One thing that we often emphasize here at Master P’s World Class Tae Kwon Do is how the benefits of these martial arts are not just physical. Yes, you and your children will develop muscles. Yes, you burn calories and get a great workout. Yes, you teach your body to balance, and help improve the mind/body connection.

But the real reason that we believe that ALL children should try martial arts is that they also learn skills that they can take with them outside of the classroom. An example of this is “focus.” For children that have struggled with focus in the past, or parents that want to help teach their kids to develop better focus skills, this is one of the main reasons that parents sign their child up for Tae Kwon Do.

But it’s one thing to “say” you want your child will learn to focus. It is quite another for Tae Kwon Do to actually “teach” them to focus. How does TKD actually teach focus, and does it really work?

• Fun WITH Structure – Tae Kwon Do has the perfect combination of fun and structure. All structure, and your kids will not focus, because they’ll be bored. All fun, and your children will be riled up, unable to focus. Tae Kwon Do involves enjoying a fun activity that also has structure and kind discipline, essentially teaching children that you have more fun when you focus.
• Goal Oriented Belt System – Rewards are also very effective at teaching focus. The longer a child commits to their martial arts, learning each task they need to learn along the way, the more they’ll be motivated to keep themselves balanced, accountable, and under control – pushing themselves to focus more in the process.
• Specific Forms (Poomsae) – Martial arts IS fun, but the process of learning martial arts is very specific. Children learn a Poomsae, or “form,” which is a series of very specific movements that require control over the whole body. It’s enjoyable for the kids, but they also need to teach themselves to keep their body and eyes under control the entire time.
• Clear Expectations – Because classes teach such specific things, the instruction is also very clear. There is no confusion that can sometimes lead a child’s mind to wander off. Instead, they’re giving clear step by step instructions that they also want to do, offering great self-motivation and keeping their mind on task.
• Positive Reinforcement – When they focus, especially at our Tae Kwon Do dojang, they receive significant positive reinforcement. In school, a focused child is often an ignored child, because there are too many students and teachers have to focus on the lesson. But at our martial arts center, each child gets consistent praise when they stay focused, reinforcing the behavior.
• It’s Not An iPad – Lastly, Tae Kwon Do is simply a great, enjoyable after school activity that reduces how much time your child spends on things that can hurt their focus, like handheld electronics, which are proven to increase risk of developing focus-related challenges.

Even children with focus-related deficits, like ADHD, can still benefit from this type of training. It’s hard to focus in a person’s home, and also hard to learn to focus in school given all the other needs of the classroom.

Tae Kwon Do is a fun, helpful, effective way to increase focus that can teach them skills they can take with them outside of their martial arts, all while also helping them develop their physical health as well.

If you’d like help getting your child to focus, try Tae Kwon Do. Sign up with Master P’s World Class Tae Kwon Do, today.