How to Get Kids Interested in Martial Arts?

As parents, we all want the best for our kids. We want them to be successful in everything they do and grow up to be happy and healthy adults. While every one of us has the best interest of our kids in our hearts, we cannot always be available to protect them from troubles and unexpected bad encounters.

Kids love to enjoy and explore their surroundings. They’re still in the development phase and are figuring out how everything and everyone fit into their world. They are no strangers to pushing boundaries. They love exploring the unexplored and leaving no stone unturned to get what they want.

Parents and teachers must encourage kids to be creative and not afraid to push boundaries. However, they must also arm kids with the tools and skills needed to protect themselves in case they find themselves in trouble.

Martial arts can save lives. This applies to adults and kids. Kids need swift thinking, evading tough situations, and the ability to deal with situations in case there’s no way out. Martial arts make your kids grow more confident and protect others who can’t defend themselves.

If you’re wondering how to get kids interested in martial arts, you’re already miles ahead of others in caring for the safety and well-being of your kids.

As with anything when it comes to kids, you cannot force them to go to practice and train. You have to make it interesting enough for them to take up the challenge and enjoy themselves. Kids want to prove their worth to themselves and other kids around them. What better way than getting them involved in martial arts.

How to Get Kids Interested in Martial Arts?

You have to keep in mind that you need to make training interesting and exciting for kids. They must feel a sense of achievement and satisfaction with each training session. Of course, there should be fun and games too. However, the big motivation should be to level up and learn a skill so that kids can protect themselves.

For boys, competition is a big motivator. Combine healthy competition with rewards at the end and they will be happy to enjoy the process while leveling up.

Girls enjoy being competitive too. However, they respond well to positive reinforcements. The feeling of improving together as a team works well with girls.

Here are a few ways how to get kids interested in martial arts,

1. Talk About It With Kids

As parents, you have to tie a reward to good behavior (training) to get kids to be regular in their classes. Children are extremely curious and usually move from one thing to another if they even feel a little bored. They want excitement and energy and don’t want to do anything that is boring.

It’s on you as the parent to be responsible to keep your children excited to train martial arts. Give them a lot of positive reinforcements and rewards for doing well in their class. Talk to them about what happened every day in the class.

Another way you can keep them motivated is by asking them about the values they’re learning in class. Ask them how they are utilizing those values in other things they’re doing. Kids martial arts teach courage, determination, respect, honor, self-discipline, goal-setting, and other values. Tell your kids how they can use the values they’re learning in martial arts and use them in other areas to improve themselves.

2. Movies and Videos

Nothing gets kids love martial arts more than watching martial arts movies and videos that inspire them. There are plenty of good martial arts movies for kids that will encourage your kids to train in martial arts.

Some of the best martial arts movies for kids are The Karate Kid (1984), The Forbidden Kingdom, Kung Fu Panda, The Karate Kid (2010), and 3 Ninjas. There are also many other movies, including the ones with Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. These are some good additions to the list of movies to show your kids.

You can also get your kids interested in martial arts kid classes with videos on the internet. You can show the impressive skills of other kids who are well-trained in martial arts. Videos of how smaller opponents outclass bigger opponents with skill and technique impress kids too.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) becomes interesting for kids when you show them videos of smaller people winning fights against bigger opponents.

Mixed martial arts classes for kids are getting more popular due to the exponential growth of mixed martial arts (MMA) in recent years. The ability to combine striking and ground skills to outclass opponents and win fights is a powerful skill to possess. MMA training will positively transform your kids’ lives.

3. Friends and Other Kids Doing It

Martial arts becomes a more interesting activity when your kids’ friends and other kids are doing it together. If your kids have any of their friends enrolled in BJJ, Karate, Taekwondo, Wrestling, Boxing, or other martial arts kid classes, it becomes easier for you to get your kids to join martial arts classes.

If there are no kids training in martial arts, you can take the initiative as the parent to get in touch with the parents of other kids. You can talk to them about kids martial arts training to keep kids healthy, happy, and valuable life lessons.

