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Oxytocin has been dubbed the “love chemical.” It is the hormone that is released when we feel love and trust in relationships. For most people, they know oxytocin as a significant part of the parent-child bonding process. However, it is also very important in overall human relationships and is considered our “social glue.” The release […]

As parents, we want what’s best for our children. The reality is that today’s children are pushed to their limits with extra-curricular activities by well-meaning parents. With that said, we’ve put together some details about how over-committing children are retroactive for their development. For starters, let’s look at why we tend to over-commit our children: […]

Have you ever wondered why children and teens seem to be so addicted to their smartphones and other devices? Parents are frustrated with their children’s lack of attention and motivation but what do their devices have to do with this? The answer is found in science! Often referred to as the “motivator molecule,” dopamine is […]

Good behavior is a learning process for children, and we are their roadmap. Children usually behave per their own emotions and impulses. At the same time, being a parent is also a learning process and sometimes we rely on our own emotions and impulses to teach. Usually, that means we divert directly to punishments when […]

Have you ever had that friend that asked: “Why is your son/daughter in martial arts?” We are sure you have. We are also sure that you were able to provide a great answer to that question. We were recently asked that question as well! Before we replied, we knew we really wanted to get to […]

Maybe you’re still not sure that studying martial arts is right for your child. That’s okay. We understand. There are lots of activities to choose from, and you want to pick the best. Of course, we’re biased. We started studying martial arts when we were very young, and we know first hand that martial arts […]

Kids come in all shapes and sizes. Some kids seem to come out of the womb with natural grace and athletic ability. They run before they can walk! Other kids struggle with physical coordination and athletics. Anything they achieve in terms of physical fitness comes at a cost. They must work hard to improve. Because […]

It’s amazing to us that so many activities separate boys and girls. Admittedly, there are some benefits to single-sex activities, but later in life, we all need to know how to interact with one another. One question we get frequently from parents has to do with gender. They want to know if girls and boys […]

We hear it all the time. A parent walks into our school to meet with us, and the first question they ask is this: Will my child get hurt doing martial arts? It’s a good question to ask – an important one. Injuries are part of life, but that doesn’t mean that parents are lining […]

Every parent wants to keep their children safe. We watch the news and it can seem like the world is nothing but danger. We worry that our kids are vulnerable, and we wonder what we can do to keep them from being hurt or taken advantage of. One risk that kids face is stranger danger. […]

In one of our earlier posts, we told you that persistence is one of the five core tenets of martial arts. It’s a must for kids to learn to fulfill their obligations and stick to their commitments – but what makes them want to do that? In martial arts, we attribute it to one small […]

You know how good it feels to set your sights on a goal and then achieve it. It’s empowering and invigorating – and it’s not just a matter of chance. Goal-setting is an important life skill. The good news is that studying the martial arts can help your child learn: The importance of setting goals […]

There are a lot of emotional benefits available to kids who study the martial arts. We’ve talked about some of them already, but today we’re going to talk about one that sometimes gets overlooked: Martial arts classes are a great place to make friends! Think about how most of us make friends. Friendships often start […]

As adults, we think a lot about stress. Modern life is difficult. We worry about paying the bills, doing our jobs well – and we worry about our kids. That’s part of our jobs as parents, but we don’t want our kids to be affected by stress. It’s not good for them physically or emotionally. […]

It’s time to talk about the emotional benefits of studying martial arts. Let’s face it – kids have a hard time managing their emotions. You’d be hard-pressed to find a parent who hasn’t had to deal with their share of temper tantrums. It’s exhausting. Here’s the thing: it’s exhausting for kids, too. Toddlers have temper […]

It’s time to talk about the fifth and final core tenet of martial arts. In many ways, this tenet brings all the other tenets together – and it explains why kids who study martial arts have a light in their eyes that other kids don’t. We call it Indomitable Spirit. What does it mean to […]

