The news this week of another tragic school shooting, this time in Ohio, begs the question yet again – what happened that a situation was allowed to escalate to this level and what signs were missed? We live in a day and age where bullying is being made illegal, where increased attention is placed on early interventions for kids demonstrating destructive or concerning behavior and in theory – this increased awareness and outlets for help should lead to a decrease in the deep alienation and despair that results in school rampages. Whether it be untreated and underlying mental illness, the challenges facing our country that lead to a sense of apathy, or parents/guardians/educators that are simply out of touch with what’s really going on with their kids – the need to provide positive, healthy and structured outlets is essential. We as a society need to do everything possible to promote the healthy mental and physical development of our kids. Period. Kids Martial Arts is increasingly sought as a foundation builder and for good reason.
School shootings are the extreme end of a spectrum. On the other end of that spectrum can be a kid that is somewhat depressed, alienated or insecure. In between are a wide range of emotional and mental challenges that can manifest in various ways. Kids Martial Arts are powerful and effective because they promote health on all levels – physical, mental and emotional.
It would be simplistic to say Kids Martial Arts is the ultimate answer to “growing” healthy kids and curing unhealthy ones. However, it is undeniable that training a martial art at the right facility with the right coaches can be an absolute game changer for certain kids.
The physical benefits are obvious. For example, at our school, the kids train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a grappling sport that promotes strong, lean muscle tone and cardio endurance. That is just the foundation. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is also mentally challenging. The sport has been referred to as a game of human chess due to it’s strategic, dynamic nature that requires equal parts physical endurance and mental creativity. Beyond that is the emotional component that comes into play. Though absolutely fun, training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu also forces students to push their limits, recognize their strenths and weaknesses and most importantly – to learn to maximize the strengths while mastering and overcoming the weaknesses. The family environment that is core to training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu provides a nurturing, positive environment within which to explore these issues. The result can be transformational if the student is actively engaged in their training with a coach that is dedicated to helping the student achieve their personal best. This has been and continues to be the case for many kids that have trained at our school.
Whether a kid is being bullied, is challenged by ADD/ADHD, or is thriving and looking to deepen their healthy foundation – Kids Martial Arts is a route that should be explored. Our school, Real World Mixed Martial Arts in Denville, NJ offers outstanding Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a Teen MMA program and a Little Ninjas program for the real youngins. We teach superior technique, safely and led by coaches that are talented athletes truly passionate about working with young people. We offer 30 Days Free Training for new students, in order to demonstrate the power of our programs. Contact Real World Mixed Martial Arts today and experience why Kids Martial Arts is an absolutely worthwhile and powerful foundation builder for our children!
