| "Will my child become more violent from | | | | Theatre, most children can think of far worse |
| learning karate, jujitsu, or another martial | | | | violence.All you have to do is watch the |
| art?"In a word, "No." Children learn | | | | news, cartoons, listen to the radio, or read |
| self-control by practicing martial arts; and | | | | a newspaper, to see things worse than |
| the code of conduct that is enforced, within | | | | unsupervised hand-to-hand combat. So, the |
| the studio, is carried outside into every day | | | | self-defense methods taught to children |
| life. The average martial arts school works | | | | actually pale in comparison to school |
| with parents, and academic teachers, toward | | | | shootings, bombings, wars, and drive-by |
| the goal of optimum student success.When you | | | | shootings.Karate was created by unarmed |
| see a Karate demonstration team perform, that | | | | civilians on the island of Okinawa and was |
| is not an indicator of the life skills taught | | | | taught in secret among family members for |
| within the Karate class. It is the | | | | their personal protection. The philosophy, |
| "flashiest" component of Karate training, | | | | within a martial arts school, will not always |
| presented to capture the public attention. | | | | be the same, but the seeds of violence are |
| Ten minutes of kids using ancient weapons, | | | | not sown within a martial arts setting.All |
| breaking, and working in synchronized | | | | you have to do is look around you to see |
| choreography, is more interesting to the | | | | more, and far worse, violence than learning |
| public, than a lecture, by me, about dealing | | | | self-defense - integrated with constructive |
| with bullies without violence.However, | | | | life skills. The fact is a martial artist is |
| let's take a closer look at the ten | | | | not a "street fighter." If that were a |
| minutes of flash. The next time you see a | | | | requirement, we would recruit the toughest |
| martial arts demonstration team, remember | | | | kids in North Providence.As I explain to the |
| those children have to practice those | | | | children in my Karate and Jujitsu classes, |
| techniques over and over again. This requires | | | | "Never forget the word, "artist," means to be |
| self-discipline, goal setting, perseverance, | | | | creative, to be an innovator, and to think |
| and each child being a team player.There is | | | | for yourself." Children who learn martial |
| no room for a "one way" personality on any | | | | arts are more apt to be well adjusted and |
| martial arts demonstration team. Such a | | | | defuse a potentially violent situation.On top |
| personality would work against a good public | | | | of that, most children who study Karate, or |
| performance. In a typical Karate class, all | | | | any other martial art, will not be "trouble |
| of the above-mentioned life skills are | | | | makers." The children we teach from the |
| learned and much more.Children learn much | | | | Greater Providence, Rhode Island area have |
| more about violence on the television, | | | | learned enough about leadership, in our |
| playing with video games, and dealing with | | | | Karate and Jujitsu classes, to think for |
| daily life, than they will ever learn in a | | | | themselves. For parents, the gift of martial |
| karate class. Even if a Karate teacher was | | | | arts training to their children has many |
| the classic "evil sensei," that you may have | | | | rewards, right now, and into their future. |
| seen in the Karate Kid movie or on Kung Fu | | | | |