How to Truly Teach Kids to Focus: A Unique Approach at the Academy of Kempo Martial Arts
Posted: April 01, 2024
In a world full of distractions, teaching children to focus is more crucial than ever. Yet, despite its importance, many parents and educators tell kids to "focus" without providing the tools or understanding necessary to do so. At the Academy of Kempo Martial Arts, we believe in not just instructing children to focus but teaching them how to cultivate this essential skill effectively.
Understanding Focus
Focus, simply put, is the ability to concentrate one's attention or energy on a task without being distracted by the surrounding environment. For children, developing focus is critical—not only does it help with academic performance, but it also aids in social interactions, sports, and the ability to handle emotional challenges.
The process of focusing involves several cognitive functions, including sustaining attention, being able to ignore distractions, and the capability to regulate impulses. Teaching focus, therefore, must be approached holistically, involving techniques that strengthen these cognitive abilities.
Our System to Teach Focus
At the Academy of Kempo Martial Arts, we have developed a structured system to teach focus that includes understanding what focus is, how to harness it, and how to improve it over time.
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Defining Focus: Our first step is to help students understand what focus means in the context of martial arts and daily activities. We explain focus as "keeping your mind and eyes on the task at hand while keeping distractions out." This simple definition makes the concept accessible and relatable, even for our youngest students.
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Practical Exercises: We incorporate specific exercises in our classes designed to improve concentration. These include drills that require students to pay close attention to instructions, memorize sequences of moves, or maintain a stance despite external distractions. Over time, these exercises help sharpen their attention skills.
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Mindfulness Techniques: Part of our curriculum involves teaching mindfulness as a tool for improving focus. Techniques such as controlled breathing and visualization teach students to calm their minds and center their attention. These skills are invaluable, not just in the dojo, but in everyday life.
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Goal Setting: We encourage students to set short-term, achievable goals for each class and longer-term goals for their martial arts journey. Goal setting helps motivate students to focus, as they understand the direct impact concentration has on achieving these objectives.
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Feedback and Reflection: After each session, instructors provide individual feedback and encourage students to reflect on their performance. This reflection helps students recognize when they were able to maintain focus and when they got distracted, thus learning to self-regulate their attention.
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Parental Involvement: We believe that focus should be reinforced at home, so we provide parents with tips and activities they can do to support their children's focus training. This partnership ensures that focus becomes a habit, not just a classroom requirement.
The Benefits of Improved Focus
The benefits of improving focus extend beyond martial arts. Students with better focus tend to perform better academically, are more adept at handling social situations, and have greater emotional resilience. They are also better at sports and other extracurricular activities, as they can apply themselves fully to whatever they undertake.
Join Us to See the Difference
At the Academy of Kempo Martial Arts, we are committed to providing our students with the life skills they need to succeed in all areas of life. Our focus training is just one part of our comprehensive martial arts curriculum designed to develop well-rounded, confident, and successful individuals.
If you're interested in seeing how martial arts can help your child develop the critical skill of focus, contact us today. Let us show you how our unique approach can make a significant difference in your child’s life.
In today's fast-paced world, the ability to focus is more than a skill—it's a superpower. And at the Academy of Kempo Martial Arts, we're ready to help your child unlock it.
