Glenridge Martial Arts Academy 50 Gale Crescent St. Catharines, Ontario Phone: 905-684-7950 Visit their own website

What do you know about Karate? Probably you have a few recollections of "The Karate Kid" movies. Put most of that out of your mind, because the essence of Karate as taught at the Glenridge Martial Arts Academy is very different from what most people think.

Why? Well, for starters, Karate is not about fighting. The word karate is a combination of two Japanese characters: kara, meaning empty, and te, meaning hand; thus, karate means "empty hand." Traditionally, the suffix "do" (pronounced "doe") meaning "way" is added. Therefore, karate-do, implies karate as a total way of life that goes beyond self-defense applications. The ultimate aim of karate-do is the perfection of character of the participants.

What does this mean for kids? Start them young! Children's classes in karate are available to children aged four and up. Starting children young helps to instill a strong sense of self-esteem, improves confidence and promotes an active, healthy lifestyle. Through karate training, children also learn self-defense techniques and respect for others.

The thing to remember about karate training is that it's something your children will be able to call upon for the rest of their lives. Karate is different from soccer, or football, or hockey, or violin lessons. Which of these activities has all of the positive benefits listed above? Only karate can be said to do all of the above and more. Children with a range of behavioural issues have benefited from karate training through increased discipline and better self-understanding.

Think of karate training as an investment in your child that will pay off huge dividends down the road. It's also fun! Kids have a blast learning and applying new skills. You'll be amazed to see them performing flying side kicks, crane kicks (okay - that's from the Karate Kid) and many traditional karate kata (basic forms). Karate students take pride in their accomplishments and you'll be proud of them too.

From a parent of one of our students: "My son is now 6 years old and from a young age was always very quiet and shy. This was very noticeable at school and during the first two years of kindergarden his teachers commented how they hoped it would improve. We enrolled him in Karate lessons and within a month, his nervousness in groups went down, he became more outgoing at school and his teachers commented that he participated more in class. He enjoys going to Karate a lot. As parents, we're happy at the progress he has made in Karate, but more importantly, the boost in confidence and self-eesteem has had a very positive effect on his ability to cope well in school, make new friends and be a happy kid. Thanks Picard Sensei!"

For more information on karate training for kids, click here to visit the Glenridge Martial Arts website or call the number below. Picard Sensei will be happy to answer any and all questions.

Glenridge Martial Arts Academy 50 Gale Crescent St. Catharines, Ontario Phone: 905-684-7950 Visit their own website

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