Parents bring students to Taekwondo classes for various reasons. Some are looking for discipline. Others for exercise. Then there are reasons like improving coordination, getting over shyness, self-defense, and several others. We work with the students on all of these needs and thankfully we see good results every day.
So often I’ll get a child who’s very uncoordinated. That child gets worked with every class on his or her ability to move more gracefully. The results, after a few months, are very amazing.
They’ve learned how to do a “form”, which is a series of choreographed movements, and some kicks associated with their current belt level. They’ve also learned some self-defense moves which also take a degree of coordination. There are parents who see these results and then want their kids involved in the more “popular” sports. That’s great! Learning how to swing a ball bat, or to kick a soccer ball, or to swim laps are all very good for the kids. But let’s remember how they got there. It was their Taekwondo training!
The problem is that there are many activities for kids to become involved in today. So many, in fact, that valuable time is taken up by several of them. Remember, with martial arts, they’re not only learning the movement part of their training, but there is the life-skills part also. Modesty, courtesy, integrity, self-control, and indomitable spirit are just some of the thinge they learn.
Let’s not forget to watch the nightly news. The stories they feature give us one of the MOST important reasons for having our children well-trained in martial arts. The need to defend themselves. There is nothing, NOTHING more important than their safety.
With that in mind, go ahead and enjoy the ballgames, swim meets, soccer games, tennis matches, volleyball matches, football games, basketball games, etc. But, lets remember that Taekwondo is the ultimate sport. It was around for over 2,000 years before any of those other sports were even invented. Make those activities in addition to, not in place of martial arts training.
Your child will enjoy the winning feeling he or she will get with all of those other sports, but there’s no greater feeling than having a blackbelt tied around your waste.
