How does Karate Teach so Much?
Posted: November 10, 2022
Parents, here is how we teach life skills at the academy.
Ever wonder how martial arts can teach so much in such a little time?
Well, it may seem like a mystery but it’s because we have a method.
What we do is take a desirable trait. Like respect. A trait that will help the student outside the martial arts school. A trait that parents want their children to have.
Then we break it down. And we work it into, well everything.
In every class, we have a 3-minute section where we teach the students what the trait is, how to develop it, why you should embrace it, and most importantly how to make it part of their life.
We break it down into weekly themes that are discussed and learned throughout the week.
It’s the only time the student gets to sit down. And if I ever forget it, the parents let me know. I think it is one of the most important parts of the class. It also lets me know if the students are getting it.
Then we watch for it in every other part of the class, and when we see it we reinforce it.
Below is a clip of one of our mat chats. We are going over respect. What it is, how to be respectful, and why it matters. It is a bit long. What is interesting is the engagement of the students and how the instructor interacts with each one of them to develop an understanding of the skill we are working on.
If you have the time listen to the answers the children give, it’s clear they really know what respect is and how to be respectful.