The Academy of Okinawan Karate has been teaching kids the art of Karate for over 4 decades. We have classes for all age groups (3-6, 6-8, 8-15 year old as well as families) so we can teach in a way that is best for that age group.
There are many reason why parents want to sign their kids up for karate (of course the kids just want to have fun). The most common reasons are:
- Self-confidence and self-esteem – first, at the AOK we do not knock down self-confidence first. Our interactions with the kids are meant to build it up. Positive reinforcement is an amazing tool while teaching. Second our belt ranking system is an amazing tool. We do not give belts/rank away. Everything the kids get, is earned by them. This is how confidence is built. When the kids set a goal, we help them achieve it. But it is them who did it. When they see their hard work pay off in the reward, they stand up straighter and begin to believe they can succeed in other areas.
- Self-discipline – this is the most common reason people want to sign their kids up for karate. Even the best behaved children can always learn more self-discipline. Self-discipline is a broad area to teach. It includes focus, self-control, and responsibility. We have a self-discipline program at the AOK to help motivate and reward students for going out of their way to work self-discipline in daily life.
- Channelling aggression/energy – we all know kids are full of energy and we need to find a good use for it. Karate is a fun way to put it to use. They can learn to punch, kick, block, and do combinations. What is even better, we can take our karate and practice it anywhere. Not only using the energy but it can be an outlet for all the emotions kids usually have to keep bottled up during day to day life.
- Physical fitness – many of today’s children are in LOVE with video games or other electronic activities. Though there is nothing wrong with it, we need our kids up and active. We need to teach our kids to love exercise to stay healthy. Karate is a perfect exercise for children. It will teach them the coordination they need while strengthening their bodies. It also is not reliant on needing lots of equipment or even other people. They can do their karate training at any time and in any place.
- Self-defense – the AOK teaches practical and traditional karate which was created with the idea of self-defense in mind. (Ignore the karate you see in movies or on tv.) Every school has bullies and now we have to learn to deal with bullies online. We teach both the physical techniques need to deal with a bully and the mental fortitude needed so bullying won’t affect us the same way. And the world can be a dangerous place, so we teach students who to deal with strangers and real life situations.
