VISIT OUR SHOP! Wood Wrap Sword with Scabbard (Black/Gold)

Martial Arts: Helping Children Protect Themselves

Author: Robert L. Jones
Date Posted: September 14, 2006

Did you know that a child is reported abducted or missing every 40 seconds in the United States and that most potential abductors make their first contact with the children they abduct within one quarter of a mile from their homes? With the new school year approaching and children having more time to play with friends, it is now more important than ever to start (or continue) giving your children the tools they need to protect themselves.

Focus on safety: Never leave young children unattended anywhere and have older children practice a buddy system with their peers. Teach your children their full name, your name, your address and telephone number. Teach them how to dial and use 911 or your equivalent emergency number. Teach your children about strangers, to never talk to strangers and to never go near strangers.

Give your children the confidence, strength, skills and mental awareness they need to defend themselves if they ever find that they are in a shady situation with either a stranger or someone they know – enroll them in a martial arts class. It can make all the difference. Training martial arts can give your children four important safety skills that will not only help them defend themselves against a possible abduction, but will also help them in other areas of their lives. Read on to find out more:

Martial Arts Improve Mental Awareness. Training martial arts is not a mindless activity. It requires complete concentration and focus at all time during training. It’s what keeps the participants safe from injuries. This concentration will also carry over to all parts of your children’s lives to help them be more aware of themselves and their surroundings. They will be less likely to just “zone out” and be caught off guard in a potentially harmful situation. Training martial arts will help your children become more acutely aware of their abilities so they will know when they need help a situation and when the can handle it themselves. Children who are more aware of their surroundings are also less likely to fall prey to danger because they are able to detect hazardous situations before it’s too late.

Martial Arts Increase Confidence. Martial arts can help your children increase their confidence by giving them the skills and practice needed to get in tune with their minds and bodies They will begin to not only understand their actions and options, but themselves as a whole. Martial arts training also gives children the skills and abilities they need to know that they can defend themselves if the need arises and this confidence in their abilities carries over into all aspects of their lives. Confidence in themselves and their lives help them become less likely to fall prey to the convincing persuasions of potential abductors. Confident children appear to be (and are) strong individuals and are less likely to become victims of all forms of violent acts.

Martial Arts Increase Strength. Martial arts training use the entire body during each and every session. This means that when practicing martial arts, your children will be conditioning their entire bodies to become stronger and more physically fit. If they are physically fit, they increase their chances of fighting off or getting away from a potential abductor. Furthermore, regular physical exercise can help decrease the chances of obesity, diabetes and heart disease in your children.

Martial Arts Teach Self-Defense Skills. Rest assured, martial arts training doesn’t focus on combat and fighting. It does, however, teach skills that your children can use for self-defense should the need arise. The various skills taught in martial arts can give your children the knowledge they need to handle many situations and the peace of mind you need to know that your children are trained to protect themselves.

About The Author

For more information on this article or others go to Articles on Martial Arts

Robert Jones runs three successful martial arts schools located in Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Kent Washington. He has been helping families make positive changes in their lives through martial arts for over 20 years. He has also written A Guide on How to Pick a Martial Arts School

He can be reached at the Academy of Kempo Martial Arts. 800-508-6141. His schools can be found on the web at Bellevue Martial Arts and Kung Fu

Article Source: JKD Street Combat - online collection of Parenting articles.

Write an online review and share your thoughts with other readers!