Kid’s martial arts and fear
Kid’s martial arts and fear
Everybody is afraid of something. We all have our idiosyncrasies and phobias-for some its spiders, heights, or closed spaces. In kid’s martial arts a common fear is that of losing or not performing well. Most fear comes from what is unknown and he outcome of matches or sparring is not known. I would venture to say that the butterflies that we get before tournaments or performances is that little bit of fear…and that’s healthy.
Coaching in kid’s martial arts class
Kid’s martial arts: what is fear?
Many people vilify fear as a negative, that it hinders us and it keeps us from living a full life;however let me posit that fear is no something to be rid of in our lives. Fear can be healthy and we have to respect it, acknowledge it, and keep moving forward. There are far too many instances in which fear is healthy and gives us the timely warnings we need to understand. The trick is to not let your fear paralyze you.
In kid’s martial arts classes fear can manifest in many ways-fear of losing, fear of doing it wrong, fear of embarrassment, fear of letting down your team/coach. The environment in the class has to be one that can foster growth and still challenge the children to apply what they have learned. They have to feel like they can get past the fear to see that what they were afraid of isn’t really that bad.
Coaching in kid’s martial arts class
Kid’s martial arts and learning to move past fear…
One of the things I notice about the coaches in my daughter’s kid’s martial arts class is that they are always encouraging the kids to keep trying. They work with the kids on their level and break things down for them to understand. Understanding it mentally, academically, is important but the difference is the coaches also help the kids use that knowledge in the matches. I have to admit there was one time I was watching my daughter roll and saw it in her face that she recognized how do do something under the duress of the match. She can get excited and not pay attention to what shes doing at times, she’s 7 years old. I saw that she recognized what to do in a certain situation because her coach was helping her-she was listening, focusing, and applying what she had learned. It was a glimpse, for me, into what every child is capable of doing.
Learning to move past fear, learning to trust the people around you that are trying to help you, and evolving are some benefits of moving past fear. Vulnerability, accepting the fear, accepting you may fail is part of the larger picture that opening up andmoving past fear can lead to also accepting your greatest rewards.
Coaching in kid’s martial arts class