher your muscle mass, the higher your metabolic demands will be, and subsequently the more calories you will burn each day, thereby helping prevent obesity and promote weight loss. High levels of muscle mass also lead to increased agility, thereby preventing falls as you age.
Better mood:
Researchers have found that participating in a regular exercise routine is one of the best ways to improve your mood. Performing martial arts is not only a good way to relieve stress and frustration, but may actually help to make you happier. The endorphins released by physical activity appear to be active in your body for as many as four hours after exercise.
