Building leadership skills in kids is so important in creating productive, successful leaders. We all know that the best leaders are those who are balanced in both mind and body. Martial arts classes build leadership skills in kids in the most effective way, through training that develops both physical and mental at the same time.
Top 5 Leadership Skills for Kids
There are multiple leadership skills kids need to be successful leaders. We’ve chosen the top five to create a great foundation for your kids’ first steps in becoming a strong leader.
1 – Emotional Intelligence
Building leadership skills in kids starts with developing emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence covers not only self-awareness, but the ability to have empathy too.
Self-awareness is the ability to identify that emotions affect those around you, this awareness will help kids to better regulate their own emotional reactions. Martial arts classes teach kids to be able to control their minds and bodies in stressful situations through practice in a safe environment. Through technical drills and sparring practice kids learn to recognize and control their ego by working together with partners of varying skill sets. We all recognize that an out-of-control ego can stunt a person’s progress as a leader. Martial arts classes for kids help them to let their egos go in order to be aware of both their strengths and weaknesses.
Our safe and fun classes help kids develop the leadership skill of empathy, which is how to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Our classes focus on team and partner work, which requires a back and forth between training partners and instils a mutual understanding and develops empathy.
2 – Decisiveness
Decisiveness is fundamentally the ability to make decisions quickly and confidently. Our professional martial arts instructors work with our students through sparring drills that challenge their ability to read an opponent and to make quick decisions while under pressure. This time spent in class builds kids’ confidence in their skills and decision making ability and extends to life off the mats, too. This is another way that martial arts classes build leadership skills in kids.
3 – Communication
Communication skills are extremely important for everyone and cover more than just speaking clearly, but also listening and presenting in a clear and concise manner. Martial arts classes help kids’ to learn to work with a partner, communicating while doing drills, speaking words of encouragement or discussing how to use a technique in new ways. All of these pieces of communication happen while working in a fast-paced class environment which stresses the importance of being clear and concise while under pressure. This is an important leadership skill that naturally happens through the course of a typical martial arts class.
4 – Motivation
Motivation is a two-way street, you need to be self-motivated and have the ability to motivate others. We know that martial arts classes build a drive and desire in our students to be the best they can be. This lights a fire in them to want to come to classes and to train hard while at the dojo. As students develop their skills they build more and more motivation and this leads to a spill over into motivating others. Our professional instructors create a positive environment for all students and demonstrate positive ways to motivate everyone. Sitting on the sidelines of a typical class you will hear students cheering each other on, speaking words of encouragement and helping each other to be the best martial artists they can be.
5 – Teamwork
We have mentioned this a few times throughout this blog as teamwork is one of the most important leadership skills that a martial arts class can develop in kids. In our Karate, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes, kids learn how to work with many different partners, each with their own set of skills and challenges. This gives our students the opportunity to learn to work with and support each other, regardless of where they are on their martial arts journey. It is amazing to watch them challenge and encourage each other to learn and grow in their chosen martial art and to see them use these skills in their everyday lives.
How can you develop these 5 leadership skills in your kids?
Mastering all five of these leadership skills; emotional intelligence, decisiveness, communication, motivation and teamwork all help to develop leadership in kids. The best way to develop these in your kids is by placing them in environments that will naturally build these skills while they are having fun. Martial arts classes are the perfect place for kids to develop leadership skills while keeping active and having fun!
Are you ready to get started? All of our schools are ready to help you start your martial arts journey!
Email: arashido.lynn@gmail.com
Calgary North: 403-612-4050 | Calgary South: 403-809-0245 | Calgary Southwest: 403-809-0245 | Calgary West: 403-990-0482
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