Facts About Martial Arts for Kids (Part 5)

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