“Is this an appropriate exercise for my preschooler?”
“ What are they going to learn?”
“How will this help them?”
“Will this turn them into a bully?”
“Are there other kids in their age group doing this?”
Of course there are many additional questions that can be asked, but these are the most common we experience when someone inquires about our Little Dragons program.
As a martial arts instructor for over 25 years, including close to 15 years working with Preschoolers, I can put your mind at ease. Age appropriate martial arts instruction is fantastic for preschoolers. Children in these programs gain by learning: improved muscle coordination, better balance, patience, focus, proper listening skills, respect and self control. All this is accomplished in a manner that is fun and exciting for the child while laying the foundational building block for a lifetime of learning. These skills not only will improve their overall health they will help them be better prepared to enter into school and be a focused positive learner.
A good preschool martial arts program will use the basic techniques of the martial arts in a way that develops gross and fine motor skills while programming muscle memory that will carry over as the child get older and enters into a more advanced martial arts class. In a well formatted program the basic martial arts skills are also supported by other activities to build stronger bodies and sharper minds. This includes other coordination and strength building activities as well as learning the language and protocols of the traditional martial arts.
Parents are often hesitant to start a child in a karate program for fear that this will teach them how to be a bully and start fights. The exact opposite is the truth. Preschool martial arts will teach them when it is appropriate to use their self defense skills and when it is inappropriate. The goals of the program is self improvement while also giving them the skills necessary to resist a bully’s advances and later on the ability to do the right thing when peer pressure wants to lead them down the wrong path.
We have literally taught hundreds of preschoolers in our Little Dragons program. Many of our teen age Black Belts started as Little Dragons. I see them now as leaders not only in their karate classes but as leaders within their peer groups and communities. Their academic records demonstrate that they have learned the importance of cultivating the mind as well as the body. As our first Little Dragons are getting ready to move onto college now we are eager to see how they will continue to excel academically, and later in their professions and the communities where they will someday decide to establish their own families.
Master Scott C. Homschek is the owner and Chief Instructor of River Valley Tang Soo Do Academy. His journey in the martial arts began at age 11. Today he brings more than 30 years of experience to his students of all ages. The Little Dragons, preschool martial arts, program at his studio has been used as a model for many other martial arts studios around the country. For more information about his programs please visit: www.rvtsda.com
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