Some children are born with more energetic dispositions, and they tend to focus better while engaged in physical activity. Sitting at a desk all day can make concentrating difficult for many people. In this article, Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts explains the benefits of martial arts training for children who have trouble focusing in the classroom.
Developing Self-Discipline
Be it in the classroom, sports, business, or developing artistic talent, self-discipline is central to success. Self-discipline can be defined as the ability to harness motivation towards making successive progress in pursuit of an ultimate goal. It’s the ability to be persistent in attempting to achieve one’s goals. Or as we define it at Tiger Schulmann Martial Arts – self-discipline is nothing more than a non-quitting spirit.
Self-discipline is essential to progress in martial arts because it seamlessly connects learning and doing. Even before they understand what martial arts are all about, children are attracted to the idea of mastering whatever activity they set in front of themselves.
Motivated by this attraction, young students are provided opportunities to experience small successive victories that further heighten their desire to become good at something. If they stumble into a roadblock or an unexpected difficulty, rather than get frustrated, we teach them to harness their non-quitting spirit – to remain persistent in practicing their techniques, to learn from their mistakes, and to strive until they achieve their desired results. Everything is obtainable if you’re willing to work for it!
We teach our students that, with self-discipline, everything is within their grasp. That’s because, at it’s heart, self-discipline is a philosophy of never giving up. And never giving up means never losing: If they keep striving to improve themselves, they can always be a winner.
Learning to Focus in a Physically Active Environment
One of the most respected pioneers in childhood education, Maria Montessori, believed that “the mind cannot be educated without using the body,” She also maintained that learning is the integration of thinking and moving. The integration of thinking and moving allows children to learn more effectively. This connection between activity and thought is one reason that karate is beneficial in helping children develop self-discipline and the ability to focus on the task at hand.
A child that has learned to focus their minds on controlling their body can apply that same self-discipline in the classroom. Once your son or daughter learns how to control what they concentrate on, classroom work becomes well within their ability.
Martial arts require students to memorize a series of moves in a prescribed sequence. By adapting what they have learned in karate, children can rely on their developing self-discipline skills to recall learned material during tests at school.
Understanding Commitment
Commitment is the willingness to make a promise and then keep it. The importance of committing to continuous improvement is an essential part of what children learn when pursuing achievement in martial arts. Young, undisciplined children tend to give more weight to what they want at the moment and less weight to what they have said they will do. Martial arts students are taught that once a commitment has been made, they have an obligation to do all they can to keep that promise.
Understanding how to make and keep commitments will help young students be successful in school, even for subjects they may not find interesting.
About Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts
Established in 1984 by Daniel “Tiger” Schulmann, Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts is the largest martial arts school in the US. With more than 45 locations in the United States, TSMA has helped thousands of men, women, and children reach their full potential while meeting a variety of personal goals. With skill levels ranging from complete beginner to professional competitors, Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts teaches the most effective self-defense techniques — a combination of boxing, muay thai, wrestling and jiu-jitsu. But TSMA teaches more than self-defense. Every one of Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts Schools strives to provide an alternative form of physical fitness while instilling life lessons and personal development.
