self confidence

Confidence and Martial Arts

Confidence and Martial Arts

Martial arts are crucial for those who want to obtain confidence. If you want your child to develop not only a strong and flexible body, but also a strong spirit, it is the right choice for them to master a martial art. This training will provide them with holistic mind development, with a strong character, and the right vision of the world.

Mastering a martial art will impact every aspect of a person’s life. It cannot only save them from street attacks and bullies in school, but it also instills good inner qualities and boosts self-esteem. There are numerous ways with which martial arts have an influence on various spheres of a person’s life.

1. A strong, firm body boost a child’s confidence

While practicing a martial art, a child becomes stronger and more masculine. If you look at different 15-16 year old boys, you will notice that they differ from each other with their appearance. Some boys look like they are still kids, others look more like men. With their physical data, they can even use self-defense against adults.

No doubts that a person’s physical strength and appearance reflect on how they perceive themselves. It is not necessary for your child to fight everywhere to prove something to their classmates. Everyone will see their muscles, their confident behavior, and the absence of fear.

The point of martial arts is to give you an assurance that you have a plan for different situations. Thus, when someone talks to you with aggression, to test you, they will change their intentions when seeing your calm reaction. You will demonstrate calmness because of knowing that, at any time, you can disgrace the adversary with a strong hit, but you choose to act more generously.

We must also mention, that great appearance adds a bonus to a person’s attraction. When a person notices that more people like them, their mood is boosted and their self-esteem grows.

2. Life lessons

While mastering a martial art, a person learns many things. For instance:

to respect more experienced seniors,

to work in a team,

to work with a pair,

not give up,

to accomplish tasks, and

to endure difficulties.

In this way, a child will better understand the world and will feel comfortable outside their home. Besides, when a child trains constantly, they become independent, because they know what they are doing. They can easily go to the courtyard of the house and perform an exercise without being shy. In that manner, a child will always act independently when they need to accomplish their task.

For instance, they will bravely enter the office of their boss, when they are insured in the importance of their cause.

Martial art will help develop strategic thinking. Without a strategy, you can win competitors neither in sport, nor in life.

The next life lesson consists of a child’s ability to learn to be ready for someone attacking them. I’m talking about both physical and mental attacks. They will not fear danger after they meet it in the ring numerous times. Thus, they will properly see this world: it is dangerous, but you shouldn’t fear it.

3. Socializing

A child becomes more interesting as a person. There will always be topics that they can support in a conversation. When a person understands that it depends on your skills and knowledge, whether you win or lose, they start to seek more erudition in that field. As a result, a person becomes more comprehensive in other directions of development. It happens when they have learned the value of knowledge.

A child that engaged in sport always has “additional” friends, aside from those that they will gain in school. In fact, their sport friends may happen to be closer to them because they share mutual interests. As a result, confidence will grow.

When a child is capable of protecting themselves, it is easy for them to practice small talk without any shyness. Even if they make a mistake, no one will punish them fiscally. In this way, they can practice speaking skills which will raise their socializing ability.

The same principle works when a person wants to go out somewhere. They are less fearful, and as a result, they will visit more places, companies, and parties. This way, they will gain more life experience.

4. Philosophical views

Practicing martial art will inspire a child to believe in one’s self: that they capable of mastering anything if they really want it. It will also form their world view; they will learn to see themselves as good people that, nevertheless, can defend themselves from aggression.

When a person understands their responsibility for their actions, it means that they are growing up. When your child practices fighting in the ring, they will feel a subtle border where they have the moral right to apply their fighting skills and where it is forbidden.

Martial art teaches avoiding unnecessary aggression. However, when it is inevitable, it teaches you to give your best in fighting. Sometimes, a child doesn’t feel that they are right to hit their offender, or hit them strong enough. Proper combat mentoring explains where you need to be patient and humble, and where you need to show readiness to be militant like a lion.

