Martial Arts for Kids, Part 3

 

Our Creed

“Martial arts is a discipline

Of my body and mind.

I will be disciplined,

Have self-control,

Confidence,

Concentration,

Patience,

And try as hard as I can

At everything I do

Both in and outside the dojo”

 

We say these words at the beginning and end of every Wushu and Jr Wushu class. The creed puts us in a powerful mood and reminds us of what the real work is to be done. It is an affirmation. When we close our eyes and speak these words with conviction, they hold a certain weight. When we practice with this attitude, our lives are changed.

I often ask at end of class, “Should you only practice martial arts inside the dojo?” All the kids know the answer: “NO SIR”

I ask them what they can practice outside the dojo. Younger kids will start by saying “horse stance”, “stretching”, or “rolls”. Through a little prodding, without fail, they’ll start to say things like “focus”, “discipline” and “patience”.

 

Outside the Dojo

Through conversations with parents, I know that all of our students are a work in progress. Sometimes they run into trouble with other kids at school or with their brothers and sisters (though this happens much less often when the siblings are in class too). Sometimes they have a difficult time practicing self-control, or need a shot of confidence. I love it when parents come to me with a request for some advice or a quick conversation with their kid. These parents who are the most involved see the most progress for their kid, and they are often a cause for it. To be honest, if a parent brings us their son or daughter in order for us to teach them discipline but has no intention of enforcing things at home, there’s very little we can do. After all, we only have your child for a few hours each week. However, something as simple as asking, “What do you think Sifu would say about this?” can go a long way. Ask them about what we work on in class. Remind them to practicing at home, whether it is physical techniques, breathing, meditation or a quality from the creed and give them massive praise for it.

Young students practicing real martial arts are up to something big. They are determined to improve, even if they don’t make it obvious. I see it in them every day.