It’s important children learn values that will help guide them on their journeys through life. The most effective teachers of these values: family members. In fact, experts from the University of Illinois Family Works Extension maintain a child’s home is the place he or she will learn important values.
Strong family bonding will help instill moral standards to children as they grow up. In 2007, researchers form Penn State University reached out to family members who trained in martial arts together at Shorin-Ryu Karate U.S. Researchers quickly discovered how much parents valued the time together as a family unit.
“In this world of busy schedules, family time gets more and more limited.” This was a response to a 40-year old wife and mother of four, who had been training in martial arts with her family for over a year “Training together allows for one more time that we can be together as a family, not only on the deck, but even just the car ride to and from the dojo.”
Although the survey was conducted years ago, her answer still holds true today. Here are some ways martial arts can help build a stronger family bond:
Time
One of the biggest obstacles when attempting to establish a strong family bond is trying to find time in every family member’s schedule. Training together encourages every member of your family to make the time to practice at the studio at the same time.
Common ground
It doesn’t just stop with time spent in the studio either. As parents, it can be difficult to relate to children due to a lack of common ground. By practicing the same martial art together, family members instantly have a hobby in common. This results to having even more to talk about.
Respect
Parents fight hard to earn the respect of their children. Martial arts instructors teach students to respect fellow instructors and peers, both inside and out of the studio. That sense of respect can be applied to other facets of life, including familial relations.
Discipline
Martial arts students are taught to stick to a practice schedule and attend classes regularly. The discipline to do so will be applied to other areas of a child’s life, too.
Exercise
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children and adolescents should be physically active for 60 minutes per day. Practicing martial arts is a fun and safe way for family members to get the daily exercise they need.