Why kids should train

You’ve seen the ads. You’ve heard other parents talk. You’ve may have even read articles about the benefits of martial arts training for children. But still, you’re wondering, “Come on, how can karate and jujitsu teach wholesome values — and life skills?” Well, we’d like to take this opportunity to tell you.

Since 1992, we’ve been helping children like yours to gain the character-building tools found only in martial arts training. No other activity or sport can match up. Tools like perseverance, positive mental attitude, self-discipline, and goal setting aren’t always communicated effectively in school and are also often missing on the soccer and little league fields, hockey rinks, and basketball courts. This is unfortunate because teaching children these basic life skills at a young age can have a HUGE impact on the degree of success and happiness children achieve in later life.

We will tell you how you and your child can sample all this and more. RISK-FREE!

What’s the biggest obstacle to your child’s success?

Your child’s first and biggest challenge comes not from the neighborhood bully. It comes, instead, from personal issues. For example:

  • Overweight children are ostracized because of their appearance. (We’ve seen many such kids who’ve lost a few pounds through self-discipline and exercise and gained tremendous self-esteem.)
  • Physically smaller children often get picked on because of their size. (We frequently see them gain strength and self-confidence as their physical abilities increase.)
  • Shy children who are always afraid of trying anything new (often because they are convinced they’ll fail – time and again, we’ve taught them how to overcome their fears and develop the “winners attitude” through repeated successful martial arts experiences.)
  • Overactive, inattentive children learn to channel their energy and focus their attention.

So how do you get your child to deal successfully with these issues that can scar children for years and hold back their chances for a full and happy life?

confident girls

Martial Arts training is less about your child learning to fight others and more about overcoming his or her innermost fears and weaknesses. No other activity for kids does this better than martial arts.

Once you learn to ride a bike, you never forget. Likewise, once learned, the skills and habits of success become a part of your child forever. We have witnessed this time and time again with children who have experienced our programs, and we’ve had countless parents tell us of the changes they’ve seen in their children after only a short time at Golden Leopard Kempo.

But don’t take our word for it – here’s what other people have to say about Golden Leopard Kempo: Leopard Skills. Now, how and why does the Golden Leopard Kempo approach to martial arts training manage to achieve results like these?

Our program allows your child to explore and appreciate measurable increases in strength, flexibility, endurance, and balance.

But this is only the start. These physical skills act as a foundation for something much more important: developing life skills – not independent of the physical skills but interwoven with them.

Here are some examples:

Our belt ranking system will improve your child’s self-esteem.

You know that most martial arts styles use different colored belts to show progress and rank. Golden Leopard Kempo’s belt system is designed to help your child set and achieve attainable goals. This type of structured achievement system is perhaps the greatest program for teaching goal setting that has ever been devised for children. Based on the principle of steady, consistent improvement, self-confidence, and improved self-esteem are developed through a series of winning experiences.

This is how it works.

  • Set a goal
  • Have a plan
  • Work hard towards its achievement
  • Persevere until you reach the goal
  • Set higher goals

The key, of course, is to make sure that students win. How? By having a curriculum that is broken down into small doable chunks. When children set a goal, work for it, and then achieve it, they start to believe in themselves. Repeating that experience often leads to the development of TRUE self-esteem and self-appreciation.

However, it’s not enough that our students have physical skills alone. For our students to be promoted to their next belt, they must have their parents and schoolteachers sign a form stating that they have been doing their best at school and home. This helps drive home the messages of responsibility and self-discipline we teach. It also gives you, as a parent, a powerful tool to reinforce desirable behavior.

Our 7 Home Rules encourage proper behavior and acceptance of responsibility at home and at school, another unique Golden Leopard Kempo feature.

Here are the criteria we ask you to use when you are signing the promotion form:

  1. Children shall greet their parents when they enter the house (Hi Mom! Hi Dad!) and tell their parents “Good-bye” when they leave.
  2. Children will always be respectful of their Parents, Teachers, and Elders.
  3. Children will be kind to their brothers and sisters.
  4. Children will help keep the household – especially their own room – neat and clean and will make their own beds every morning.
  5. Children will keep their hair, body, and teeth clean daily.
  6. Children will not interrupt adult conversations.
  7. Children will do all their assigned schoolwork every day.

See any areas there for improvement with your children? For many parents, this is their favorite part of the program.

Our class structure will help your child to develop self-discipline.

White belt boy punching

When parents come in to see about our classes, we ask them what benefits they hope to see their children receive from their martial arts training. By far the most common response is “discipline.” But we find that after talking to them, what they really want for their children is “SELF-discipline.”

There’s a very significant difference. Discipline is when you tell your child to clean his room or he won’t be allowed to go out and play with his friends. Self-discipline is when your child cleans his or her OWN room without being nagged.

At Golden Leopard Kempo, we strive to instill the attribute of SELF-discipline in children. We do this in a number of ways:

First, we’re not the army. We believe emphatically in the principle of POSITIVE – not negative – reinforcement. That’s not to say that our classes lack order – far from it. It’s just that our students quickly catch on that there are definite parameters to the type of behavior expected from them.

Second, we emphasize “trying to catch students doing something right” and highlighting them to the rest of the class. (Example – “I really like how Johnny is sitting up straight – he looks like a Black Belt!”. Suddenly, all the other students are sitting up straight, too, not because we ordered them to, but rather because they WANT to – that’s SELF-discipline.)

