Martial arts have been around for thousands of years and it has helped millions if not billions of people over several millennia to train their mind, body and spirit to be healthy and act as one. Martial arts practitioners not only learn effective self-defence techniques but also strive for inner peace and harmony.
Children who get involved in martial arts from a young age reap numerous benefits in several areas of life well into their adulthood.
Many child experts believe martial arts is one of the most valuable activities a young one can participate in. Here are some key reasons why your child should be starting martial arts today.
Learn Self-Defence to Ward Off Bullies
Bullying is rampant, widespread and the effects can be long lasting. It occurs in almost every community, schools – and sadly – even in neighbourhoods. Majority of bullying occurs at learning institutions, on school grounds during recess or after school, and on the school bus – or anywhere else students interact unsupervised. Bullying may also occur in communities where kids congregate when there are no adults present. As much as every parent would like to protect their child from bullies out there, it is almost impossible to do so.
Therefore, it is better to equip your child with the right tools to help themselves to defend against bullies. By training martial arts, a child’s need to defend themselves decreases because they subconsciously begin to carry themselves in a more confident manner. That confidence is projected to those around them, making them less vulnerable to predatory behaviour.
Weight Loss and Fitness
According to an article by Straits Times, adults in Singapore have become fitter, but children here are getting fatter. In a report citing the latest figures from the Ministry of Health (MOH), 13 percent of children in mainstream schools were overweight in 2017, a slight rise from the 11 percent in 2011. Childhood obesity can lead to physical, social and psychological issues and obese children are more likely to be obese adults. Enrolling a child in martial arts can help prevent childhood obesity.
Doing Muay Thai or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a great way to lose weight as movements of the martial arts itself often challenge the child’s muscles and cardiovascular system. The child will also develop healthy habits and inspire them to keep moving - something that they may end up following as adults.
Self Confidence and a Strong Mind
Pressure at school and the need to do well to impress always weighs down on a child. This can lead to low self-esteem and lack of confidence. Martial arts can change that by teaching kids to conquer a difficult task or perform a move that they have never tried previously. For most kids that have self-confidence issues, seeing a peer or an adult show them a sign of respect by bowing or shaking their hand after class is more than enough to build a positive self-image and boost their confidence. Martial arts also provides an avenue for a child to compete and overcome adversity. This will teach them how to be humble in victory, overcome failures and eventually build a strong mind. These traits can help develop any child into a driven and motivated adult.
FaMA - Fitness and Martial Arts Established in 2016, FaMA is a world-class martial arts training facility located in the heart of the Central Business District in Singapore. Walking distance from the Clarke Quay MRT station, FaMA’s main goal is to help people improve their lives through martial arts regardless of age or athletic capability. Each program is led by experts in their respective fields. Whether it is weight loss, a fun workout, camaraderie, competition training, or just to break a sweat, FaMA has something for everyone.
Kids Martial Arts
Our Kids Martial Arts classes offer a choice of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and/or Muay Thai programmes which have been specially designed for Children of all skills levels. Several studies have suggested that Children who participate in a sport experience positive development in their self-esteem and confidence, which supports our belief that the skills Children learn through our Martial Arts programmes here in Singapore will benefit them beyond their time in the academy.
Little Warriors (Ages 4-7)
Fun through martial arts with FaMA’s Little Warriors BJJ class. Little warriors will spend their time learning about BJJ through games such as sumo-wrestling and belt tag in a safe and clean environment. These games will complement any existing exercise or training to help improve balance, speed, coordination and alertness. Self confidence and discipline is also key in this class.
Junior Champions (Ages 7-12)
Future world champions will get a head start through FaMA’s Junior Champions BJJ class. Students will gain insights into techniques and tournament rules from experienced BJJ competitors of the highest level and how to apply them in a competitive setting. Good sportsmanship and respect is constantly advocated by instructors to help these next generation of medal winners.
Little Tigers (Ages 4-12)
In the Little Tigers Muay Thai class at FaMA, students are encouraged to learn through play, with attributes being honed by mini-games such as dodgeball for developing evasive footwork, fastest punch contests to train retractions, and kicking a ball off a stick to refine kicking techniques. There is minimal contact between students and no sparring, for safety reasons.