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