For many parents, the start of a new school year also means finding extracurricular activities to keep the kids active. While some children may have a clear idea of what activity they would like, others may need some guidance. With so many options, what should you choose? Here are three reasons martial arts like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or kickboxing would be a great activity for your child.
#1 Build Confidence
Martial Arts, like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), help children develop self-confidence through skill mastery and critical thinking.
Skill mastery: When a child is presented with a new technique and they practice and master the movement, it builds confidence in their own capabilities.
Critical thinking: Sparring presents situations that require children to problem-solve in real time and use their new skills.
This magic combination of skill building and problem-solving leads to a boost in self-confidence that will spill over to all areas of life.
#2 Develop Self-Discipline
Self-discipline is a by-product of executive functioning skills—in particular, attention and self-control. Several studies have found that martial arts improve executive functioning skills, improving self-discipline and academic performance.
#3 Make new Friends
Having a solid network of friends is critical to children's social development. Martial arts classes give children the opportunity to meet other kids through a shared new interest. In class, kids are paired together to work one on one. They hold pads for each other in kickboxing class and drill techniques in BJJ. Between this one-on-one teamwork and frequent classes (2–3 times a week), we see favourite training partners become friends all the time.