Have you ever wondered how your children have so much energy all of the time? Has this gotten your child in trouble before? Maybe, they’re turning their energy into aggression and you don’t know what to do about it?
As a physical activity, martial arts are sometimes thought of as violent or aggressive but this is a misunderstanding. Here at Meridian Kung Fu we teach that outside of practice, physical contact is used only in situations where you cannot walk away or get help. The fundamental values of respect and control are taught alongside basic techniques, meaning that students understand and respect this.
An activity like Kung Fu can encourage good behaviour from an early age; we make the learning experience fun so that discipline and good behaviour develops as second nature for our students. Some of the key qualities we aim to instil in our students include being polite, well-mannered and respectful; this could come from something as simple as bowing or standing still when listening to instructions.
Kung Fu is unlike other sports that can promote an unhealthy sense of competition or even lower self confidence levels; it focuses on self-control and self-regulation to an extent that is not found in other sports, yet actively engages the children to keep them interested. The reason Kung Fu works so well in young kids is because they are taught to focus on a particular technique or skill, practising and repeating it until it becomes as natural as a reflex, meaning they are training themselves without considering the activity as hard work. We have found that this kind of training translates well into the school environment. Kids are more focused on work during school and become more disciplined when undertaking an activity that requires steady concentration such as longer homework projects.
A session at Meridian Kung Fu means engaged and focused children. Our sessions improve concentration levels as well as cognitive reasoning, which can help with behaviour, especially at school. Bullying is becoming harder than ever to tackle and sometimes as parents we are stuck in finding the best solution for our child. We work with the children to ensure they know how to avoid conflict but also so they understand why aggression is unhelpful and not an attribute they should have.
We believe that the skills learnt in class will help them not only at school and in the home environment, but also for the future when they enter the working world. In class, your children will learn good habits and listening skills at a young age meaning that they will be more than prepared for whatever the future throws at them.
So, book a trial class now, and watch your child’s behaviour and concentration change for the better!
You can find out about our age appropriate programmes here.
As the 1st January has been and gone, many of us will have set ourselves new year’s resolutions (that we might have already broken). According to one commonly cited statistic, only about 8% of people stick to their new year’s resolutions. So, what if you could be part of that 8%? What if you could be the type of person who keeps these promises to be better to yourself? What is it that gives someone the ability to control a negative lifetime habit?
Deep down we know that bad habits stop you from achieving what you really want out of life. Most bad habits come from either stress or boredom or perhaps both. The problem is that simply deciding to cut off a bad habit usually ends in relapse.
The best way to deal with a habit you don’t want anymore, is to replace it with something positive. The two don’t have to be related. For example, your bad habit could be unhealthy eating but this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to replace it with carrot sticks and celery. You may be eating because you’re bored, so why not fill that boredom with a new activity? A new activity such as kung fu.
People are often afraid of trying new things, but all it takes is that first step of action. Then you can be on your way to breaking a bad habit completely. ‘People’ is probably the wrong word to use, adults are the ones so afraid of trying new things whereas kids will usually try anything. It’s never too late to start a new habit like kung fu. Replacing whatever your lifetime habit was with something positive is the first stage in kicking that habit for good.
Another way to address a bad habit is to first accept what it is, and to acknowledge the triggers for the habit. You may be indulging in a little too much chocolate or you may be smoking. It doesn’t even have to be health related, it could be something like being in a toxic relationship. Whatever it is, make sure you distract yourself with something productive. Avoid the triggers and plunge yourself into a different atmosphere. Kung fu teaches the self-discipline you need to tackle the bad habit head on as well as promoting a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally.
Self-discipline is so important because not only will it help you combat the bad habit, it will also prevent you from picking up bad habits in the future. There is no doubt that a lifetime habit won’t go away overnight but you can tell yourself that this is perfectly fine. A relapse is possible, but it’s your ability to keep going that separates you from those who won’t make the change. As they say, slow and steady wins the race.
Lifetime habits are hard to change. They’ve obviously been there for a long time, but they are not impossible to change. Get support from other people and remember how good it feels when you’re practising the positive change and feeling the benefit of breaking that negative habit.
If you want to introduce positive habits into your life and practise self-discipline, try adult kung fu with Meridian Kung Fu. With friendly classes in Southend and throughout south Essex, there’s something for you. Remember too that everyone starts as a beginner.
Book adult trial courses here.
Book children’s courses here.
Practising martial arts offers exciting and dynamic training for the mind, body and spirit. Committing to a workout routine can be tough, particularly without a coach or trainer. Meridian Kung Fu offers kids and adult students dynamic step-by-step sessions, coached by professional instructors at every class they attend.
Are the best years of our lives really spent at school? Isn’t school supposed to be the time in our lives when we don’t have the stress of paying bills, supporting family and have freedom to enjoy our time? For many children today the answer is simply NO.
Time at school can be unbearable for kids, especially when others are making their lives a misery through bullying. Whether it’s name-calling, online abuse, social exclusion or another form of bullying, receiving such treatment can be hurtful, frightening and sometimes dangerous. Even if our children aren’t experiencing bullying right now, as parents it is natural to be concerned that it could happen in the future.