You may be surprised to hear what I’m about to tell you. Even if you disagree, at first, I want you to keep reading. I’ll explain what I mean by what I’m about to say.
As a martial arts instructor, I want my students to use what they learn in class every day. I can imagine some of you might be thinking, “I don’t want my kid starting fights or hitting others!”
Don’t worry, this isn’t Cobra Kai. I don’t want your kids starting fights, either.
While most parents include self-defense or self-protection as a reason they’re signing their child up for classes, they also will ask me, “Will Karate make my child violent?”
The fact is, for many kids, Karate gives them a positive outlet. The martial arts teach them humility, self-control, and respect for others. All the things that help kids become less likely to kick or punch others out of aggression or anger.
To put it another way, instead of using their kicks and punches in their every day lives, kids take the humility, self-control, and respect for others that they learn in class into their every day lives. Can you imagine being the envy of the other moms and dads because your kid has these traits? It’s what virtually every parent wants, right?
In the words of infomercial icon Billy Mays, “But wait! There’s more!”
There’s More to Self-Defense Than Kicking and Punching Attackers
Check out this Facebook message I received not long ago:
![Every day self-defense: "[My son] was riding his skateboard [...] He fell, but when he did he used the 'falling' method you taught him. He was able to protect his head from hitting the pavement, so thank you!"](https://marketmusclescdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/775/2022/05/26170009/Untitled-design-46-1.png)
“So I just gotta tell you about [son’s name]. He was riding his skateboard yesterday and I’ve been trying to teach him some tricks. He fell, but when he did he used the “falling” method you taught him. He was able to protect his head from hitting the pavement, so thank you! He was like good thing I used that technique master pattillo taught me.”
The techniques I taught her son were rear break falls and side break falls. Simple, basic moves that help keep a person from hitting their head in a fall. Her son, in a split second, reacted to the fall by landing in a way that protected his head and wrist (two body parts most often injured in a fall that can lead to a visit to the ER).
I was so happy and proud that he had applied what he learned in class.
Another student, one of my adult Karate students, shared with me that he used a technique he learned in Karate class when he got into his car accident: the forearm shield. It protected his face and neck from some of the impact debris. The debris ended up cutting his arm but not his face or neck.
For both kids and adults, the top reason for signing up for our martial arts classes is self-defense. What many of them do not realize is that “self-protection” or “self-defense” is so much more than kicking and punching an attacker. Martial arts can help us to stay safe in countless scenarios.
Let me share the statement I started with because I suspect you’ll completely agree with me:
As a martial arts instructor, I want my students to use what they learn in class every day.
Ready to give it a try?
Get started today with our Kids Martial Arts Introductory Program or our adult Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Introductory Program for classes in Winder, GA. Or give us a call at 678-469-6320.
Matt Pattillo is the owner of Master Pattillo Martial Arts in Winder, GA and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Winder – Team Pedro Sauer. A 6th Degree Black Belt in Karate, and head instructor since 2001, Master Pattillo has taught thousands of kids and adults in Barrow County, GA