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The symptoms of ADHD can be devastating for children. It is especially hard for school-age children who feel isolated and don’t know how to express what they are feeling. They can become quickly behind academically and socially, which leads to lack of self-confidence and depression. Symptoms of childhood ADHD can include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. One way parents are helping their children is by having them train in karate. It is a great way to alleviate these symptoms and overcome the stress they cause.

THE SYMPTOMS

1. Inattention

The first symptom of childhood ADHD is the inability to focus and lack of attention. This includes not being able to follow through on tasks, not being able to focus on what other people are saying and not being able to organize thoughts, tasks and activities.

2. Hyperactivity

The second symptom of childhood ADHD is hyperactivity. Children who suffer from this symptom feel the need to fidget with their hands and feet. They also tend to get up out of their seat often (even when its not an appropriate time) or simply feel an urge to move around. They also tend to talk excessively and are always on the go.

3. Impulsivity

The third symptom of childhood ADHD is impulsivity. Children who have difficulty waiting their turns, who often interrupt and who answer questions before they’ve been completed may suffer from this symptom.

THE TREATMENT

Training in karate may help alleviate many symptoms of ADHD. Through karate, children learn physical and mental self-control through practice and self-discipline. This ability to control their body also helps them to discipline their mind. These two skills feed off of one another and carry over to other parts of your life. The more they learn to control their body, the more they can control their mind. The more they can control their mind, the more they’ll be able to control their body. This control carries over to other parts of their life as well: Once they can control their body while training, they’ll be able to start controlling their urges to move and fidget. The same goes for their mind. As they become more self-disciplined, they’ll be able to concentrate and focus on their daily activities, school and relationships.

Even if your child hasn’t been officially diagnosed with ADHD, they may suffer from some or even many of the symptoms. If so, you owe it to yourself to start alleviating the stress in their life. The self-discipline and self-awareness needed to train in karate helps you stay in control of your environment and life. The best place to find these skills is at a good school, namely the Orillia Academy of Karate.

As parents, we do everything we can to protect our children from harm and to provide them with the skills they need to be healthy, successful adults. The problem is, we are not with them all the time. What our kids do at school is sometimes a mystery to us. Are they polite to their teachers? Do they participate in class? Are they bullying other kids? Are they being bullied? There is something you can do to help get them on track to be successful in school and to avoid the bully-trap even when you’re not around: Enroll them in a karate class.

Continue reading “Does Learning Karate Help Combat Bullying?”

Many people come in contact with martial arts first as children, and it can be hard for them to shake the feeling that martial arts is just for kids. Nothing could be further from the truth, however, and as an adult, there are plenty of benefits that you can gain from stepping on the mat and taking a shot at something like kung fu, aikido or karate. Plenty of adults take advantage of martial arts classes in their area and you will find that these classes have plenty to offer you.

First and foremost, martial arts will help you develop physically. Rather than being a workout that only focuses on one aspect of your health and physical well being, martial arts takes a more full body wellness approach. You will receive instruction that helps you gain flexibility as well as muscle tone, something that can be very important if you work at an office or spend most of the day in front of a computer! Martial arts is a great way for you to get in shape and stay there.

Martial arts also has an impressive ability to help you maintain your body. Have you been plagued with a yo-yo weight your whole life? When you work in martial arts, you will be able to maintain your physique. The constant regular workouts will provide you with a routine that you can use to stabilize your weight, something that is very important in terms of staying healthy as you age.

If you are missing a spiritual element in your life, you can find many schools of martial arts that will help you find it. Martial arts is about a wellness of the mind as well as of the body and you will find that there is a great deal that you can discover by working towards both at once. Many martial arts schools emphasize how equally important the body is to the mind and vice versa.

Finally, keep in mind that martial arts can make you a great more confident in the face of the world around you. A good martial arts class will push your physical limits and more often than not, you will find that you are a capable of a great deal more than you thought you were. With the confidence comes a degree of discipline you may not have had before. Martial arts can be demanding in terms of commitment, and the discipline you learn on the mats is something that will be carried through to the rest of your life.

The key is to finding a school that suits you.  Go to a few studios in the area around you and check them out. The atmosphere you get from a school that focuses primarily on going to competitions is very different from the one that works on balance, centering and looking within.

Whether you’re looking for more self-confidence or more control, more flexibility or more strength, the Orillia Academy of Karate can suit your needs.

For more information, contact Orillia Parks & Rec or instructor Gerry Ramsay at (705) 326-8259.