So, you’ve decided that Martial Arts are a good activity option for your child(ren). Maybe you heard about some of the benefits of a kids martial arts program, or maybe your son just saw teenage mutant ninja turtles and has express an interest in learning “karate”.
Both scenarios are great news!
The fact is, martial arts training is a lot more than learning how to kick and punch.
Are you familiar with the marshmallow test? The marshmallow test was a psychological experiment performed by Dr. Walter Mischel in the 1960s on preschool children. It was pretty simple. They made the children an offer. You can have one marshmallow now, or, if you can wait you can have two marshmallows later. That was it. Of course some of the children decided to take the marshmallow immediately and some decided to wait. The scientists observed their behavior and made some conclusions on why and how certain kids were able to “resist” and why some weren’t.
But, that’s not the important part…
Dr. Mischel tracked those kids for the next 50 years!
He jus wrote a book about it. You can pick it up here: The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control
(It’s worth the read)
One thing became apparent.
The kids that were able to wait, that were able to show self control did better in almost every aspect of their life.
In later school years, they performed better, getting good grades and higher SAT scores.
They had better professional outcomes
They had lower BMI (body mass index). Meaning they were less likely to be obese/overweight and will likely live longer.
Now, you might be thinking, some kids are just born with better self-control than others.
Well, that might be true, but the story doesn’t end there. Dr. Mischel emphasizes that self-control is not hard-wired. It is like a any other muscle, it needs to be exercised in order to be improved and developed.
Now, ask yourself, when choosing a martial arts school, what are the questions you should be asking about the school?
Martial Arts training has a proven track record of improving the self-control and self-discipline in children. However, martial arts education needs to be done right.
Here are some examples to get your thought process going:
1. Do they use class planners? Does that plan cover the class, the entire year, or several years?
2. Do they have an objective and systematic evaluation process in order to place your child into an appropriate and age specific program?
3. Do they use age specific programs? Why is that important? Do they account for the physician intellectual, emotional and social stages of development for your child?
4. What are the credentials of the instructors? What is it about those credentials that are important to you?
5. Do they have a comprehensive curriculum to keep you child engaged through out childhood (until they goto college)
6. Do they require your child to attend at least an average of 2x per week?
If you would like more information about martial arts programs, please feel free to email us: ChangeYourLife@dragongym.com or visit the link below to return to the Dragon Gym Website.
Sincerely,
Somnath Sikdar
Master Instructor
Dragon Gym Martial Arts & Fitness
