Avoidance, Awareness and Prevention
Functional Self-Defense has some great information on avoiding violence and attacks! Check out the full text on their website!
http://www.functionalselfdefense.org/awareness-prevention
The Short Version:
Avoiding or preventing an attack is easy, and in the vast majority of situations it does not require physical self defense or martial arts. If you follow these simple guidelines, the chance you’ll ever be attacked is incredibly small:
Avoid dangerous places and people.
Don’t be a good target.
Be aware of your surroundings.
Do not argue, provoke, or allow a verbal conflict to escalate.
Escape or create distance if you feel threatened.
Give up your money or valuables if bodily harm is threatened and you cannot escape.
Keep your private areas secure.
What are dangerous places? How can you avoid being a good target? How and when should you attempt to escape? Read on.
Benefits of Regularly Training
This a fantastic article by Nathan Bernardo, a 2nd degree black belt in Kenpo Karate, on the benefits of training regularly!
https://howtheyplay.com/individual-sports/Why-is-Martial-Arts-Important
Martial arts have become an important part of many people's lives, among both adults and children. Parents enroll their kids at schools to improve their focus and discipline. Many adults have made the practice of martial arts a way of life.
Why are the arts important and why do they play such a central role in the lives of so many? Here we will explore the reasons why martial arts are important. We will look into their benefits and significance for those who train in them.
Self-Defense
The most obvious reason why you should learn martial arts is that it teaches you how to defend yourself. It is undeniable that there is violence in the world. It occurs unexpectedly and without regard for who the victim is. Violence can affect all of us. It is important to be prepared for such occurrences and the crux of training is to learn fighting skills. Not only do you learn specific techniques, but you also develop toughness and stamina needed to endure a physical altercation. This knowledge and conditioning leads to other benefits besides just being equipped with techniques.
Confidence
Because you can handle yourself physically, you begin to develop confidence in yourself and your capabilities. You walk taller with your head up, you're prepared, calm, and self-assured. You would be surprised at the change in your mental attitude after a decent sparring session at the dojo. You learn that you can endure, that you can apply real self-defense techniques, and that you are capable and strong.
Focus and Awareness
In training, you must be very aware of your actions and the people around you. You become more aware of your environment, which helps to keep you safe out in the world. This broadening of awareness is important in life. It can help in school, work, and in your relationships. It can generally help you navigate your way through life.
You Make Friends
It's an understatement to say that you make friends in martial arts. My experience is that your teacher and fellow students are family. Your instructor is more than just a teacher, he becomes a confidant, a father, and a counselor. Your friends at the dojo are part of your social circle, helping you through thick and thin. They become good people to have in your corner.
Reduces Stress the Right Way
There are plenty of bad ways to reduce stress and many of us have tried all of them. Martial arts offers a positive way to reduce stress. You direct your energy in a physical way that is beneficial and there is no doubt that hitting a punching bag is a great way to release pent up energy and stress.
Health
Martial arts is a complete workout. You build stamina, strength, and flexibility. You also develop coordination and balance. You feel better physically as your body becomes stronger and more capable. You breathe better and blood flows to all the necessary parts of the body more freely. Martial arts is a fun way to stay in shape.
Improves Character
At the dojo, you learn respect, discipline, how to cooperate, and how to be humble. This is all part of perfecting your art. You work with your partners and learn from your instructor in a setting where bowing and handshakes are commonplace and helping each other is the norm. You must focus and be open to being corrected. You use criticism to improve yourself. The martial arts school is a great environment for learning the importance of perseverance and excellence.
And this is why many martial artists call their training a way of life. It permeates a person's life and creates solid relationships and a sense of justice and respect. These are among the reasons why martial arts is so important.
7 Reasons Reasons Your Child Should Practice Martial Arts - Eric C. Stevens
from http://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/7-reasons-why-your-child-should-practice-martial-arts
Reason #1: They (and You) Will Get More Active
This is the obvious reason kids should do martial arts in this day and age - to get active and moving. In case you haven’t noticed, we have an epidemic when it comes to our nation’s obesity problem. We’re also increasingly unfit in addition to being overweight. The problem is particularly alarming as it relates to our kids. Youth sports and physical education programs are great, but not every kid is an athlete and many schools no longer offer PE. The martial arts offer many benefits, but when it comes to fitness, becoming a true martial artist means becoming a supremely fit person. When I was practicing boxing or muay Thai kickboxing on a daily basis, I was in the best shape of my life by a long shot. Martial arts can help your child get fit and healthy.