But, what if you don’t see the ability to teach a proper philosophy in a particular coach? What if their students treat themselves aggressively towards those who are weaker during the workout session? Then, you should probably search for another coach.

Every parent that wishes their boy or girl to become braver and more confident, should find a good master of the art of combat. If your child is going to take their training seriously, soon you will see other people in them: more mindful and more fit for life. If you will not spare money now for their development, it will return to you in their lack of physical and mental health, successful future, and gratitude for showing them the way.

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How Martial Arts Training Boosts Confidence

Martial arts is essentially the study of self-defense. There are a number of different disciplines to choose from when you decide to study it. Some of the most popular options include karate, jujitsu, and taekwondo.

Many people worry about putting their children into martial arts, fearing it will be dangerous or encourage fighting. However, the truth is that karate can actually build children up and give them the confidence they need to take on the world as children and when they get older. Here are some ways that martial arts can help build confidence in children.

1. You Feel Confident You Can Succeed

When a child studies self-defense, there are levels to the training. A child will start at a certain level and continue to grow as they hone their skill. The level of the students is usually measured by belts. A white belt is generally a beginner and black belt represents a master. This gives the student a quantitative method to measure their success. Moving from one level to the next gives them something to aspire and work to. When they achieve their goal, it gives them a sense of accomplishment.

Even if a child fails the first time the attempt to reach a certain level, it will give them the chance to learn about perseverance and dealing with failure. As they continue to practice and see how it helps them improve, they will be able to use those same skills when they experience failure later in life.

2. You Feel Confident To Defend Yourself

Learning karate or, any disciple for that matter teach the students how to defend themselves in the case of an attack. Most attackers will not expect their victim to be trained, giving the student an immediate advantage. They can use their studies to stop people or injure an attacker if necessary.

This gives a child confidence to confront other people who hurt them or others. We all experience confrontation in our lives. Some people back away out of fear. Self-defense lessons give people the strength to stand up for themselves and not become a doormat. This will become important in the professional world or when someone needs to protect their family. It also gives them the strength to venture out into the scary world on their own, knowing they can defend themselves when something happens.

3. You Feel Confident Socializing With Others

Part of learning self-defense includes talking to other children and the teachers as well. Classes are a very rare individual. This means kids will need to learn to socialize in an athletic setting with other children. They may have to learn how to take turns and deal with difficult playmates. These are lessons that will follow with them in the workforce and other social situations. For people who are shy, they will be put into a situation where they have to socialize with others. they might even make friends. They will also have to learn how to fight these children in a respectful and productive way.

Part of self-defense is respect. It teaches children to be confident enough in themselves to be respectful to other people. This means not hurting people who can’t defend themselves and fighting fair. This is the second level of social education that will allow them to become a leader. Leaders know when to use their full force and when to allow a weaker person to regain composure and fight fair.

4. You Feel Confident in Your Body

There is a lot of pressure today to look great. Every boy and girl wants to have an attractive body. Studying self-defense is a lot of hard work. You need to work out multiple times a week if not every day. This shows a lot of discipline. This will come across in the student’s body.

Self-defense training requires people to build muscle while also maintaining the ability to move quickly in any direction. The more you study, the more difficult the training gets. Even if the goal is not to improve the body, it will happen anyway. For this reason, people who study self-defense will be more pleased with themselves when they look into the mirror.

Self-esteem is a very important thing to instill in a child as they grow into an adult. The world can be tough, and you need to be able to have the internal strength to handle the things that come your way. It’s never too early to start teaching these lessons. To do this, studying self-defense has been proven to be extremely effective. Whether you are afraid of the danger of fighting or not, you can’t deny the benefits. It’s a good idea to sign your child up as soon as possible and watch your child flourish.

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How Martial Arts Can Help Reduce Bullying

Bullying is becoming an increasingly prevalent problem among children and teens. When children are bullied, it can affect both their physical and mental wellbeing. They may become more withdrawn, anxious and depressed. These children may have more headaches and may have a harder time adjusting to school. Some may be physically harmed or commit suicide. People who are bullies may have a higher risk of substance abuse and violent behavior later in life. For some children, they have both been bullied and bullied others. These children are at a greater risk for all these problems.

