Martial Arts Teaches Kids Good Lessons- How to Choose the Right School

Kids kick and punch paddles or “Bob,” the mannequin made to look like a man from the chest up. Children scream, (called a Kiap in Tae Kwon Do) when they kick, punch, block or do other moves.

At first glance martial arts may not look like it teaches children respect, honesty, to help each other, and to always stand by the weak, but these are the Philosophies of Tae Kwon Do. Tae Know Do is an ancient Korean form of martial arts that means the art of hand and foot fighting, but has many kicks. And all martial arts will have some kind of philosophy that the school follows similar to the ones I have mentioned.

Tae Kwon Do as well as other martial arts not only has philosophies that children have to learn when they reach a certain belt level, teaching all kinds of important life lessons. Students also learn the Tenets of Tae kwon do, Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control, Indomitable Spirit, and all of the schools rules including bowing and saying sir and ma’am to Black Belts, knocking first and bowing before entering the office, always conduct yourself outside the Do Jang (training hall) as a respectable gentlemen or lady, these rules are from the Powell Tae Kwon Do Hand Book, but are pretty basic through out martial arts. In the Powell school students who are in school must show their report cards before they can test for the next belt level.

According to Master Chong Woong Kim, PH.D in an article published in The Tae Kwon Do Times, “What can Tae Know Do Teach our Children,” he says, “Tae Kwon Do provides an element of personality development sadly lacking in the lives of some children; a structured environment in which to practice and grow as a martial artist and human being.” Children will learn many of life’s important lessons in a good martial arts school. The rules in martial arts improve the student as a person as well as a martial artist which is great for a growing mind and body.

You may still be wondering how a sport that puts pads on kicks, punches and blocks each other can be the right thing to help a child learn respect or how to conduct themselves in the right manner, but it does, the rules within the sport and having great instructors who teach kids to be good human beings are pretty easy to see.

Master Kim says, “Superior teachers possess the ability to enter totally into the spirit of their art or discipline, great courage, and originality in its expression, and the ability to communicate not only their technical knowledge and expertise, but an enthusiasm and love for their art to the student.”

Here are some ways you can tell if a school is teaching the right lessons to kids.

Research the School First:

Make a quick call and check how long they have been in business. According to PR Log Press Release, 75% of all martial arts schools will shut down within the first two-years. What kind of qualifications do the instructors have? What price are the classes and don’t forget to find out the cost of the belt tests too. Is the school associated with a national or international organization? Are they stressing the things that are important to you? Some schools stress sparring or fighting in tournaments, or other areas. Make sure your goals match up with those of the school. After checking out a few schools you will see the differences. You will also want to consider what type of martial art you would prefer your child to learn. Two popular martial arts are Tae Kwon Do and Karate.

Drop into the school:

Check the class schedule online or drop by the office to make an initial observation of the school. Ask the instructor for a list of class times or check them out if they are posted so that you can drop by and see how the instructors teach the class you would sign your child up for. Talking to the instructor or a school representative will initially give you some feeling as to whether you want your child around these people. At some point after first checking out the school bring your child along and see how they feel about the school and teachers.

Watch a Class:

Dropping in unannounced and watching a class will tell you a lot. How does the instructor speak to the kids? Do the kids seem to be learning, being respectful, and maybe most importantly are they having a good time? Do they address the instructors as ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am?’ You will learn a lot from just watching the class and speaking to the instructor at some point. What does your gut feeling tell you about the person and school? Usually, you should follow your instinct.

Take Recommendations from other parents:

If you know a child in martial arts who is generally-behaved and a good kid, and you think that their parents make good decisions for that child, then you can take a martial arts school recommendation from them. Often times that is the best way to find anything because it comes from someone you trust and they can give you more information on what the schools philosophy or rules are and you can figure out before you go any further if the schools goals meet your own.

Ask to look at the Student Handbook:

Does the student handbook stress the Philosophy of the marital arts? What are the school rules? Do they seem like they would be good for your child? Does it seem like the school would be a good fit for your child?

Have your Child Try Out The School First:

Many times martial arts schools will have an introductorary lesson for free. If they don’t advertise that ask if your child would be able to try one lesson and see if they enjoy it. It never hurts to ask.

Martial Arts teach lessons that are evident in the philosophies they put in their hand books and practice in their schools. By earning new belts your child will gain confidence, goal-setting and valuable life lessons while becoming a stronger and more considerate person, both emotionally and physically. Earning the different level of belts promotes a tremendous sense of self achievement and confidence.