Your Whole Family Needs Self-defense Classes, and Here Are 3 Big Reasons Why
Knowing that you’re able to protect and take care of yourself in any situation feels good—but there’s a lot more to self-defense, or martial arts, than knowing how to fight. When it comes to learning self-defense, there are many ways that you—and your entire family—can benefit.
It’s commonly believed that self-defense classes exist only for women, or for children who are prone to bullying. But if that’s your line of thinking, you’ll want to banish it from your mind right away! While self-defense classes are indeed something that more at-risk individuals should consider, it should go without saying that everyone—yes, everyone—should enroll.
Martial arts exist for all ages and fitness levels, and no matter what your family members are individually interested in, there’s likely a style of training that will appeal to them. Healthy Children says that over six million children practice martial arts in the United States, and, according to Parenting, children can safely begin martial arts training at as young as age four. So if you’re got little ones, good news—you can start them early!
If you need some convincing as to why your entire family should enroll in self-defense classes, here are three major reasons you’ll want to consider.
- Family activity
Nowadays, getting an entire family together for an activity seems nearly impossible. With Martial Arts your entire family can train together. This will allow you to support one another and to accomplish a goal of becoming a family of Black Belts.
- Promotes Overall Wellness
Martial arts can help you, your spouse, and your children all get in tune with your bodies, boosting your overall health and wellness. You might only think of self-defense as a way to keep your family safe, but you’ll be happy to know that it will keep them healthier and happier, as well! Learning martial arts as part of self-defense training can improve balance, reflexes, flexibility, and muscle tone. As for mental benefits, exercise can help teens succeed in school by boosting blood and nutrient flow to the brain, says WebMD.
Confidence and self-discipline are further benefits of martial arts. Enrolling your children in self-defense classes can be a crucial way to boost self-confidence, and to help combat feelings of fear or helplessness due to bullying. Self-discipline will help instill the values of perseverance, dedication, and practice.
- Builds Conflict Resolution Skills
Because martial arts teach self-respect and patience, they can improve your conflict resolution skills—without resorting to violence. Of course, in a dangerous situation, physical skills make a difference when it comes to survival. But when you’re having a tiff with your spouse or kids, the skills you’ve learned can come in handy when it comes to de-escalating, remaining calm, and respectfully listening to others.
- Keeps Your Family Safe
Lastly—and obviously—self-defense classes will give you peace of mind that your family members are safe. You’ll have less to worry about when your spouse or your children are out late, traveling alone, or in any other situation in which they’ll need confidence and self-reliance. Learning self-defense also helps your family become more “street-smart”, which can help when it comes to making judgment calls on what sorts of situations are or aren’t safe. You can be confident that your spouse, or even your younger children, will be able to utilize what they’ve learned through martial arts in order to evaluate and avoid potentially hazardous situations.
Overall, self-defense and martial arts can greatly benefit your entire family. Think about enrolling today to experience the positive results first-hand.