These are serious issues that need addressing on many different fronts. While there is no one cure-all solution to this problem, we are not powerless to stop it. One simple option to help reduce bullying is through martial arts.

Both a child who is a bully and a child who is being bullied can benefit from being enrolled in a martial arts program. Here are several ways that learning a martial art can help both these types of children.

Confidence

Being bullied often wears down a child’s self-esteem. They may feel lonely, scared and anxious. Going to school may become increasingly difficult. One of the best ways to combat this issue is to help your child build confidence. A child who appears confident is more likely to discourage bullies than one who appears shy and withdrawn. Through learning a martial art form, children will become more confident in their abilities, in their strengths and in who they are. This will make them less of a target for bullies.

Discipline

Martial art forms teach children discipline. This is important for both the bullied child and the bully. It helps children to control their impulses because they have to work hard and stay focused to do well in a martial art. This trait can help reduce negative behavior. For a child who may be bullied, having self-discipline helps him feel like he is in control of the situation.

Respect

Martial art instructors are great at teaching respect for others. This is evident in one of the first things children will learn — the bow. Instructors teach and model respectful ways to address one another and keep impulses under control. Children who bully others often do not have a sense of respect for their peers. When a child is bullied, their sense of self-worth drops, and they may no longer have much respect for themselves. When a child truly grasps respect, she will understand the inherent worth that each human being possesses. The more the sense of respect, the fewer instances of bully behavior. For the bullied child, respect helps him stand up for himself because he knows he has worth.

Body Language

Body language goes a long way in standing up to a bully. When a child feels threatened, she can use her martial art training to communicate through words and body language that the exchange should not go any further. She will be able to instinctively draw upon the stances used in her martial art training to stand her ground, breathe calmly and maintain eye contact. This body language will communicate that she has confidence, deterring bullies

Self-Defense

Ideally, the situation would not escalate past the need for assertive body language. However, if it does, martial art training will help your child know what he needs to do to defend himself. Your child will feel safer and more confident knowing that he has already learned the proper techniques in a safe place. His body simply needs to recall them until he has the opportunity to get away.

In martial arts, it is important to note that your child will not be learning how to pick a fight. She will learn how to defuse the situation before it escalates, and she will learn how to use proper self-defense techniques if it does.

Education

While many of these positive traits and behaviors will be inherently learned through martial art training, many martial art programs activity teach about how to handle being bullied. This is increasingly important in today’s youth culture where this issue is becoming more prevalent. Children will actively learn what to do if they are being bullied, how to defuse situations, and when it is and is not appropriate to fight. This kind of training is an invaluable resource for your child.

Martial art training is all about dignity, respect, and confidence. These qualities are vital in teaching children to stand up against bullies, as well as teaching them not to bully others. They will have the confidence to stand up for themselves, with a greater sense of self-worth that will not be easily broken down. Through training, dedication and hard work, they will be able to better defuse situations and know when the right time to use appropriate self-defense is. While it may not eradicate the problem, learning a martial art is a positive step towards reducing bully-related problems among today’s youth.

Confidence and Martial Arts

Introduction 

As a parent, you want your child to grow into a responsible adult. To do that, they have to learn a few things about life when they are still young. One of the most crucial things that a child should learn from a young age is self-confidence. Self-esteem is very important as the child grows since it allows them to go after the things that they want in life without fear. However, this is one trait that you get to develop through experiences. 

Martial arts is one activity that can be used to give the child such an experience. When most parents hear about self-defense classes, they imagine that it will make their child violent. However, that’s a myth. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Children that learn self-defense know how to control themselves. They are very peaceful. 

Allowing your child to take self-defense classes can help them to boost their self-confidence. If you never had a chance to grow up confidently, you probably suffered as a result of unfortunate circumstances. I can still recall the times I had to learn how to deal with bullies at school. It was a hell of an experience because I didn’t have the confidence to stand up for myself. 

