Martial arts have fascinated the public since the 1960s. With the popularity of martial arts action film star Bruce Lee, millions of Americans were exposed to the beauty and grace of martial arts on the silver screen. An explosion of martial arts erupted as many people started to see the benefits of martial arts not only for self-defense but also fitness. The majority of martial arts schools are packed with kids. With the extreme popularity of the UFC, many children are getting involved in kids kickboxing programs.
The sport of kickboxing takes place in a ring where fighters use a variety of striking techniques to defeat their opponent. The origins of kickboxing go back to Thailand during the Sukothai era from 1238-1377. Since then the art has evolved into a form of fitness and self defense as well as a professional sport. Kickboxing is a great recreation activity for kids.
Kids kickboxing offers many benefits:
- Reduce stress
- Boost confidence levels
- Burn calories
- Learn effective self-defense
- Better posture
Most people don’t understand the difference between most martial arts. Karate has been one of the most popular martial arts practiced amongst children. You can find a Tae Kwon Do or Karate school on just about every street corner these days. The problem with these schools is that most of them are in it to take your money. If you take the time to sit and watch one of these classes, it doesn’t even look like the kids are doing martial arts. The majority of the class time is spent playing games or doing other useless exercises to soak up time. Most of these schools promise self-defense and martial arts training but in reality they are just giving your child a watered down version of martial arts mixed with some exercises. A quality kids kickboxing program will teach you kids effective self-defense as well as other basic athletic skills that can transfer over to other sports and activities. In kickboxing kids will learn how to punch, kick, knee, elbow, and throw. While some parents could find this alarming, it is absolutely necessary for children to learn these fighting techniques not only for personal protection, but also for the integrity of the martial art.
When joining a kids kickboxing program you should look for a few things. First make sure that the instructor has legitimate credentials. Many martial arts instructors are in it for the money. They are not real martial artists. Second make sure that the school is clean. The training room and equipment should always be clean. Third make sure that when the kids are training that they have all of the recommended training gear to ensure that they are not injured during practice. Kids kickboxing is an awesome activity for children of all ages and not only does it teach self-defense and fitness, it also teaches kids respect and self-discipline.
Josh Rafferty
Professional MMA Fighter and Coachwww.i-supplements.com
Josh Rafferty has been absorbing and learning about Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness since childhood. Josh has competed in Mixed Martial Arts for over ten years both in the ring and in the corner of some legendary fighters. His fighting career has made him famous, appearing in the hit television shows The Ultimate Fighter and Adrenalin and even made a cameo appearance in the major motion picture Redbelt. Find more from Josh at www.i-supplements.com
