Martial arts, including karate and Tae Kwon-Do, continue to grow in popularity as a sport loved by children. It’s a fantastic work-out to get kids active, and it also has multiple benefits for children’s development socially and emotionally too.
At KickFit Martial Arts, we believe that martial arts training opens up a world of opportunity for development and personal growth for students of all ages. For children, it’s a brilliant way of learning new skills and behaviours outside of the classroom in a trusted and fun environment. The majority of our students join KickFit Martial Arts as children and continue to train with us through to their teenage years, which is testament to how enjoyable martial arts training is for kids.
A study of martial arts students found that children in martial arts have an increased sense of responsibility and a higher sense of self-esteem. Martial arts classes are also often found to be a good fit for children who have autism and who think and learn differently. A study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders found that mixed martial arts training helped a group of children with diagnosed ASD with improved executive function, and enhanced behaviour and emotional regulation.
The wider benefits of martial arts training for all children are something we’re really passionate about, which is why KickFit Martial Arts partners with local schools across Berkshire and the home counties to provide child safety and development workshops programmes.
Our team of martial arts instructors currently work with 20 local primary schools across Berkshire to provide ‘Kids Safe’ workshops and anti-bullying programmes, and also deliver our ‘Conflict Avoidance’ course to four secondary schools. We also team up with schools in South-East England to support school sports week courses with challenges such as ‘Thinking like a Champion’ and healthy eating.
Here are our top five ways that joining a martial arts school can benefit children’s development:
- Improved concentration: The training programme of martial arts drills in our children’s martial arts class helps improve their focus and concentration both at home and school.
- Develop communication skills: Joining a martial arts school is great for developing social and communication skills by interacting with new people, both with the instructors and other children in the class and developing new friendships. Being part of a martial arts school can also be particularly beneficial for children who are naturally shy or find socialising difficult, as it offer the opportunity to practice martial arts as part of a group yet focus on their individual training.
- Increases focus on achieving goals: Unlike team sports, martial arts classes enables children to focus on their individual training towards achievable goals as they progress through the programme and achieve belts at their own pace.
- Teaches respect: respect is one of the key elements of all martial arts and this is a founding principle of all our training for children and adults alike.
- Acceptance: Martial arts schools are welcoming environments that accept everyone, where each child can focus on their individual goals.
KickFit is different to many other martial arts schools as our classes focus on all aspects of physical, mental and emotional health. Alongside our martial arts training, we offer children the opportunity to learn valuable life skills, including lessons in building confidence, managing finances, and staying safe online.
One of the most popular parts of a KickFit Marial Arts class is our ‘message of the week’ segment, where we look at different themes to help young people move towards the next stage of their lives with confidence and positivity.
Finally, safeguarding is a key priority for KickFit Martial Arts, as its critical children train in a safe environment. All of our professional instructors receive ongoing weekly training to provide the very best experience for every student, as well as holding a Black Belt teaching qualification, an enhanced CRB check and a First Aid qualification.
Do you want to make a difference to children’s lives? Join us!
If you’re as passionate about making a positive difference to children’s lives as we are, come and join us as a KickFit Martial Arts franchise owner. Managing a KickFit Martial Arts franchise offers our franchise owners a rewarding and fulfilling career by sharing your knowledge and expertise in martial arts to help children develop in all areas of their lives, as well as a financially rewarding business. Owning a KickFit Martial Arts franchise is an opportunity to really make a positive difference to children’s and martial arts students’ lives.