If you want to give your children a boost in confidence, you certainly need to consider enrolling them for self-defense classes. Here are some of the ways in which those classes boost the child’s self-esteem: 

1. It teaches them that they can Conquer Anything despite their Size 

Martial arts classes are essential since they teach both physical and mental strength. Although it may seem like a male-dominated sport, they’re also girls that take part in it and even outsmart and beat the boys in competitions. In most cases, boys are built with more muscles and endurance than girls. However, self-defense classes get rid of such differences and stereotypes. It proves that size isn’t a factor that gives you an advantage over your opponent. There’s a particular form of self-defense class that’s referred to as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that teaches you how to apply focus techniques on weak areas. This is a wonderful way of exposing your opponent regardless of their body size. Therefore, not only will your kids be confident enough, but they’ll also learn the art of self-defense when the need arises. 

2. It Allows your Child to Stand up for Themselves 

Every day as you send your kids to school, I’m pretty sure that you’ve wondered whether they get bullied or not. Unfortunately, bullying is a rising problem in several elementary and primary schools today. This can occur anywhere be it in a public or private school. Therefore, ensuring that your child learns self-defense techniques will give them an advantage over their bullies – that is, if there are any in the first place. Despite the fact you’d always want to be there for them, it’s impossible to be with them all the time. In such instances, the best you can do is equip them with the right skills and knowledge. 

3. It teaches the Child Self-Discipline 

When learning self-defense, you are required to throw some kicks and punches at an opponent. Interestingly, your child will also be training with another child, and they may form bonds along the way. As a result, it’s highly unlikely that those two will ever fight in real life since they share the same self-defense values. The truth of the matter is that learning to be a guru at the practice requires a high level of discipline. This is because you can only execute moves based on instructions. This means that your child will learn to respect instructors regardless of their size, age, and appearance. This discipline will be carried further on in school as well as at home. Moreover, these classes will teach your child to only act when there is a need to do so. 

4. Progress is Better than Perfection 

Self-defense is a progress-based practice that requires patience and determination. At one point in time, your kids will start to set personal goals, and they’ll try pushing themselves towards achieving them. Well, as much as they may get frustrated for not accomplishing some of those goals, they will start to learn that sometimes it’s good to take things slow so as to make sure that you understand certain things. This is the same concept that’s applied by every martial arts learner. The instructors teach on the importance of progress over perfection. Everyone has a different learning curve. It might take some children a shorter time than others to learn a certain move. The instructor rarely criticizes the slow learner. He or she will guide them every step of the way until they master the move. 

5. Embrace Failure 

Self-defense classes require the endurance of the body and mind. It basically toughens you up over time. Even so, starting out might not be very easy since your body may give up on you. However, that shouldn’t discourage you. Get up and move on until you make progress in those karate classes. Interestingly, kids have more energy than you so they are less likely to quit. Apart from keeping them busy, self-defense classes teach your kids how to embrace failure. It allows them to know that success comes as a result of many failed attempts. As a result, your kids won’t give up at the first sign of failure as adults. 

Conclusion

Letting your kids take self-defense classes can go a long way in making them feel confident and good about themselves. Furthermore, it’s important to make sure that they don’t grow up living a withdrawn life out of fear and self-doubt.

The Road to Confidence Leads to the Martial Arts

When I think about having confidence when I am feeling particularly without it, I am reminded of the scene in The Sound of Music when Maria is heading for the Von Trapp Estate for the first time. Swinging that clearly empty guitar case, she is singing Richard Rogers’ lyric, “I’ll make them see I have confidence in me!” Sometimes, having a little talk with oneself is enough to get the job done. Sometimes, it is not. So, how can one overcome that sense of inferiority that erodes self-empowerment so easily? For many, the answer is found in the martial arts. 