We’ve been talking about the core tenets of martial arts instruction, and today’s tenet is one that a lot of kids need to learn. We’re talking about self-control. Control is something that’s hard for kids. Their brains and bodies aren’t fully developed, and from the time they’re babies, we give them what they need. In […]

You know how that saying goes, right? Try, try again! And that brings us to our next core tenet of martial arts: perseverance. Perseverance is what keeps us going when it would be easier to give up. It’s what makes us get up when we fall down – and it often means the difference between […]

It’s time to talk about our second core tenet, and it’s an important one. It can be hard to teach kids about the importance of honor. Every day, they see celebrities and other public figures behaving dishonorably – and if you want your child to learn why integrity matters, then signing them up for a […]

Martial arts instructors talk about core tenets – things that dictate our behavior inside and outside of class. These are things that we teach our students. Their value goes far beyond martial arts instruction. In other words, these are life skills. There are five core tenets that our students learn. In this post, we’ll explain […]

Our last blog post focused on why kids are targeted by bullies, and explained how studying martial arts can help make your child a less attractive target. Today, we want to look at bullying from the other side. Why do some kids bully their classmates? The truth is that bullies have a lot in common […]

Bullying is in the news a lot these days. Hardly a day passes without there being a story about a child who was at the receiving end of bullying – and it can have terrible consequences. When we look at the problem of bullying, it’s important to do it from both sides. Why are some […]

Focus and memorization go hand in hand. In our last blog post, we talked about how studying martial arts helps kids focus and behave better in the classroom. Today, we want to tell you how it can improve your child’s memory, too. Memorization is a key skill for learning. Without the ability to memorize, your […]

Both in school and in life, kids need to learn how to work well with others. While they’re young, they must collaborate with fellow students on group projects – and play with them at recess. And when they grow up, they’ll need to know how to work with colleagues and clients to build success. You […]

One of the things that we hear a lot from parents is that their kids are acting up in school. They have outbursts during class or simply don’t listen to their teachers. That affects their grades – and their parents’ peace of mind. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And you’ll be happy to […]

You know that studying martial arts classes provide an aerobic workout. What might surprise you is that it tones muscles, too. A lot of people associate muscle toning with lifting weights or – in the case of abdominal muscles – doing crunches. And sometimes they make the mistake of thinking that studying martial arts has […]

There’s no denying that childhood obesity has become a problem. Kids spend their time playing video games instead of running around outside – and the lack of activity has caused many kids to gain weight. And the thing is, obesity isn’t just a problem in terms of kids’ appearance. It can impact nearly every area […]

Any parent of young kids knows that their energy seems boundless. It can be a challenge to keep up! In fact, many parents end the day exhausted from running around after their kids. The exhaustion is real – and it can take over even when your kids are old enough to be in school most […]

Let’s focus on some of the physical benefits kids get from studying martial arts. We want to start with one that might surprise you. Here it is: Studying martial arts makes kids less destructive because it helps them control their movements. Now, you might be thinking, how can learning how to break a board with […]

We want to address one of the most common questions we get from parents about enrolling their kids in martial arts classes. They worry – and you may too – that putting their kids in a martial arts classroom will teach them that fighting is the best way to resolve their problems. We think the […]

As people grow older, they begin to find ways to be more productive and make use of their time. For senior citizens, in particular, they find that there is even more time they need to utilize and want to do so effectively. Many will go out and find other jobs while others will pursue hobbies […]

Every year, the American Heart Association celebrates Heart Month to raise awareness about heart disease and heart health. What you may not know is that martial arts are great for the heart. In fact, the cardiac benefits of martial arts give a whole new meaning to the idea of cardiovascular fitness. With that in mind, […]

Grade school can be quite the experience for any child. It is a place where a child not only learns academically but one where a child must learn to socialize and function in the world. Unfortunately, there are a lot of negative experiences that a child may have when going through school. Whatever those experiences […]