As a parent, the choices for extra-curricular activities can be overwhelming at times. Each child has varied interests and abilities, and each family budget is going to have additional challenges and constraints. Chances are, if you have found this blog, then you are interested in martial arts in general and the benefits of martial arts for kids. While I am going to explain some benefits of Judo in this article, these benefits are going to broadly apply to many martial arts classes that are focused on safe, kid-friendly classes. But if you stick around to the end of the article (or cheat and scroll down…I see you!), I will give away a secret of Judo in particular.
1. Improves Coordination and Balance
This point is immediately clear for parents as they watch their children moving from their initial white belt to their first colored belt (in Judo, that is a white/yellow belt). For any kids who are not naturally gifted in these areas, martial arts forces children to get in touch with individual muscle groups, begin learning spatial awareness, and should most importantly teach them how to fall safely. This is especially true in Judo, as the vast majority of Judo curriculum is going to focus on the 40 major throws of the “Gokyo No Waza”, which means 5 set of throws in Japanese.
The very first lesson any student will receive in Judo will be “Ukemi“, which is Japanese for break-fall. The easiest breakfall to teach is typically a fall to their back, but Judo teaches students how to fall on their side, how to roll forward, and a fall to the front. As students progress, they are introduced to “Tai Sabaki”, which is movement training. This will include how to move your feet as you walk, how to utilize your hips in your gait, where to look, what to do with your hands, etc. Another core lesson will be “Kuzushi”, which is figuring out how to break the balance of your opponent in order to execute a throw. This relies on a student mastering their own balance in addition to learning how to unseat their partners balance. These concepts (and many more) all work together to teach students how to move their bodies with purpose and intention, and none of them include learning a takedown or strike. These are the concepts at the core of martial arts, and at the core of Judo throws.
2. Increases Confidence
A common trope of learning martial arts is that once you receive a black belt, you can “beat up” any attacker in your way. The problem with this, is that regardless of the truth to that statement for any one person, this is a terrible perspective to have. Leaning into aggression simply because you have the skills is a recipe for disaster, and this is usually a sign of low confidence. A good martial arts class should be teaching good Tai Sabaki as mentioned above, and improving a child’s spatial awareness and communication skills. These attributes lead to a higher confidence in self as the child gets to know their own body, along with their unique strengths and abilities. Simply learning how to hold your head higher and walk with better posture exudes a confidence that will deter many aggressive encounters, and it will further help the student in learning how to avoid or exit those encounters if they do happen.
So a benefit of martial arts is in improved confidence in yourself, not improved confidence in your ability to knock out a bully!
3. Decreases Screen Time
If you are like us, then you are struggling to find a balance of screen time with your kids. Not only is screen time offered as a reward and diversion, but it is now mandatory for so many learning activities. However, the negative side effects of screen time is another post altogether. The good news? Every hour spent on the mat is screen free. Students have to pay attention to their bodies, feel the mat under their bare feet, and look people in the eye as they interact. And they have fun doing it!
4. Models Respect and Discipline
While respect and discipline is modeled in many martial arts classes, this is especially true for Judo. The two main philosophical principles of Judo are “Seiryoku-Zenyo”, or maximum efficiency with minimal effort, and “Jita-Kyoei”, or mutual welfare and benefit. These principles were started by the founder, Jigoro Kano, and have stayed strong traditions in Judo schools today. Judo was originally started with Kano’s emphasis on physical education, not just as a fighting style. He was interested in teaching both the body and soul, and focused in particular on safety and character development.
In modern classes, these principles are seen in how students bow on and off the mat, bowing to their opponents during training and matches, learning safe falling techniques prior to gaining permission to throw, and calling their instructor Sensei. Many schools will have these principles posted around their dojo and include these teachings in their testing curriculum.
A special aspect of teaching a traditional martial art like Judo is that students are constantly practicing and modeling respect for each other and the space where they train. This practice helps them understand authority and hierarchy in a tangible way, while also offering the consistency that breeds discipline. In modern Judo practice, many schools offer double the colored belts for youth, providing many more opportunities for discipline as they attain those goals. While competition is a common and expected aspect of martial arts, each school can set the tone for how competition is to be treated. If competition is treated as a way to pressure test your skills, rather than a race, this encourages students to be disciplined as they are constantly working to improve their own technique instead of simply being the “MVP” of a team. Achieving this inner drive to be your best is invaluable to future learning.
5. Encourages Positive Socialization
While five benefits hardly finishes this list in actuality, the last benefit of martial arts I will discuss here is the opportunities for positive socialization. I say positive here, because anyone who has ridden a school bus to school knows that not all socialization is fun and safe! But a benefit to martial arts is that there is a constant source of authority on the mat helping to direct and guide students as they learn new skills together. The Judo principle of mutual welfare and benefit often comes out in the kids class as instructors work through high emotions like jealousy, fear, and anger. These moments are always great teaching moments as we guide kids to work through those emotions and help their partners work through them as well, always keeping safety as the top priority. The ability to communicate your emotions with an instructor as well as your peers is another invaluable trait learned on the mat.
Final Thoughts
If you made it to the end of this article, I promised a secret of Judo. Well, maybe not a secret, but more insider information perhaps. Each martial art typically has an overarching attitude or style that makes that martial art unique. For Judo, I have found that attitude to be sharing. Almost any Judo Sensei I have met has a strong desire to share Judo with the world, not to make money, but simply to give back to students what Judo has brought to his or her life. As a result, often times Judo classes will be scarce and harder to find, but also much more accessible and affordable to the public around them. I have met many Judokas that teach out of a net negative balance simply because they love it. If you are looking for a martial art but haven’t found the right one, I would encourage you to try Judo in your area. If nothing else, you will find an instructor who loves the art and will talk your ear off.
Lastly, I would like to know, what benefits are you hoping to see out of martial arts? What has brought your attention to Judo, and what are you hoping you or your child will receive from training? Leave us a comment below, we would love to chat and get to know you. See you on the mat!