Martial arts is not an Activity, it’s a transformational vehicle to a “Better You”
If you’re like me you want nothing but the best for your self, close friends, loved ones and family.
This is where martial arts training is truly a vehicle.
It teaches you to overcome difficulties, to believe in your abilities, to learn how to deal with failure and overcome through persistence and perseverance. Learn how to strengthen your body and mind together.
Most sports and activities you have to fit in, be naturally gifted, athletic or out going already. With martial arts you don’t because it’s all about the personal journey, there is no time limit to achieving inner confidence and physical abilities.
Yes martial arts has a sport side to it for those that wish to compete against others, “The True martial arts” is about mastering yourself. The demons we all battle on a daily basis; are we good enough? Can I do it? What if I fail? I don’t like change? And yes; as adults we self-talk our selves out of many things due to our own insecure feelings or listening to the opinions of others who are only projecting their own insecurities onto you.
Martial Arts Helps You
Martial arts helps you to start to thinking for yourself and this is especially important for children. Bullying can start from a young age and when from peers they could be told they’re too tall, thin, big, talk differently, no talent at sports, picked last in games, left out of team sports etc.
Now imagine a child that starts standing up, voices opinions of their own, is not afraid to ask for help, looks for new strong friendships doesn’t follow the crowd. The ability to say “No!” to pressure. To want to be active with a healthy exercise habit.
High standards are a good thing.
I’m proud of my childrens age specific martial arts curriculum not only because it’s designed for each age group, so they are not learning techniques that are way beyond their development abilities but also because of the stripe system. Both students and parents know which stripes they have and which they do not. When I started out learning martial arts you did not know if you were doing well or not you just trained and eventually you were told you could take a belt examination with no indication to whether you’d pass it or not.
Children, in my opinion need constant progression checks, a child likes to know how they are doing. My experience of many years is that a student will be performing certain techniques great but other areas will need work. So by rewarding them for what they can do so far lets the child know that they can do things! They then know what areas they are struggling on.
That’s why our curriculum is very much like NVG national guidelines, you are marked for what you can do and then you work on the other areas till all the areas are passed. This why you have great feedback knowing what needs more work and what you can already do.
That is much better than just to be told no you’re not ready, letting you think everything is wrong when in fact it may only be one area.
This means that children get to excel at their own pace and don’t have the worries of team sports such as keeping up and performing as well as the best on the team. After all every child is different and its my belief they should be trained as individuals in a group setting rather than as a group.
Children love to look up to other children so by having a positive, fun energetic class all of the students will excel!
Does this mean we lower the Standards of the martial arts?
Absolutely not! Standards are very important!
For example at this time of year many are now graduating university and they know that qualification to means something, they know its earned through hard work, determination and hours of study.
We want the same in martial arts. Whether you’re an adult or child you want to know you can defend yourself, you want to be able to do the techniques to a high proficiency and a high standard
After all a martial art belt is just a belt, a piece of clothing. If your friend put your hard earned black belt around their waist , does that make them a black belt ? The true abilities of a martial artist lie within, the character traits as well as the physical abilities which you have trained earned.
Much Respect
Sensei Darren
Founder of SOLO ‘Become a better YOU’
