There is perhaps no better system more efficiently and well suited to teaching kids self defense than martial arts. And teaching kids how to defend themselves adequately is a necessary and important lesson. Parents can’t be everywhere, they can’t be by their child’s side every waking moment until adulthood. There aren’t always going to be teachers or other dependable adults around, or for that matter even older siblings.
There can and will be times when that child is completely on their own. And they will face adversity, and hostility. They will face threats of violence, because it’s a violent world. And as any parent can attest, kids can be very mean and cruel to one another, and older and stronger kids can and do bully younger or weaker ones. It’s simply the way the world works until they are taught otherwise in some manner that makes the lesson stick.
That’s just the facts of life.
So kids do need a means of defending themselves. And the martial arts are that means.
There’s none better.
That’s because the lessons contained within the methodology can be taught at an early age, and continue as the child evolves into adulthood. It teaches kids that regardless of their size or shape, or strength, they can efficiently defend themselves against aggressors if they learn the systems within the martial arts. The martial arts teaches them to remain calm and in control of themselves in the face of aggression. It teaches them not to panic, and teaches them to manage such encounters successfully, and navigate their way to a safe resolution.
One of the first lessons the martial arts teaches is how to block or deflect a punch or strike thrown at them. It teaches kids that they can in fact do this successfully, and they don’t just have to take it, and get hurt. The martial arts also teaches kids how to use their bodies as a weapon as well as a shield to successfully deal with a hostile aggressor. It teaches them how to throw a potent punch, or kick, or strike that can disable an opponent and prevent them from wanting to continue the fight.
Students in the martial arts start out learning a ranking or belt system of achievement. They begin as a white belt, then advance to another color belt and so on until they reach a black belt signifying that they have mastered that given art, like Karate for instance.
This itself signifies a student’s level of commitment and achievement in their skill sets. This is very important because it also signifies something else, understanding and maturity.
A student is learning how to fight, but they are also learning WHY and WHEN.
They are learning valuable and necessary conditions of thinking that accompany the fighting lessons. They are learning that they are responsible for themselves, responsible for their own safety at all times, and that they are also accountable for their actions.
Thus, kids are learning that it isn’t right for them to simply know how to fight, and use that to abuse or terrorize other kids. They are to use what they know wisely and responsibly, otherwise they are no better than the people they are trying to defend themselves from.
Kids learn that they use their fighting skills only so far as to successfully protect themselves and cause or compel the aggressor to leave off, and stop fighting.
This is a very effective method of self defense because in virtually every case, kids that are being mean to others learn a very rough lesson. It hurts, and nobody likes to be beaten up. They learn what it’s like to be on the receiving end. And when a defender leaves off, and offers peace, the kids more often than not actually open up a dialogue with one another and even in many cases become friends.
Now in cases where the threat is more than just a bully, such as when someone is really trying to hurt the child, the martial arts is very well suited to allowing that child enough time to defend themselves and get away, and find help.
The core idea here being taught is that the martial arts ensures that kids understand that they do not have to be victims. They have a right to defend themselves and live in peace. They have a right to not be hurt, victimized and terrorized. And they have the power and ability to back that up, they have the knowledge and ability to enforce that right.
And that is something every child of every walk of life or background should possess. And the martial arts can see to it that they have it.
This provides a sense of well being and welfare for kids that enables them to grow into strong, and wise young adults with an ingrained sense of maturity, and wisdom.
In short, and not to be campy, but it is no less true. The martial arts teaches kids to use their powers for good, and not evil.
And that is something that can only benefit communities as a whole in the long term.
Because those kids will grow into young adults, and they will take with them the lessons they learned as children and they will build upon those lessons with belief systems.
And we want those belief systems to be based on a sense of community, and help, and empowerment, not predatory selfishness and other negative ideas.
Simply put, martial arts help to turn good kids into good, strong, and wise adults.
Article reposted with permission from Go2Karate.com.