While Learning The Karate Can Benefit Those Of All Age Groups, The Most Dramatic Results Are Almost Always Visible In Children. I Have Personally Witnessed Miraculous Transformations Of Children's Lives. For Example, Very Shy And Inhibited Kids Grow Up To Become Very Confident, Disciplined, Hard Working And Goal Oriented Adults. I Have Taught Children Of All Ages And Have Learned That The Younger One Begins Karate Training, The More Dramatic The Results Will Be. It Is A Misconception That One Can Be Too Young To Learn The Martial Arts, Since Basic Principles Can Be Learned At Almost Any Age. More Importantly, However, The Younger One Begins To Train, The Better The Development Of The Mental/Internal Karate Component. Confidence Development Begins During The Early Years, When A Child Begins To Develop A Sense Of Self. The More Time Invested Into Cultivating A Positive Self Image, The Greater The Chance Of Success. A Very Shy Child May Learn To Become Confident In His Ability To Tackle New Situations Both In The Dojo And In Everyday Life. Building A Child's Confidence Allows Him To Feel Better About Himself And He Will Be Armed With The Tools To Deal With Teasing, Name Calling, Bullies And Basic Challenges In Everyday Life. You, As The Parent, Will Provide Your Child With A Way To Protect Himself Against A Lot Life's Obstacles, Even When You Can't Be With Him.

Karate Builds Confidence As No Other Sport Can Because It Is Not A Team Sport. Every Child Progresses At His Own Pace, Without A Comparison To Other Children. There Is No Pressure To Perform For The "Team" Where Anything Less Than A Perfect Performance Often Can Lead To Loss Of Confidence And Diminished Self-Esteem.

The Karate Can Help With Listening Skills And Following Directions As Well. A Good Karate Program Will Have Many Drills With Many Variations. Since High Praise And Positive Reinforcement Always Follows A Correct Response To Specific Instructions, Listening Skills Are Developed. In Addition, Each Series Of Karate Moves And Responses Requires The Ability To Follow Detailed Instructions. As A Child Develops In The Dojo, He Becomes More Adept At Following Instructions And Simultaneously He Is Able To Master More Complex Material.

The Karate Can Help To Develop Focus And A Means To Channel Extra Energy In Positive Instead Of Disruptive Or Destructive Ways. Boundless Energy Can Be Wonderful If It Is Utilized Constructively. However, When A Child Does Not Appropriately Channel His Energy, He Is Usually Labeled As A Disruptive Child. Energy That Has Simply Not Been Channeled Properly Becomes Unruly Behavior. A Child With This Type Of Energy Can Really Flourish In A Karate Environment And A "Negative" Behavior Pattern Will Become Something That You And Your Child Can Take Great Pride In!

When A Parent First Expresses Interest In Our School Program, One Of The Most Common Reasons Is That The Child Doesn't Want To Do Anything But Play Video Games. Parents Claim That They Have Tried All Types Of Sports And Activities, But The Child Does Not Want Do Anything. A Good Karate Program Will Be Fun, Exciting And Provide A Lot Of Encouragement. It Should Make Children Feel Special And Provide An Environment They Want To Be Part Of. Therefore, A Karate Program Is A Great Way To Get Children Involved And Interested, Especially Those Who Can't Seem To Find The "Right" Extracurricular Activity.

BENEFITS FOR ADULTS

 

It Is Very Common In Today's World To Locate A Series Of Extracurricular Activities For Our Children. However, Karate Training Is Great For Adults As Well. As We Get Older, And Spend More Time In Front Of Our Computer Terminals, The Physical Activities That Were Once Part Of Our Daily Lives Become Virtually Absent. We Are Left With Excess Weight, Poor Muscle Tone And An Overall Sluggish Feeling. Often Individuals, Who Once Exercised Regularly, Now Find It Difficult To Climb A Flight Of Stairs. Participation In Martial Arts Activities Can Help To Resolve Some Of These Issues. You Will Lose Weight And Increase Strength And Muscle Tone.

Many Times, We Reduce Our Physical Activity As We Get Older Since We Become More Sensitive To Our Aches And Pains. We May Find That Running Or Basketball, For Example, Is Too Rigorous And Applies Too Much Strain To A Particular Body Part. However, Through Correct Karate Instruction, A Program Can Be Designed To Meet Your Specific Needs. Training Includes Stretching To Reduce Many Of Our Aches And Pains Related To Tightness And Stiffness. Karate Training Can Be Tailored To Utilize Your Body Strengths And Avoid Your Body Weaknesses. Adults Of All Shapes And Sizes Can Benefit From These Programs Which Can Be Individually Tailored To Those With Weaker Backs, Shoulders Or Knees.

In addition, the pressures of everyday life often leave us tired and sluggish. Karate can provide a great vehicle to release stress and ultimately increase your energy level. You will be doing this in a fun environment where you can meet new people who share your interests.

Finally, you can learn to defend yourself against many different attack types or attack positions. You will gain the confidence to defend against a rapist or murderer, against multiple attackers and against different weapon types. You will learn to find your inner strength and to sharpen both your Karate goals as well as your goals in everyday life.