Adults can practice Aikido for stress reduction, relaxation, self defense, its many cardiovascular benefits, or a number of other reasons. But these are concepts that most kids don’t even think about or don’t care about. So why is Aikido a good idea for children? What can it bring to their lives and yours? (assuming you are a parent)
Below are 10 of the reasons to try Aikido if your son or daughter has shown an interest in physical activity and specifically martial arts training or if your child has shown signs of attention deficit disorder or ADHD.
1) Aikido is a “non-aggressive” martial art. What does this mean? Basically, the fundamental principles of Aikido do not encourage self-defense at all costs. Generally speaking, Aikido classes are not taught with the mindset of kicking and punching to get out of conflict. In essence, you don’t really start a fight with Aikido, but you can certainly finish one. Aikido does not encourage children to emulate Power Rangers or Ninja Turtles by hitting and kicking their friends, brothers, dogs and cats. Technical aikido begins when someone else “breaks the rules”, that is, attacks. More importantly, Aikido teaches children that fighting is the last resort in dealing with conflict.
2) Aikido emphasizes staying calm, relaxed, and balanced. Of course, children cannot and should not be calm all the time. But Aikido teaches them that they can choose. Whether they need to sit still in school or focus on homework or focus during sports, Aikido teaches them the basics of “going inward” and provides tools to help them when quiet is necessary. This is completely different from keeping your emotions pent up. On the contrary, the calm of Aikido feels good and, indeed, the study of Aikido is the study of communication.
3) Aikido teaches children “practical” self defense. I put quotation marks “practical” to indicate that practical for a child is completely different from practical for an adult. Eye-catching arts like Karate and Tae Kwon Do, while very good for health and well-being, provide children with a primary tool for dealing with conflict: aggression. If your child only knows how to kick and punch out of a conflict, he will have a hard time dealing with life’s most common “attacks”: stress, intimidation, verbal abuse, and disappointment. You see, if the actual attacks in life do not look or behave like the attacker in dojo or dojang, your child will not have the proper tools to identify and then deal with the situation more effectively.
4) Aikido gives children a positive view of the world. It teaches that to create something worthwhile you have to have goals, a clear picture of the expected result, and then practice, practice, and practice. Aikido teaches the law of reciprocity or, what is given, is turned around. If you start to have problems, you have lost. But if your mind is correct, calm and positive, you can do something good with what life gives you. In fact, Aikido training for children teaches that it is the responsibility of each person to actively seek ways to get something good out of every situation.
5) Aikido teaches you to enjoy every experience in life. Kids have a tough time with increasing homework, peer pressure, exacting standards, and increasing dangers everywhere. A serious approach to life doesn’t always feel good and usually doesn’t produce the best possible results. Aikido works best when you relax and feel light, and having an outlet for your child to “let go” and be a child while learning valuable life skills can be a tremendous character-building experience.
6) Aikido helps children in and at school. By training in Aikido, children develop a calm, clear and balanced mind. As a result, they absorb knowledge more easily and can think and concentrate more clearly. Aikido emphasizes the development of the full human potential and since children spend most of their formative years in school, it is one of the most important places for this potential to be realized.
7) Aikido for children helps with sports. Aikido classes focus on the same things that almost all sports require: endurance, sport-specific strength and ability, relaxation, focused mind, proper breathing, concentration, and being able to visualize the result. Unfortunately, most youth sports only emphasize the limited sporting aspect of whatever game is being played. While most youth sports encourage fun and teamwork, very few amateur coaches (usually moms and dads) have the proper educational training to teach kids the other more important fundamentals listed above. Almost all the parents of the youth who train weekly at the Aikido Grand Rapids / Toyoda Center facilities at some point comment on the astonishing transformations that occur over time in their sons and daughters that they directly attribute to the Aikido program for children.
8. Aikido is for everyone. Aikido does not require specific athletic talent or ability. In fact, athletic prowess can sometimes be an obstacle to understanding and executing Aikido techniques. The key to progress in Aikido is to simply relax, move effortlessly, help others, and cultivate a positive mind. Is there a better message for children?
9) Aikido works for people of all shapes and sizes. Since Aikido is not dependent on size, strength, speed, weight, or reach, children can effectively apply it to adults. In fact, it can be quite surprising how much power your kids can muster when they pitch to adults! Some of the most effective and powerful Aikido practitioners have been the smallest of individuals. Aikido uses an understanding of basic universal principles and emphasizes not fighting for force. Aikido teaches that there will always be someone bigger, faster and stronger and not all “attacks” will come in the form of a bad person. Aikido for children provides them with a great toolbox of skills to draw on in a variety of situations for the rest of their lives.
10) Aikido class for children is a good physical activity! Plain and simple, we tire them out! Children with ADD and ADHD show surprising results when they leave an Aikido class tired.