Life Challenges Don’t Wait for Us to Get Strong

Moms and dads certainly want their kids to be able to face the challenges that come along in life, which can be at any age, with a sense of self-assuredness and strength to avoid the consequences. Many times, we are not there when our kids are getting knocked down by the confrontation that leaves them feeling inferior. The natural tendency is for our kids to shrink from the experience and simply want to disappear, especially if the confrontation is that which comes from a bully. The bully counts on his or her victims to recoil as their only power comes from picking on those kids who feel helpless in their presence. Studies have shown that the effects of being bullied may cause long-term social anxiety disorder. 

However, it needn’t be just the bullies in life that we need to be careful of. Anytime a child feels inferior in the presence of others who seem stronger or more capable, there may be the chance that the child will feel inferior until he or she learns how to present themselves better, whether that is walking or talking or simple body movements. As we grow up, we may be faced with not feeling either masculine or feminine enough in the presence of others who might outshine us in these ways. As he gets older, a young man may not convey the sense that he is able to protect his family, something that women find attractive. 

Mastering the Body is Mastering the Mind

All these scenarios and others present a challenge to one’s self-esteem in the big wide world. The thing about Far Eastern combat technique is that you don’t need to try to find the solutions to every single possible scenario that might present itself in order to build a powerful sense of self. 

Building self-confidence could be from any one of these training regimens: 

• Judo
• Karate
• Wrestling
• Aikido
• Jujitsu
• Kendo
• Kickboxing
• Kung Fu
• Sumo Wrestling
• T’ai Chi
• Tae Kwon Do

Finding the right method of practice for you or your kids is a lot like finding the right pair of shoes; it helps if you know what you want so you can shop around until you find the one that is comfortable for you and that you like. 

Far Eastern Disciplines Ease the Troubled Mind

Another film analogy I recall when thinking about how practicing martial arts settles the mind is from The Last Samurai when Tom Cruise’s character is not doing well during a sparring session. A young man cautions him that he has “too many mind.” Without the self-restraint to be able to focus on the task at hand, we can become easily distracted from paying attention to too many things at once. It leaves us completely ineffectual, no matter what it is we are trying to achieve. When we become anxious, we tend to lose our self-esteem, and this can lead us to stop believing in our own abilities. Weakness leads to avoidance, and avoidance keeps us from facing our fears head-on, which is the only way to overcome that sense of inadequacy. 

The self-control that comes from combat training is all encompassing because you are learning how to master your body in the face of all manner of challenges, and mastering the body comes from learning how to master the mind. People often confuse this education as meaning a fight must always ensure for the student to demonstrate the skill of self-confidence. The martial artist has learned a way out of these situations, even if he or she never has to use their fighting skills to do it. 

With Self-Control Comes Fluidity in Motion

An improvement in self-confidence can occur on the very first day of training since kids are shown they can do things that they have never done before. They are taught to believe in themselves, especially when attempting new techniques. Gaining the ability to more confidently move their own bodies helps take the clumsiness out of merely walking. When their focus is concentrated on how their bodies move, even the kids who are famous for bumping into things become more attentive and focused on both their own bodies and their environment. 

Too often, what happens in a stressful moment is that kids will hold their breath. Even if for a few seconds, this is enough to cause tension in the body. Breathing through the panic is a way to develop the muscle memory to breathe through it making it possible to unlearn this automatic stress response. This can be applied in such situations as taking a test, participating in sports, speaking before others, just to name a few. Surprisingly, remaining calm and breathing through the fear allows one to do the right thing naturally. In essence, it puts the mind in the right place to receive the stimuli. 

In addition to using these disciplines to make new friends, avoid bullies and avoid conflict without resorting to violence, other gains to learning the combat arts are: 

• Courtesy
• Respect
• Discipline
• Paying attention
• Following directions

Training engages the mind, but it also works in the areas of the physical, mental and emotional planes of expression. These workouts benefit both male and female tremendously. The ability to go forward with a balance of these aspects of being has unending advantages for kids who are seeking to vanquish their timidity or shyness and to fully engage in a broader sense of relating to their immediate world. Their sphere of influence is enlarged and their sense of accomplishment soars when all cylinders are firing.

