ADHD Tag

Has your child been labelled with ADHD?

Martial Arts, and specifically karate, is a useful activity to supplement any other strategy you are considering to help your child.

Karate has many benefits for children.  Specifically for children with ADHD or Asperger Syndrome or any similar challenges, martial arts activities can help them develop skills that can be translated positively into many areas of their lives.

Karate is not a team sport and yet it is social.  So the dojo becomes a safe and non-competitive place for children to learn, while still having healthy role models, and needing to engage with others and develop social skills.   They are taught about respect, accountability and leadership through the exercises and routines in karate.

Because Karate is also a sport that needs commitment, children learn about practicing something repeatedly and attending class consistently.   The grading system with different coloured belts teaches personal goal setting, and is a healthy means of marking and measuring progress.  This helps to provide structure and the mindset that things can be worked at and developed with perseverance.

Mental/physical control is an aspect that ADHD children can benefit from, and this is developed in karate alongside a growing self-confidence.  As the children learn certain drills and sequences in the karate katas, they learn to follow procedures and find rhythm, which help with them learning about controlling their minds and bodies.

Focus and self-discipline is also needed to learn the kata’s and routines, as well as the ability to stay on a task.  When asked if karate classes can help children who battle to focus, Sifu Leo responded:

“The brain can be trained to create new pathways by learning new positive methods while using up excess energies.”

“Also mental focus becomes stronger from Karate because the skill of focus is trained inside an environment where certain methods are repeated over and over, becoming a positive habit.”

Martial art is a means to stimulate the body and the mind, and encourage participation in a constructive manner.

“I’ve had experience with children with ADHD, and with its challenges, I’ve seen my students being able to channel their excess energy into something positive for themselves,”

continues Leo.

“Martial art is a great method of managing negative energies.  And I welcome the opportunity to assist in any child’s development through the benefits of karate.”

 

Contact Sifu Leo Low Ming on 0833780468 to learn more about his Karate Classes for children in Parkview, Johannesburg.