Creating Confident Kids with Martial Arts

Confidence is a belief in oneself, the belief that you have the ability to meet life’s challenges and to succeed—and the willingness to act accordingly. Not everyone is born with confidence, for many it must be taught at a young age. Fortunately, Total Impact specializes in creating confident kids with martial arts!

Martial Arts is a fantastic way to teach children how to set goals and achieve them. Guiding children in how to be intentional with their words and actions, how to foster self-discipline, and most importantly how to feel confident. In this digital world where comparison is constantly at their fingertips through social media and bullying continues to be an issue in schools, confidence is a tool that can help your child navigate through the curveballs life will throw at them.

As parents, we would love to be able to shield our kids from any threat, but in reality, there will be times when they will need to stick up for themselves and others. In this blog, we will walk through the roadblocks to confidence that children face these days, then explain how martial arts can help instill the confidence all children need in order to succeed in life!

Kids and teens who are very active online can develop feelings of inferiority, low self worth, and even be cyberbullied for their looks. Social media presents a way for them to constantly compare themselves to others. And if they don’t stack up – if their like count isn’t as high as their peers, it can hurt their self-esteem. Not to mention mean comments from their peers.

In the past, television and movies may have created unrealistic expectations. These days, however, the impossible standards are set much closer to home, not by celebrities and models but by classmates and friends. With social media, kids and teens can curate their lives 24/7 and it can become unhealthy. Their social media feeds often read like highlight reels, showing only the best and most enviable moments while concealing efforts, struggles, and the merely ordinary aspects of day-to-day life. And there’s evidence that those images are causing distress for many kids. Research conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health shows that kids who spent 2 or more hours on social media in a day had a higher risk of mental health issues. Kids and teens also face bullying in school. In fact, 1 out of 5 children will be bullied at school. 41% of those bullied believe it will happen to them again.

But enough doom and gloom! Let’s talk about what you can do as a parent to help boost your kids’ self-esteem AND teach them to stand up against bullies. Our Comprehensive Children’s Martial Arts program at Total Impact can teach kids how to…

• Set and achieve goals: As your child progresses through the belt rank system, they learn about what it feels like to set a lofty goal and strive to achieve it – how to tap into their mental, physical, and emotional strengths to accomplish what they set out to do.
• Respect themselves and others: Karate classes can teach children about working together for the good of the class. When students are asked to participate in group drills and exercises, it encourages them to work with each other instead of against one another.
• Deal with stress positively: When children learn martial arts, they learn how to relax and deal with adrenaline rushes in a healthy way. For instance, kids will often be asked to perform specific exercises and drills that teach them how to breathe properly and stay calm under pressure.
• Embrace failure: They will learn that even if they fall short of their goal, it’s not the end of the world. They can try harder next time and learn from their mistakes instead of giving up when things get hard!

All of these life skills feed into your child’s confidence, self esteem, and overall well-being. Strengthen their mental, physical, and emotional strength by enrolling them in classes with Total Impact Martial Arts.

Learn why so many parents have chosen our dojo for their child’s after school program…

“Our son has been attending Total Impact Martial Arts and Fitness for a while now and we are very happy with the choice we made to sign him up. His confidence and skills both inside and outside of class have grown tremendously. The instructors are all great, which makes class more enjoyable and he loves going to karate every week!” – Caroline S.

Click here to read more 5-star reviews from Total Impact parents on Google!

Total Impact Martial Arts specializes in creating confident, strong, and healthy kids throughout Chicago including Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Palatine, Wheeling, and surrounding areas.

Sign up today and get a FREE WEEK of Kids Karate classes at our Arlington Heights dojo!

Do you have questions about our youth karate program? Call us or send an email today!