Reason #2: They’ll Learn to Find Focus and Stillness
Of the many challenges that parents face today, one is that we are constantly plugged in. While there are a great many benefits to the Internet, there are many more benefits in stillness and silence. Unfortunately stillness and silence seem to be rare to find. At some juncture in life, every one of us comes to learn that the greatest obstacle we face in this lifetime is ourselves. That battle is fought in the stillness of our hearts and the willingness to confront ourselves. As Bruce Lee pointed out, behind the punches, kicks, and knees, a true martial artist learns to sit with himself and see where his weaknesses are. In years of martial arts classes, I remember many challenges, breakthroughs, and setbacks. What I do not remember are distractions or gimmicks like you often see at your local health club. At the martial arts studios and boxing gyms where I trained, there was no loud music or flat screen TVs, just hard work and sweat equity. As a martial artist, your child will learn what it is to be still, challenged, and focused.
Reason #3: They’ll Learn to Take Hits
In the martial arts, your child will learn what it is to take a hit, whether that hit is a literal blow or a disappointment like failing a test.
Part of life is learning that we all take hits. The key is in learning how best to take that hit and get back up. Unfortunately, this lesson seems to be lost on many in our every-kid-gets-a-trophy culture. In the martial arts, your kid will learn to fail - a lot. Half of martial arts is hitting, but half is also getting hit.
When people hire me to teach them boxing, they can’t wait to lace up the gloves and start hitting things. Seldom does someone mention how enjoyable it is when I tap him or her upside the head with a focus mitt for dropping their hands.
The first time I got struck in the head sparring in kung fu, I immediately rushed to the mirror to see if there was a mark on my face. The students in class laughed about it for months. While I didn’t find it too funny at the time, I came to learn that accepting I would get hit enabled me to relax and better protect myself. That acceptance led me to be able to better respond, maneuver, and anticipate. Ironically, learning how to take a hit is perhaps the best way for your kid to learn how to avoid it.
Reason #4: They’ll Gain Self Confidence and Self Respect
As noted in talking about my friend’s son Ethan, I was able to witness firsthand the confidence he gained by participating in the martial arts. Being able to advance and play with the big kids gave Ethan a tremendous amount of confidence.
Of course, playing with the big kids also gives all of us a little reminder of humility - someone is always bigger and stronger. I remember Sifu gently threatening the two young boys in our kung fu class that if they ever used their kung fu training in the wrong way or to show off he would have their hide.
The right martial arts school will teach your child that there are no tough guys. Every martial artist ultimately learns this sense of respect and true confidence. Your child will learn that confidence and respect for others comes from a deep sense of self-knowledge.
Reason #5: They’ll Connect Their Mind and Body
What they don’t teach you at your local health club is how to really listen to your body. To listen to your body is to also see your thoughts and have heightened awareness of your emotional construct.
A martial artist is taught to see, feel, and listen - both internally and externally. Tapping into intuition, fear, and courage are examples of being able to put the physical together with the mental. How often have we heard the phrase “being paralyzed with fear”? Being able to combat such a thing is what you learn in the martial arts.
Reason #6: They’ll Learn Conflict Resolution
People often ask me whether I have ever used my martial arts and boxing training in a fight. Indeed I have used the skills learned from martial arts many times to resolve conflict, but thankfully, never in a physical altercation outside the ring.
One of the first lessons Sifu taught us is kung fu was that words were never grounds for a fight. That advice right there has saved me many times. In the martial arts, you learn that there is no such thing as “fighting” words. Instead, you learn to respond without reacting in the martial arts.
Reason #7: They’ll Learn to Breathe
Of the many things I have learned in the martial arts and boxing, breathing is near the top. Back in my kung fu days, Sifu told me that he could tell how someone fights just by observing how he or she breathes.
Indeed, nothing is more essential to the success of how we move our body than tapping into the life force of our essence - our breath. Ask a professional athlete, or an actor, dancer, or signer, and they will tell you that to succeed in any physical craft is to access your breath correctly.
I am shocked at times working with adults who never learned to breathe properly when under physical exertion. This skill can literally save your life. In the martial arts your kid will learn the essence of how to breathe and even relax under pressure.
The Take Home - How to Proceed
The bottom line is that almost any child can and will benefit from participation in the martial arts. As to what martial art, it’s honestly not very important. For a typical six or eight year old the point is to just get them moving and focused. The key in choosing a teacher or school is to do your due diligence when it comes to evaluating the integrity of the program. As a starting place, I would choose a prospective instructor or coach who talks more about the needs of your child than his or her program.