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Hello, my name is Felix Ayensu.
During my time running a Martial Arts Academy, I have seen many children walk through my doors. While the children were all unique, their challenges were very similar. The only thing more remarkable than the kids themselves is how they walked out, emerging from the program changed for the better, along with the joy on the faces of the parents who witnessed the transformation.
Below I have illustrated 4 kinds of challenges through fictional stories that I have seen in reality time and time again. Then I would like to show you the solution: how martial arts can help build confidence, change challenges into accomplishments, and turn frustration into pride.
If you can relate to some of the circumstances below, join me on this journey, and find your solution.
LET’S BUILD YOUR CHILD’S CONFIDENCE TOGETHER!
Here are some of the things that we can help your child with:
I am was a fidgety kid. No matter how hard his parents tried to help him focus, he just couldn’t sit still. In class, he would disrupt the other children with his constant motion, and he could never seem to complete an assignment or activity without getting distracted.
His parents and his teachers could see how smart he was and how much potential he had with all this energy, if only he could sit still long enough to see it for himself!
What if he could learn to focus his energy into one thing at a time?
Amy was a very clever girl, but she didn’t show it, since she never really applied herself. Her parents knew she could easily do anything she was tasked with, but she was just never that interested, so didn’t pay much attention.
She was underachieving at school as a result, and not from lack of intelligence. Amy just didn’t have anything she was truly passionate about.
What if she could find something to inspire her and awaken her potential?
“I asked you 10 times already!” Leo’s parents were at their wits’ end. It’s not that Leo wasn’t capable of doing what he was asked. But nothing ever seemed to get done.
Do your homework, make your bed, put away your toys – these were just a few of countless instructions that Leo’s parents felt they had to repeat over and over again. It left them feeling tired and frustrated all the time and left Leo feeling constantly nagged and defeated.
What if he could find the motivation to follow instructions when first asked?
Hannah was a very sweet and very shy girl. She was never the first to speak and hardly expressed her feelings to anyone, even her closest play mates. She was quiet, timid, and soft-spoken.
Unfortunately, Hannah’s shyness was often mistaken for weakness and she became the target for bullies in her school. She tried to act like it didn’t bother her and she just tolerated it. She didn’t know how to stand up for herself.
In martial arts, kids do one thing at a time…
For younger children or kids with ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), it may only be in 30 second intervals, but for that 30 seconds they only focus on that one thing. As their ability to focus grows, the time intervals increase, until eventually they may be doing the same activity or exercise for a full session, without getting bored or distracted.
In this way, through natural progression, focusing becomes a habit.
It transitions into the home, homework and chores; kids become more focused in school, in conversations with others and in anything else they put their mind to.
In martial arts, kids set goals, and accomplish them…
From the very first day they set foot in the academy they start to accomplish small goals. On the second day, they set another goal, and they accomplish that one too. This continues, and the more they accomplish the goals they set for themselves, the more they want to achieve.
While the goals get larger and higher, so does that determination, along with the feeling of fulfillment and self-respect that comes along with it.
Goal-setting is a proven tool for success in life, and couldn’t be more important in martial arts.
In martial arts, kids are taught the importance of listening, and paying attention…
The importance of looking people in the eye when they are spoken to. They are taught that this is how you show you are listening.
As time goes on, this too becomes a habit. At home and in school, kids start looking their parents and teachers in the eyes when they are spoken to without missing a beat. They are paying attention, wiithout being scolded or reminded to. They just are.
In martial arts, kids learn that when they are asked to do something, they should do it the first time…
and not because they are forced to or reprimanded, but because they are motivated. They see other kids in the class are doing it too; they want to be part of the group, and so they are motivated to do the same thing.
I have had countless parents come to me with gratitude when they began to see this habit transition into the home as well. Wide-eyed and overjoyed, they can never believe the transformation.
In martial arts, kids learn how to defend themselves confidently, and with respect, standing up for themselves and what is right. Kids are taught that violence is never the answer, while gaining the tools and discipline necessary to protect themselves should worst case scenarios arise.
Not to mention the pride on a child’s face the first time they look their bully in the eye, and the bully stands down (happens most of the time). This vision is a privilege I get in my line of work that I don’t take for granted.
In martial arts, kids get the exercise they need to thrive both physically and mentally. Kids are encouraged to do their very best while still having fun – there is never any pressure to do anything they are unable to do.
The physical activity they receive in martial arts helps increase focus and energy while relieving stress and anxiety, improving overall mental well-being. They will never sleep better than after a day at the academy! And they will never feel better either.
