As a father of 2 children, I have the good fortune of meeting many parents and naturally, our discussions often lead to what our children do for after school activities. Soccer, hockey, baseball, among other things often come up and many times as parents, we always seem to feel that time flies or that there is never enough time
Swimming simply for its safety and overall safe muscle development. We live in Vancouver! A city surrounded by water. If we fall in, we must swim, period. Children must learn how to swim.
Next, I believe martial arts are a necessary part of every child’s development because it helps instill focus, confidence,
Let’s take respect for example. Today I was at my son’s soccer practice and the coaches had them doing some drills. Now, please do not get me wrong here, the coaches did a decent job making sure the kids had fun teaching them drills and having them play but if you were to compare a typical soccer practice with a typical martial arts class, you will see some major and fundamental differences. In a typical Taekwondo class, respect is taught in 3 very clear ways: cognitively, physiologically, and repeatedly. In a Taekwondo class, we first explain what the word “respect” means – being good to oneself and others in a way one would like to be treated. Students are challenged to demonstrate the word in all areas of life, namely, at home, at school, and at ‘soccer practice’. Next, the instructors model physiologically the word respect by bowing, smiling, shaking hands, and helping one another in a positive environment. Finally, the word “respect” is repeatedly used. It is not uncommon to hear the word “respect” 5 times in a single class.
While sports like hockey and soccer will teach our children many of the same values, I believe these skills are acquired indirectly whereas, martial arts will teach these life skills in a very direct and clear way.
In sum, I believe there are many benefits to exposing our children to many different sports but if as a parent, you must choose only a couple, I believe they would have to be swimming and martial arts. Now it's just a matter of seeking out the best swim club and best martial arts club to make sure our kids benefit the most – I hear Master Rim's Taekwondo is pretty good at teaching martial arts in Calgary,
-Master Tony Kook, VP Taekwondo Canada-