Usually, you’ll find that other parents are also looking for ways to keep their kids productively engaged in activities that improve them.  When you can connect with other parents and suggest martial arts training for kids, you can collectively make something incredible happen.

4. Take them to Martial Arts Tournaments

Kids love activities when they see others like them do similar activities. Take your kids to martial arts tournaments in your city or near your city.

There are martial arts tournaments happening all around you all the time. It’s incredibly easy to find ones that are happening near your location.

These martial arts tournaments are highly organized and kids will be excited to see kids like themselves go against each other. This will hugely motivate them to try martial arts.

There are live Wrestling, BJJ, Karate, Taekwondo, and other martial arts tournaments happening around you. Take your kids to these events. You can ask them to try the martial art for themselves for fun and see if they like it or not. More often than not, your kids will be enthusiastic about it and want to try out the moves themselves.

Once your kids are interested in martial arts, you can search for martial arts classes for kids in your city. You can then enroll them in kids martial arts training to see how they like the classes.

5. Train Martial Arts with Kids

There is nothing more effective for kids to motivate to try martial arts than seeing their parents train in martial arts.

Kids look up to their parents all the time and you can set an example by training in martial arts yourself. You will naturally have the attention of your kids who want to do what you do.

Most parents today are too busy to schedule time with kids and simply want things for their kids that they themselves don’t want to try.

As an adult, even if you haven’t trained in martial arts ever, you will find it very useful while motivating your kids to try it with you.

You can also make training a family affair and involve your other partner. When kids see both their parents train, it is inspiring for them to do what their parents are doing and grow with them. It can be striking or grappling — but when your kids see you do it, it makes them more interested in doing it along with you.

Many parents are involving their kids in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu while also simultaneously taking BJJ adult classes themselves. The fact that kids see their parents on the mat, training as they do, makes the entire experience a great bonding session for the family.

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There are many other ways to get kids to try martial arts. However, we’ve seen the top 5 ways how to get kids interested in martial arts. You can use any of these ways or combine a few of them to really get your kids involved in martial arts.

Most kids these days sit in their homes playing video games, eating junk food, and not involving in any activities. As a result, we’re seeing an epidemic in childhood obesity with kids remaining inactive and not having any physical activity to stay in shape.

Parents must take a little blame too as they themselves are out of shape and kids don’t see them doing activities. Take it upon yourself to involve yourself in physical activities and get your kids to train along with you.

Martial arts is an excellent way to keep you and your kids fit. There are plenty of exercises for kids to do to keep them in good shape as they grow into young adults.

Your kids will also learn essential life values such as discipline, honor, courage, and respect. This is another reason why martial arts is excellent for your kids. You can never go wrong with choosing a martial art for your kids to train in for their self-development.

Parents worry whether martial arts will make their kids become bullies and more troublesome. However, the opposite is true. The values taught in martial arts classes combined with the strict training regimen will keep your kids grounded. They will become more respectful towards others. You will see your kids do well in other areas of life when they train regularly in martial arts. Kids’ grades in schools improve as they become more aware of themselves and their surroundings. They become more disciplined and are less likely to be swayed into bad habits by others. Kids also become more ready to defend and protect the weak who cannot protect themselves.

There are various martial arts classes for kids in your city and you can choose the one that you feel is right, has good teachers, and that your kids love. First, let your kids pick a martial art form they’re interested in, and then you can decide on the best martial arts kid classes in your city.

If you’re in Westwood, New Jersey, we would highly encourage you to check out Training Grounds Jiu-Jitsu & MMA for kids martial arts. We teach martial arts classes for kids and love seeing the life transformation in your kids. Our programs teach your kids the life skills they will need to succeed in life, along with the self-defense skills to protect themselves and walk through life with confidence.

When it comes to kids’ martial arts training, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. This is why we take the time to discuss with parents the challenges they’re facing with their kids and how our program can help them.

Let martial arts boost your kids to focus on their goals, perform better in every area of life, remain fit, practice self-control, become more respectful, and live a confident life.