Since time began, there have been warriors in a community. It’s among the oldest social classes, and their purpose has been meaningful, and necessary. That’s because for as long as there have been people, there have been bad people, people who want to cruelly abuse others and force them to do what they want. And so there have been men who have stood in the breach to protect their community.
And in that time men created the martial arts, the warrior arts in order to develop more effective and efficient means of defending themselves and their communities. They have always been needed in some capacity.
But there has also been another facet of these people that has been valued, and that is their capacity for ambition and adventure, their capacity for challenge and struggle. And these things translate to our world, and our struggles quite readily, because everyone struggles against something. Maybe it’s a fear, maybe its weight loss, maybe it’s any number of other things.
But we all struggle against something, and we continue to do so as we grow older and mature and enter the wider world out there as adults.
And so we too need some system, some kind of aid that helps us develop the characteristics we need to overcome those struggles. And that’s where the martial arts come in.
There are over 180 different martial arts systems in the world, which means virtually every country or region has developed a fighting system that suited their needs.
From boxing to Judo, to Angampora to Savat. There are a multitude of fighting systems which are meant to design and create warriors, to strengthen them and hone their skills and provide a foundation upon which to further sharpen the characteristics which make them fighters.
And that is no less applicable today than it was a hundred or a thousand years ago.
And if you desire to see your kids grown and made into strong, resilient and resourceful young people and adults, who are fully capable of dealing with challenges and emerging stronger, and more powerful, then you will not find a better means of accomplishing that than the martial arts.
The martial arts will build the characteristics of a warrior into your kid. They will teach them to respect and be respected, to base their self image on their deeds, accomplishments, and successes, and not base it’s value on what others think of them. It will teach them to challenge themselves and develop the skills and traits to overcome those challenges. It will teach them the value of self discipline, critical thinking, and tranquility in the face of adversity. It will teach them how to plan, set a goal, develop and utilize the tools they need to win, and to ambitiously engage themselves in adversity. It will teach them that success breeds confidence and that they can achieve all the goals they set for themselves if they truly commit themselves to doing what is necessary to become something bigger and better than they were.
There are no participation trophies in martial arts, there are only trophies for those who struggle and overcome their challenges and win against their fears, doubts, and all opponents to their success.
There is no timidity in the martial arts, there is a desire to win, achieve, and succeed.
But most importantly the martial arts teaches children that they are a part of a community. And that they should be mindful of themselves and others, and that they should effectively use their powers for good, not evil. The martial arts is about self defense, and defense of our communities. It is about helping others as they have helped us, and treating others as we wish them to treat us.
The martial arts helps kids develop and control and direct their true potential in a productive way that helps preserve and build and create community, and protects them from those who would wish to tear it down.
We all want our kids to be safe, and protected from dangers ever present out there. But we also know we can’t always be with them, and there will be times they will have to rely upon themselves and the things we provided for them, and the things we’ve taught them.
So we owe it to them to teach them, and provide for their teaching, provide for their welfare and well being and safety by giving them the greatest chance they have at developing the characteristics and skills they need to survive, and thrive in the world that they will one day inherit themselves.
So help them help themselves, and give them a gift that is truly invaluable.
Give them the gift of freedom and autonomy, and the wisdom and mind to protect it.
The martial arts is specifically designed to create warriors, and to uncover within them the mindfulness of right and wrong, the wisdom to use their skills for the good of their community and to create a stronger, brighter, and more secure future for themselves and those they interact with and live with.
Our children deserve the very best that we can give them.
So give them the opportunity to train and grow in the martial arts.
It deserves to be said once again, that we will not always be around to protect them. So the least we can do is to help them learn to protect themselves, and feel safe.
Article reposted with permission from Go2Karate.com.