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.
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Glenridge
Martial Arts Academy
224
Glenridge Avenue
St. Catharines, Ontario
Phone: 905-684-7950
Visit
their own website
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