It is with great expectations that parents send their children to martial arts training. But, save a few, most martial arts training academies don’t even have programs designed for children. Their main focus would be adults and children would be a means of earning some extra income.
The type of academies mentioned above would often throw the kids in with adults and they would be treated as “miniature adults”. This won’t help the kids to clearly understand the various techniques of martial arts. An academy that knows and focuses the needs of children will be very successful. In order to get it right, you should know that teaching children differs from teaching adults. Realizing this difference can help you get it right. Let us check what those differences are:
- Cognitive Difference – It is important to understand that the attention span of a child is much shorter than that of an adult. Kids would be easily distracted by the things happening around them. For teaching children in the best way, it is advised to break the class into smaller segments and also to incorporate more and varied activities than an adult class. Also, instead of words descriptions of techniques, it is best to demonstrate them visually. If these techniques are broken down into basic steps, the better. Children should also be taught to use martial arts as a self defence option, and not as a means to confront others physically.
- Capacity for Exercise – It is not advised to train kids as you train adults, by giving them 50 rounds of push ups or sit ups. Just make them do a few like 5 or 7 and slowly increase as they grow up. They must also not be made to stretch excessively. Just a 5 minutes stretch is enough for them, or if necessary, you can extend it to 10 minutes, but not more than that.
- Sparring Sessions – When children are engaged in sparring sessions, it is important that you supervise them much closer than adults. Kids won’t have the physical and mental control as an adult. They are easily at risk to lose control of their emotions very fast, and get angry and hurt each other. While sparring, you can also make them score a few points against you, as it would build their confidence to another level.
- Motivation – A good instructor who goes down the ladder and speaks to the kids at their level is well loved and respected by the children. If you get down and do exercises with them, they will feel highly motivated and would respond to you quickly. While teaching, you must go around the class and encourage them. If they are not standing in the right stance, just correct them. They can learn from muscle memory if you physically show them the correct motion.
Always remember that children are the future of martial arts. With mini rangers training programmes, the best martial arts academy would provide comprehensive martial arts training for kids. For the best and effective benefits, practice martial arts with the academy providing martial arts training in Newtown, Sydney, Wolli Creek, Mascot and Canterbury.
Pinnacle Martial Arts in Sydney is ideal for Fitness, Discipline, Self Defence, Character & Physical Development
At Pinnacle Martial Arts in Marrickville Inner West and Chester Hill Bankstown Area South West Sydney, we have incorporated many disciplines and integrated the dynamics of Sports Taekwondo, Kung Fu, Korean Karate, Traditional Taekwondo, Hapkido, Boxing, Kick Boxing and fitness to provide the most practical and effective Martial Arts self defence techniques for kids, teens and adults.
We have adopted these disciplines to complement each other thus creating the fast, powerful, exciting and dynamic Pinnacle Martial Arts style. Pinnacle Martial Arts Taekwondo Academy designed popular programs to suit the specific ages and levels of our members.
Great News ! The NSW Government is helping kids get active with the new Active Kids Program. Parents, guardians and carers can apply for a voucher valued up to $100 per calendar year for each student enrolled in school.
The voucher may be used with Pinnacle Martial Arts In Marrickville Inner West & Chester Hill South West Sydney which is a registered activity provider for registration, participation and membership costs for sport, fitness and active recreation activities. The voucher can be used at any time during the calendar year it was issued.
You can visit our popular Pinnacle Martial Arts branch in Marrickville Inner West Sydney at:
23 Yabsley Ave, Marrickville NSW 2204
You can visit our popular Pinnacle Martial Arts branch in Chester Hill, Bankstown Area South West Sydney at:
12 Banool St, Chester Hill NSW 2162
or Contact us on 0410 686 585
Website: pinnaclemartialarts.com.au
Email: info@pinnaclemartialarts.com.au
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