Martial Arts lessons provides fun, exercise, discipline, self-respect, respect for others, self-control, and physical skills individuals of all ages can use their entire live.  The capacity of the Martial Arts to promote physical and mental health is widely appreciated and documented.  Some positive changes will be noticed immediately.  Other changes will develop over time.

Martial Arts lessons develop:

   Studying the Martial Arts improve general fitness including reflexes, flexibility, coordination and agility.  Exercise  strengthens the muscles, build strong bones, improves cardiovascular fitness, prevents heart disease and high blood pressure, and decrease depression.  Physical fitness decreases stress, anxiety, and hostility, while it improves sleep habits, concentration, and energy levels.

Other developments:

Cardiovascular Fitness

   Large portions of each martial art class are aerobic-type activities in which you must breathe properly, thus pushing oxygen to all parts of the body.

Muscular Strength

   Strength increases with consistent repetition of exercises and techniques.  Martial artists develop strong biceps, forearms, thighs, calves and abdominal muscles.

Quick Reflexes

   Quite a few of us have caught something just before it hits the ground and thanked our quick reflexes.  Classes present many opportunities to improve reflexes as you react to your partner’s move or to the commands of the instructor.

Flexibility

   Martial Arts classes include simple stretches and warm-ups which help keep us limber, and over a period of time, can recreate early flexibility in children, adding to their enjoyment of everyday life.

Coordination

   We learn at different rates of speed and have different learning styles.  Learning to perform one punch correctly is quite an accomplishment in the early stages.  With practice, we become quicker and more adept at moving our bodies naturally in a variety of ways.

 

Information from: Parents Guide to Martial Arts.

Author: Debra M. Fritsch and Ruth S. Hunter

Good reading for those who teach or thinking about becoming a Sensei.