| Be your own starting team | |||||||
| by BUDDY AMATO | |||||||
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The martial arts will develop your child's self esteem in many many ways. But the main was is that the child does not have to worry whether or not he or she will be put on the starting line up or if they will just sit the bench until their team is so far ahead or so far behind it does not matter if they are on the field or not. This is something that is common and happens every day in all team sports, its just the way it is and people have excepted it for the most part to the point they actually expect it. I have been to team activities where I have actually heard a parent say, "Well, we are so far behind, maybe they will put in Johnny now." I just can not believe that a parent would get to the point where they have such low regard for the child that they could have that type of mind set to except that unfortunate fact in team sports. Teh martial arts however, does not expect that type of mentality, as a matter of fact it is quite the opposite. The Martial arts takes into consideration that the child or adult for that matter is coming in ofr the reason that they are in need for character building and for self-confidence, each student is their own team. There is no "Lets divide up everyone and see who's team is the best." If you did this you would have the team captains only putting their star karate people first to win the game. Each person develops at their own pace and that means no matter what their own personal goal is and no matter what their, in some cases handicap may be. We have students in the martial arts that are labeled with all types of handicap problems and they excel in the martial arts just like the kids that are in the so called "norm group." The biggest group of kids I see in my own Dojo is the group that falls in the Attention Deficit Disorder(ADD) realm. These kids are great when it comes to to the martial arts. As a matter of fact, I find that some of them are more attentive than others. You have to remember that sometimes the child that has a lot of things on their plate has a hard time focusing on just one thing, they are playing football, baseball, swimming, hockey, soccer and on and on. Sometimes parents come in trying to fit in karate lessons and it's just a battle to do because they are so booked up with all the other sports they simply can not fit it in. On the other hand, you have the child that has the problem of being afflicted with say, ADD. This child is for the most part, not doing all these other activities and because of the simple reason they are able to focus on the task that is put in front of them. If they are not over loaded like the other children, karate/the martial arts is just what the doctor ordered. That is one of the reasons doctors do suggest the martial arts for these children because it calms them down, and develops great self-esteem and that is something that all children need just to get by as a matter of fact, we all need that. I have one child, while I write this column, in mind that fits this description and he is one of my best students. When he first came to me, he was on hyperdrive and if you looked up the word in the word in the dictionary you would no doubt see him. This kid knows more katas/forms in the martial arts than two of the so called average/norm children in the school put together. His father is also a black belt at the academy and this of course helps the child with his progress, but this kid takes to the martial arts like a duck to water, yet he is classified as hyper. How the martial arts works for him is all that pent up hyper activity is being allowed to be released and by doing that and putting into something productive it actually is a benefit. You have to remember that the average child needs to be motivated. What a better motivation for a child with all this energy wanting to come out to tell him its good and direct that pent up hyper energy into some thing productive. I have people watch this child and when they see him perform, they can not believe that he has any affliction what so ever, as a matter of fact, they see him a being gifted. I look for people to give me ideas when writing my columns and good friend and an excellent martial artist named Master David Lentz inspired this column. His Dojo is located in Red Bank, New Jersey and he specializes in the art of "Grappling". He and his top instructor Sensei Lisa Brown run one of the finest Dojos in the state. I would like to thank them for their support over the many years of our friendship. Master Lentz, like myself encourages people that need to shine and be their own team captains to become a martial artist for there is no second teams in our sport. Grandmaster Buddy Amato operates Amato's Karate and Weapons Academy, 589 Palmer Avenue, West Keansburg and is the author of Buddys Animal Kingdom. For more information, call (732) 671-9555.
Copyright Buddy Amato Amato's Goju-ryu Karate, Nunchaku, Bo-staff, Aikido, Sword, Kendo, Sais, Kick-boxing, Tai-Chi and more 589 Palmer Ave, Keansburg and is the author of Buddys Animal Kingdom, NJ 07734 (732) 671-9555 |
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