Self-defense classes have been shown to increase a child’s level of discipline. Your child will be more likely to think his way through a problem before acting on impulse. Because self-defense classes not only focus on physical moves but also how to talk your way out of a bad situation, your child will be more likely to make a good choice – whether it’s in the classroom or when he’s out playing with his friends. By building this habit early in life, your child will continue to make smart decisions as he gets older.
All of us have to handle confrontation from time to time, but this can be an incredibly difficult thing for a child to do. Unfortunately, bullying is very common in schools, so you should make sure that your child is ready to deal with a bully in the correct way. A good self-defense class will teach your little one what to say to defuse an argument, or how to avoid one in the first place. He’ll also learn how to protect himself physically in case a fight can’t be avoided. If bullying is an issue for your child, you should strongly consider enrolling them.
Avoid Dangerous Situations
As much as you may want to, you can’t possibly supervise your child every second of the day. There will be times when you hand over control to a teacher, camp counselor, or a parent of your child’s friend. Even if your kid is riding his bike down the street with a friend, there could be an opportunity for something bad to happen. This is another way in which proper self-defense techniques could help. Knowing what to do when approached by a stranger or how to call for help can be a life-saving skill.
Being Aware of Surroundings
We all know that kids aren’t that concerned about something bad happening to them. They don’t naturally think to look around and wonder whether they’re heading into a dangerous scenario. With the right self-defense skills, your child will be able to better analyze his surroundings and make better choices. If your kid is spending the night at a friend’s house and his buddy tries to get him to sneak out of the house at night, he’ll be more likely to consider the dangers before making a bad decision. After all, part of self-defense is being able to avoid things that could harm you.
Doing Well in School
This benefit doesn’t apply directly to your child’s safety, but it’s a great benefit nonetheless! Typically, kids that go through self-defense training have better attention spans and are better able to concentrate. These are both traits that are needed to be successful in school. Studies have also shown that these kinds of classes are helpful for children with ADD or ADHD. If you find that your child has difficulty concentrating or paying attention in class, you may want to think about enrolling him in a local self-defense class.
You never want to think about your child getting hurt or attacked, but you should always take every precaution that you can. This includes teaching your children how to better protect themselves from danger. Doing this will keep them more safe, more disciplined, and may even make them better students!