Martial arts training, taken as pure exercise, develops cardiovascular fitness as well as muscular strength. Martial artists also enjoy a heightened level of balance, as well as learning skills to avoid injury. The benefits of physical fitness for children and teenagers are well-documented. Physically active children have fewer chronic health problems than kids who are sedentary. While martial arts training may not be as calorie-consuming as its more fitness-oriented counterparts, martial arts classes exercise all joints and muscle groups.

Physical Benefits Include:

• Increased Physical Endurance
• Enhanced Coordination
• Increased Cardiovascular Fitness
• Potential Reduction of Body Fat
• Improved Muscle Tone
• Improved Stability and Balance
• Improved Strength

Learning to execute the complex and foreign techniques of martial arts requires extreme mental focus. Students have to concentrate under pressure, a skill that students often find applicable in other parts of their lives. Martial arts training also requires extensive memorization of terms and techniques, another skill that is applicable to other parts of students’ lives. The requirements for each belt level represent incremental improvement, with successive belt ranks requiring more difficult and comprehensive knowledge. This teaches students goal-setting and patience. Martial arts training requires discipline. Students learn self-control and concentration. Classes instill such discipline by showing students a path of rewards for hard work and dedication.

Mental Benefits Include:

• Improved Performance Under Pressure
• More Productive Goal Setting
• Increased Self-Discipline
• Reduced Stress Levels

Martial arts training instills a sense of belonging by encouraging camaraderie among students. This feeling of belonging increases students’ self-esteem. As students progress to a level where they can accomplish seemingly superhuman feats they once thought were impossible, they feel a surge of pride and self-confidence.This confidence enables students to feel better about themselves and their reactions to conflict and confrontation. Martial arts students are expected to show respect – respect to each other and their instructors. Sometimes it is a simple bow, sometimes it is a salute of some kind. The gesture, no matter how small it may seem, encompasses gratitude for the learning the student receives and acknowledgement of the other person’s abilities.

Social Benefits Include:

• Camaraderie
• Increased Self-Confidence
• Respect