Martial Arts and Self-discipline in Children

When most parents think about enrolling their child in martial-arts classes, they think about the fun their child will have, and perhaps the benefits of their child learning self-defense. So it may surprise you to know that at most martial arts studios, self-defense and fighting are not the main focus. Instead, they are seen as tools used to master self-discipline and build confidence. Children who participate in martial-arts long-term often improve their grades and behavior at school, become better planners and learn to set goals and create a roadmap for meeting those goals in a timely manner. They become more confident, not just in their ability to defend themselves from bullies, but in their ability to achieve any goal they set for themselves. 

So, how does martial-arts develop discipline? 

-Rather than competing solely against other kids or teams, kids are encouraged to compete against their own past performance. This allows them to progress without feeling pressure to win from their peers (or parents!) and to set their own goals and timelines, rather than having outside team goals imposed on them. The freedom and responsibility that comes with having those unique and individual goals, requires students to develop self-discipline in order to achieve them. 

-Discipline during class is strictly enforced, and when students act up they are typically given pushups or a certain number of laps around the room. In addition, traditional courtesies are usually observed in the classroom, as well as at tournaments. Students are expected to perform traditional bows and show respect for their teacher, as well as other students. In order to meet these high expectations, students must learn to pay attention to what’s going on around them, to observe rules carefully, and to accept consequences and learn from their mistakes, so that they are not repeated. 

-Though it is not the main tool, the physical aspect of the training also teaches discipline. Students are taught to exercise the utmost control while performing techniques, to the extent that an experienced martial artist can throw a punch or kick at full speed and force, and yet stop the movement within an inch of their target. Forms, often known as katas, are a series of high-precision movements, which often require weeks or even months of rigorous daily practice to master. Students who develop the self-discipline to advance in their chosen art will have to learn how to schedule their own practice most days of the week, and how to critique themselves when they perform a move incorrectly. 

-Kids with ADD or ADHD may benefit even more than other kids, as martial arts training uses energy and can help ADD/ADHD kids focus more at home and in school. There is substantial anecdotal evidence that many kids with ADD or ADHD have seen markedly improved grades and behavior reports from teachers, and many ADD/ADHD groups advocate for enrolling ADD and ADHD children in martial arts classes. 

-Martial Arts a lifetime activity, meant for all ages to practice. Many parents find it beneficial to join their children in the class and learn together as a family. This allows for more bonding time between a parent and child, as well as providing shared interests and goals. Many studies have shown that parents who spend more time with their children while engaged in activities together have a stronger bond, and better ability to instill discipline at home (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4128411/). 

How does martial-arts develop confidence? 

-There is almost nothing as effective for building confidence as breaking a board with your bare hands. Breaking a board is something that often seems nearly impossible at first. But after only a few weeks of study, most students have learned enough technique to break a 1-inch thick board with a single kick, and most reputable studios require a board break at every belt test. One of the things that students are taught is that every technique they learn should be able to break at least one board, and more advanced students often break two or more boards at a time. Knowing that they are capable of such controlled destruction of an item that seemed indestructible at first, gives students a feeling of immense self-confidence, and of mastery over their own body. 

-Students are given clear milestones to work towards, and the harder they work, the faster they will progress towards those milestones. Accomplishments such as promotions and awards are given to those who achieve a milestone, and they are awarded in front of the class and parents. This shows the student that they and their hard work are recognized and valued, without giving “participation trophies” for minimal work or achievements. Only true work and progress is rewarded, but they are rewarded richly. The knowledge that they have accomplished something that is valued by their peers and mentors is sure to give a child a sense of self-confidence and high self-esteem. 

In summary, children who participate in martial-arts are likely to see many benefits, beyond just physical fitness and self-defense, and it may even be great for parents to participate as well!