Karate has many benefits for teenagers. It helps you to develop the healthy lifelong habit of fitness, it gives you valuable skills to defend yourself, and it creates a sense of life balance. For teenagers especially, it helps develop respect for all people, confidence, and self control. Let’s take a closer look at why karate may be a great art for you to get involved in.
Karate promotes two kinds of balance: Physical balance and life balance. We all understand that the physical balance has to do with things like being able to stand stably on one foot, but life balance is something that is a little harder to come by in today’s world. Life is a balancing act, we need to learn to find a happy medium in all aspects of life: what we eat, how much time we spend studying vs. relaxing, spending time alone or with a group, etc. Karate can teach teenagers how to find their own personal sense of balance in their lives by making them more aware of their surroundings.
This one is a less obvious benefit of learning martial arts, especially for teens. Being able to control one’s own emotions in social situations is something that many teens struggle with. Karate can help develop this sense of self control. Many instructors have the philosophy that if you can learn to control your body absolutely, you can also learn to control your mind and emotion in the same way. Developing this skill as a young teen will carry over into adult life.
In martial arts, everyone is treated equally regardless of size or gender. Because of this, students face a wide range of opponents. This array of opponents can help build self confidence because you may be fighting someone that is bigger or stronger than yourself. Sparing with opponents, learning skills, and achieving goals all give students a sense of accomplishment and confidence.
One of the core values of martial arts is respect. This respect is not just for your sensei (instructor) but also for yourself, your fellow classmates, and everything around you. Learning to have respect for things, no matter what, can help develop control and balance as well. For teens, learning respect will help in all aspects of their lives, be it school, friends, or a new job. It helps people of all ages to establish a sense of dignity and well being.
Monday - 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Thursday - 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Saturday - 10:00am-11:00am
Wednesday - 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Friday 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Tuesday - 6:00pm - 7:00pm
TSKR supports students who are using Karate to gain awards in GCSE Karate and The Duke of Edinburgh Awards and does not have official recognition from the Dept of Education or HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.