Confidence, self defense, and perseverance the dark side of martial arts.
Now we all know that martial arts training will help with these 3 things. And that is all good. But like anything else that is good there is usually a bad side.
The good:
- As martial arts instructors we try to help students to feel better mentally and physically. Years of telling people that they should feel important, to not be scared of bullies, and to be assertive (Confidence)!
- And of course the self-defense the bread and butter of any martial arts. We train people to defend themselves in different situation, some training is more extreme than others “but that is another story”.
- Of course perseverance “never gives up attitude”. This probably the one thing that makes the martial arts so unique.
The bad
- This can interpreted as arrogance. Giving the impression of being better than others. Adults should know better but children can fall into that trap. It is the instructor’s duty to explain the difference between the two.
- Self-Defense. This can also be use to physically and mentally intimidate others, or even cause harm. As I have stated, some schools are a bit lest cautious on who and what they teach.
- There is a difference between sticking to you guns and to not respect other people’s opinion. FYI most successful organizations flourish by respecting they’re members impute.
So in conclusion, it is the responsibility of the instructors and the parents (Yes the parents), to guide kids on how to conduct themselves, in and out of the Dojo.
Adult are adults, and most people are not aware that they’re behavior is not appropriate. This does not mean that they cannot improve.
Marc Paradis
