5 good reasons to enrol your child in karate

Did you fantasize about becoming a black belt karate superstar when you were a kid? Your dreams may have been influenced by the adventures of Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi, but karate offers plenty of real-life benefits for today's kids. Here are the top five reasons why karate is a terrific sport for your child.

• During a time when kids are less and less active and obesity is on the rise, any opportunity for physical activity is a good one.
• But karate is leaps and jumps above many other options, thanks to a winning blend of strength training, cardio, and stretching.
• If you've ever observed a karate class -- and you should if you're thinking of enrolling your child in lessons -- you'd see so much more than punching and kicking.

• Martial arts is all about self discipline, an increasingly valuable commodity for kids in today's world of instant gratification.
• In life, you can't always get what you want and self-restraint is an essential part of learning to deal with disappointment as well as overcoming obstacles and adversity.
• Karate fosters a unique sense of discipline that comes from within and carries over into all aspects of life.

• When was the last time you heard the phrase, "Respect your elders?" Probably not since you were a kid yourself. Why not? Because this perspective is a dying art.
• Karate, meanwhile, is built upon tenets of respect for adults and each other.
• Kids who take karate aren't just learning cool moves; they're also learning how to honour authority.

• While karate may seem like an intensely physical act, it's anything but aggressive.
• In fact, martial arts instill defencive techniques along with nonviolent conflict resolution skills.
• At its essence, karate is about peace, not war. This can be seen in the beauty and fluidity of its movements.

• The skills kids learn in karate don't end in the dojo.
• In fact, karate students carry the lessons learned here into nearly every other arena of life.
• From the classroom to the playing fields, kids learn how to listen, resolve conflict, get along with others and set goals.
• They also learn how to handle the disappointment of not reaching a particular goal and how to recommit. These are not easy skills to learn, but martial arts training teaches each one of these and so much more.
• Any student of karate will tell you that karate isn't just about earning your black belt. Rather, this ancient art teaches today's kids lifelong lessons that they'll take with them long after they leave the dojo.