5 Reasons your child would benefit from starting Tae Kwon Do.

1. Fitness

In today’s world, where technology is playing an increasing role in day-to-day life, parents are recognising the need for their children to also spend time doing activities that get them active and away from a screen. Current UK guidelines recommend that children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day, although the more active children are the better. Exercise for children should be of moderate intensity, which means that following exercise they should be slightly out of breath and a little sweaty, but not so out of breath that they cannot talk. Tae Kwon Do will not only improve your child’s fitness, but also their speed, strength, flexibility, co-ordination and stamina.

2. Life Skills

Through Tae Kwon Do your child can learn valuable, transferable life skills; such as patience, commitment and focus. These are developed as they begin to master new techniques and learn their grading patterns. Perseverance is rewarded through the belt grading system, which allows students to feel a sense of achievement. Belts are a tangible symbol of their progress. Children also learn how to get along with other children, to take their turn, to be a good-natured winner and a gracious loser and to respect others.

3. The individual/team element

A martial arts class can provide an exciting alternative to the more traditional sports that are taught in schools. Children that do not enjoy the competitive nature of team games may find that a martial art allows them to progress at their own pace, without feeling like they are letting the side down if they struggle with a particular aspect. At the same time, they are still part of a team in that the whole class may be working together on a particular drill or technique. The ethos of our classes is based on respect for the self and each other.

4. Confidence

The difference that martial arts can make to a child’s (or adult’s!) self-confidence is immense. We have seen numerous timid, apprehensive children develop confidence and a more resilient attitude over the course of their Tae Kwon Do training. Children who were reluctant to let go of their parent’s hand on their first lesson, or who would get tearful very easily, over time developed the confidence that enabled them to perform a pattern in front of the rest of the class or give commands in Korean to their fellow students. This confidence may then be applied to other areas of their life.

5. Safety awareness

A range of self defence techniques are taught as part of the grading syllabus in Tae Kwon Do. However, whilst children learn techniques that they could employ should they find themselves in a dangerous situation, self defence is much more than this alone. Children are encouraged to be more aware of their surroundings, to avoid taking unnecessary risks and to use violence only as a last resort.

If you think that Tae Kwon Do might be for your child, please check out our main website for details of our classes:

http://www.unitetkd.co.uk/