It goes without saying that children who partake in physical activities or sports outside the classroom develop vital life skills such as discipline, motivation, responsibility and the ability to work with others. Research has shown that children who participate in sports benefit mentally, socially and emotionally. Many experts believe every physically capable child should play at least one individual sport and one team sport.
According to an article from parent.com, giving a child at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day will give him or her a good workout. Basic movements such as tumbling, running, crawling, and climbing will go a long way in helping the child’s development.
This is echoed by Joey Koh, mother of six-year old Jayden Peh. Jayden has been with FaMA - Fitness and Martial Arts for several months now and Joey can see changes to his character and confidence level.
“We became curious about martial arts after my eldest son started talking to us about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). He is doing his O-Levels this year and he was very keen about it but we told him to focus on his studies first. However, we thought it would be good for Jayden to start training martial arts as well to help his growth,” said Joey.
“We looked at a few other gyms that offer martial arts for children but we settled with FaMA because Jayden was so happy when he tried his first class here. He’s very fond of Professor Zoro.” Joey explained that Jayden takes his time to warm up to people but that was not the case with the instructors at FaMA.
“At the end of his second free trial class at FaMA, I asked Jayden if he wanted to continue training here or go back to the other gyms that we previously visited. He was very clear in his answer. He told me he loves FaMA and he loves Prof Zoro,” said Joey.
Jayden’s love for FaMA goes beyond the mats. He brings his FaMA bag and gear to school to show it to his friends. He is always proud to tell his friends where he trains and what he had learned from the instructors. He even celebrated his birthday with his FaMA teammates at the gym.
Joey is aware that some parents may not be open to the idea of their children doing martial arts at a very young age but she has no doubts that learning some form of self-defence will help Jayden in the long run.
“Children can get hurt doing any physical activity - be it playing football, running, or even walking. I believe that the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to training martial arts at FaMA. Kids are not pushed beyond their capabilities and there’s always more than one instructor watching over them at all times. Everything is taught to them through games."
Joey hopes that Jayden will continue to do martial art even as he gets older and she is excited about the possibility of both her sons training with each other some day.
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.
Little Warriors (Ages 4-7)
Fun through martial arts with FaMA’s Little Warriors program. 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 program. 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)
Self defense taught through a series of mini-games such as dodgeball, through the hoops, and monkey in the middle to develop footwork, punch protection and kicking techniques. Safety is top priority therefore there is minimal contact between students and sparring is not allowed.