Thursday, August 28, 2014

Why Karate?


My daughter started karate when she was 7 years old. Many people asked, why karate? Why not dance or gymnastics? My response... well, why not karate? There are so many reasons why children and adults can benefit from martial arts.

In the first year my daughter started classes I saw her confidence grow as well as her coordination and flexibility. I saw her grow into a leader and set goals for herself. Let me tell you, there is something so great about watching a 7 year old write down a list of goals. That alone, was enough to sell me.

Over the last 18 years, I’ve seen first-hand how much children can benefit from karate. It encourages children to set goals, and have the perseverance to never quit before they are achieved. It helps children focus and practice self-control. It teaches children the importance of being honest, having integrity, and what it means to be a leader. In addition, with each new belt they earn, kata they master, or karate weapon they practice, you can see their confidence growing too. These are skills I wanted my daughter to learn at a young age. Not to mention, the value I placed on knowing she could defend herself if she ever needed to.

As an adult, karate is helpful in the same ways. These skills can serve as useful reminders in our daily lives. Perseverance to keep working on that home improvement project or important presentation at work. Self-control to know when to hold our tongue.  Confidence in ourselves when we’re discouraged or feeling inadequate. In addition, karate keeps us active; it helps keep your memory sharp and your muscles flexible. Karate is beneficial in these ways and so many more.

So, whenever I’m asked, why karate? My response is always why not!