Five Ways Krav Maga Improves Kid’s Self-Esteem
As a parent, one of the most important things you want your kid to have as he or she grows up is self-esteem. It’s the very quality that gives children the strength to make friendships, try new things, and move forward in the world with greater ease. We all struggle with self-esteem issues at one point in our lives, but what would you say if we told you we have a way of giving your child better self-esteem?
It’s called Krav Maga.
It’s ok if you don’t immediately make the connection between Krav Maga and improved self-esteem. Short of having perfect parents, most people think that healthy self-esteem comes with self-help books, therapy or some other self-improvement method, but it’s actually easier (and cheaper!) than all that.
Growing up is all about developing the tools to cope with life. Krav Maga is all about putting more tools in the toolbox.
For those of you who don’t know, Krav Maga is a form of martial arts unlike any other. It’s more of a philosophy than a set of techniques although, of course, there are techniques involved- many of which have been the adoption of what works from other forms of self-defense such as tae kwon do, judo, ju-jitsu, boxing and more. The primary philosophy of Krav is to attack the attack. It’s about never allowing yourself to remain the victim.
So, how does Krav Maga increase a child’s self-esteem? There are five major ways:
Situational Awareness
There is absolutely no mistake that Krav Maga is a highly effective form of self-defense. The instructors teach students how to deal with many different types of attacks- punches, kicks, knife thrusts, attacks with sticks or bats, and more.
Of course, the best way of protecting yourself against such violence is to see it coming long before there is any physical threat. Many of the drills during Krav Maga training emphasize situational awareness.
Some of the ways we learn to protect ourselves include:
- Being mindful of the environment we’re in
- Identifying specific signs of a threat
- Spotting when someone is out of place (a man wearing a long coat in the summer)
- Determining when someone is a threat
These are useful tools when moving around in a world that is sometimes dangerous. Isn’t that something we want our children to know?
Physical Fitness
In the movie, “Zombieland”, the main character narrates part of the movie where he teaches the viewers how to survive zombie attacks. He specifically identifies the need to maintain good “cardio” as a vital survival skill. While we’re lucky not to be facing that type of world, it is fair to say that staying physically fit is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.
We all know that obesity rates are much higher in America than we want, and we also know that staying physically fit contributes to longevity. Krav Maga training is an outstanding way to stay in shape.
Camaraderie
Who doesn’t want their child to have a lot of friends? We all know that many deep friendships form over a common bond, and few things are more bonding than sparring with someone or learning self-defense techniques with each other.
The children’s Krav Maga program involves activities that incorporate various games as well as self-defense moves. The adults often say they have fun, but the kids would tell you they have a whole lot more. Some of our parents tell us their kids talk about what happened in class well into the evening.
Where do life-long friends come from in life? Think of your own life. Many come from school, scouts, sports, and from what we’re seeing, Krav Maga classes.
Self-Defense
It may go without saying that one of the main takeaways from Krav Maga is, well, Krav Maga. Learning a long list of highly efficient self-defense techniques helps your child learn how to protect him or herself in nearly any situation.
Krav Maga takes effective techniques from other disciplines because they work. Can you think of something that could give a person more confidence? Imagine how knowing how to successfully defend yourself in a wide variety of situations would improve your self-esteem. Now, also imagine how that child’s self-esteem would spill over into other areas of life.
Stress
In today’s fast-paced world, stress is everywhere. We feel it. From getting things done at home, getting things done at work, appointments, traffic, work/home life balance, etc. Our levels of stress are ever-present.
Children are experiencing more and more stress at younger ages. As they grow, there are increasing pressures to balance schoolwork, extracurricular activities, clubs, etc. One of our college-bound hopeful students recently told us that he felt he needed to start a Fortune 500 company just to get into college.
During Krav Maga classes, we push the students physically- not too far, but just enough to help them experience the confidence to accomplish what they are setting out to do. Whether it’s mastering a new technique, a kick, or “surviving” a particular test, the challenges our students face in Krav Maga training push them to learn how to deal with stress- and master it.
Failure is an opportunity for growth, and we tell our students that we want them to fail in class in order to learn from the experience. It’s also to learn that failure isn’t the end of anything. It’s simply an opportunity to make corrections necessary for the next success.
Frankly, we can’t imagine better lessons to help a child build more solid self-esteem.
As a parent, you want the best for your child. We can give them all the necessities- shelter, food, clothing, but there are precious few things we can tangibly give our kids that will directly benefit their self-esteem. Krav Maga is one of those gifts. Call us and set u a free trial class today. It may just be what you’ve always wanted for your child.
Krav Pro is located off Peachtree Industrial in Duluth. Call us at 678-460-6242 if you or your child is interested in taking a free Krav Maga class to see what the fun’s all about. We’ll teach your family some self-defense skills as well as help you all get into the best shape of your life. We have students coming from all around Atlanta such as Duluth, Johns Creek, Suwanee, Buford, Lawrenceville, and more. Get fit and fearless.