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Martial arts training will definitely help your child to be less shy. It can provide them with a sense of accomplishment and confidence.

Bold And Confident

Through regular training and practice, kids can learn new skills and develop a sense of pride in their abilities. This can help to boost their self-esteem and give them the confidence to express themselves more freely.

You see... martial arts can provide kids with a strong sense of community and belonging. By training with other kids and adults, they can form friendships and bonds that can help them to feel more comfortable and confident in social situations. This really helps reduce shyness and lets them interact with kids at school.

In my personal experience, when kids come into our martial arts school they fall into 1 of 2 troughs or categories. 

They are either:

  1. 1
    Super energetic with a very short attention span, and they have plenty of confidence but no focus.
  2. 2
    Or, they are a little more withdrawn or introverted and they notice everything around them because they are really observant. 

The second type of kids can benefit greatly form martial arts training.

Don't get me wrong the super energetic kid can also benefit for martial arts training, but in a different way.

The reason why martial arts are so good for the shy kids is that the very first thing they learn in martial arts is to stand up straight.

The second thing they learn is how to make eye contact and hold that eye contact when they are speaking to someone or shaking their hand.

I don't know if you knew this, but martial arts class has many opportunities and  times where student have to use their voice and project to the back of the room. Over time kids get used to leading warmups and exercises and being up in front of the class is no big deal anymore. 

Speaking in front of the class

The secret sauce?

Icebreakers are activities or exercises that are designed to help people get to know each other and feel more comfortable in social situations. They can be especially helpful for shy people, as they provide a structured and low-pressure way to introduce themselves and interact with others.

Here are some ways in which icebreakers can help shy people:

  • Icebreakers provide a safe and controlled environment for shy people to interact with others. By participating in a structured activity, shy people can feel more comfortable and confident in expressing themselves.
  • Icebreakers can help shy people to break the ice and start a conversation with others. By providing a common topic or activity, icebreakers can give shy people a way to initiate conversation and connect with others.
  • Icebreakers can help shy people to feel more included and accepted by the group. By participating in the same activity as others, shy people can feel like they are part of the group and can more easily connect with others.
  • Icebreakers can help shy people to learn more about others and develop new friendships. By participating in icebreakers, shy people can learn more about their fellow participants and find common ground that can help to form the basis of new friendships.

Overall, icebreakers can be a valuable tool for helping shy kids to feel more comfortable and confident in social situations. By providing a structured and low-pressure way to interact with others, icebreakers can help shy kids to break the ice and connect with others.

Martial arts training can help your child

Over my 29 years of teaching, I have had hard case kids who came in to my school not even able to make eye contact or tell me their name. 

In almost every case we have been able to turn them around and bring them out of their shell. One of the best things you can do for them and get them involved in martial arts training