Children will always be susceptible to acts of bullying, but why wait until that happens? Don’t wait until your child’s already a victim of bullies, harassment, depression or a habit of disrespect. Enrolling your child in the martial arts under individuals like Sifu Och Wing Chun has the potential to solve the problem before it begins. Creating a proactive solution to the problem that so many face. Putting your child in martial arts has the ability to increase respect and self-esteem, and improve peer relationships. Why wait until your child is a victim?
Respect and Self-esteem
Sifu Och Wing Chun kung fu and other martial arts for kids can help increase respectful talk, and respectful behavior. This can go a long way in life and with teachers in the school system, making learning and education a more enjoyable experience for all involved. But fostering a sense of respect is no easy task and takes time, effort, and lots of parental involvement. If the child is only disciplined and in a structured environment once a week, it may take years to see change; however, if the parents are continuing the effort put forth in class, results may occur in as little as a few weeks.
Respect and self-esteem are two values that often influence one another. When the child is respectful to others, he or she is more likely to respect his or her self – encouraging good self-esteem. Having good self-esteem is imperative to warding off bullies. Bullying leads to a lack of self-esteem, but a lack of self-esteem may also lead to bullying. When the child’s self-esteem is low, they begin to believe what the bullies are saying about them and start to identify with that image. Children with higher self-esteem are more likely to disregard bullies, easily believing their words to be untruthful. In the martial arts, children are taught their worth and encouraged to build themselves up. Martial arts give children goals to set and achieve and, with the right school, instructors that mentor each child to reach their full potential.
Peer Relationships
Sometimes your child may be their own bully solution. By increasing their self worth they reduce depression and anxiety. Sifu Och Wing Chun can also help with their social skills which can help them to make new friends. When children are suffering with depression and anxiety, they are at a greater risk to become a victim of bullying. Physical activity of any kind has a positive effect on depression and anxiety, when that activity meets with the structure and discipline of martial arts the effect is twofold.
But on top of benefiting the child physically and mentally, the peer relationships that they make in class encourages good social development. Often times in school, certain children have a tendency to get left out. Either by the group as a whole or ostracized from different cliques. In a martial arts class, children work with everyone in the class as well as in groups and individually. When doing partner work the partners will switch up every round. This gives each child the opportunity to meet and make new friends as well as work with different body types. Simultaneously promoting social and martial arts skill.
Choose Now-Why wait until your child is a victim?
People of all ages are susceptible to bullying, but why wait until after the fact to do something? Most adults have learned to cope and deal with bullies, but it is usually after years of being bullied themselves. Enrolling your child in a martial art does not mean that they won’t get bullied. It does, however, ensure that they are better equipped to deal with it when it happens.