If self-discipline becomes a habit for children at an early age, it can have a tremendous impact on the outcome of their lives and how successful they become. This also pays off in refusing to give in to negative peer pressure. Your child will have a deeper respect for home and school rules.

Our activities channel children’s energy and aggression.

Sometimes parents hesitate to enroll their children in martial arts classes because they fear it will make them more aggressive. In fact, the opposite is true. We find that our programs have a “leveling” effect on kids. For those who are full of high spirits and even aggressiveness, it gives an acceptable outlet for their energy. And they’ll have a lot of opportunity to do it, as we have a greater number and variety of training bags and equipment than most schools two and three times our size.

At the same time, we drive home the message repeatedly that their skills are NOT for showing off. Golden Leopard Kempo consistently stresses to all students that karate skills require them never to be abusive or offensive and are only for use defensively. The kids you see on the playground or in the neighborhood going “HI-YAA” and kicking are usually NOT the students who have had formal training, at least not from a quality school. After a short period of time, our students become markedly less aggressive while maintaining confidence and high personal self-esteem.

On the other end of the scale, the kids who are more shy and withdrawn get the opportunity to “come out of their shells” in a positive and reassuring environment. They learn to become more ASSERTIVE, not more AGGRESSIVE (big difference!)

Our programs teach lifetime self-defense skills.

Correcting a child's body position

So far, we’ve talked extensively about the positive life skills that our programs provide. We pride ourselves on giving our students the confidence and true self-respect to recognize, avoid and walk away from a potentially threatening situation.

But let’s face it – it CAN BE a rough world out there. The numerous tragic incidents of school violence we’ve seen in the news have focused new attention on childhood bullying and harassment. One study found that 90% of 4th through 8th graders report being victims. Being bullied can make children feel lonely, unhappy, frightened, and unsafe, leaving emotional scars lasting well into adulthood and immediate physical danger.

At Golden Leopard Kempo, the attributes of self-esteem and confidence that we’ve discussed above will make them less of a target for bullies. We’ll also teach them specific ways to avoid trouble and overcome the bully without fighting. But, instead of teaching “sport karate” or flashy but empty “Hollywood Movie” techniques, we’ll also give them practical and effective self-defense skills that will last them for a lifetime, how to use verbal skills and body language against a bully or stranger, and be convincing. How to get out of headlocks, chokes grabs, rear holds, hold-downs on the ground, and much more.

(It may surprise you that not all martial arts schools teach effective self-defense – in fact, many do not, focusing instead on “tournament” fighting strategies or formal exercises, which often don’t translate into practical self-protection.)

Over the years, we’ve received feedback from numerous students and former students who’ve had to use what they had learned to avoid potentially devastating results. One was an eleven-year-old boy who used the verbal and distancing techniques we teach to avoid and drive off an adult stranger who was attempting to abduct him. Another was a fourteen-year-old girl who used our ground escape techniques to prevent being raped.

Think of our self-defense training as you think of insurance – you hope you never have to use it, but when you do need it, it’s great to have!

Our goal-oriented training promotes self-esteem.

Every parent wants the best for their child, but how do you prepare them for all the challenges they face today? How do you teach them the motivation, discipline, and proper attitude necessary for success? It’s not easy because this type of education is not found in our schools. It’s not found on our soccer or little league fields. It’s not even found in our community organizations, which is a shame. In fact, it’s a crime because teaching children basic traits like goal setting, motivation, and self-esteem, at a young age can have a massive impact on what that child accomplishes in later life.

Over the years, thousands of children have benefited from our unique programs.

All these children and the thousands of others who have experienced our training have gained a foundation in the basic tools of success that will last them a lifetime. Once the skills of success and achievement are introduced to your children, they never disappear. The payoff keeps on going for the rest of their lives. Lives filled with proud moments of achievement backed by good health and happiness. Where do children learn such wonderful tools?

In addition to the powerful, empowering attributes listed above, you can also look forward to seeing your child develop:

Courage:
Your child finds the courage to move outside of their comfort zone. He wills himself to take on more difficult karate moves and skills. He becomes no longer afraid of being afraid.

Staying power:
Your child learns not to give up. She sticks things out. Even if she fails, she perseveres. She won’t let her self doubts get in the way of finding ultimate solutions.

Improved Focus delivers the skill to “zero in” on critical tasks at hand. Doing what needs to be done WHEN it needs to be done. He is learning to make eye contact with his teacher (and not just in karate.) Paying greater attention to what each teacher says.

Still, you’re wondering if this will work for your child. We’ve made it easy for you to find out – for your child.

SPECIAL FREE OFFER IF YOU ACT NOW

Let us assume any risk you may have by making this very special Internet offer. We want to offer your child a month of lessons without any further obligation whatsoever for only $99.95. Plus, these extra free gifts are available only through this Internet offer and for new students only.

Call 619-213-6972 now, mention the Internet offer, and receive the following:

1) A free Official karate uniform (a $74.95 value). Wearing that uniform makes the child feel like they are part of something special.

2) A free eBook written especially for parents called How To Build Self Esteem through Kempo Training. We will give this to you as soon as you register so you can read about the tremendous benefits of martial arts training, even before your child begins.

All this, but only if you call 619-213-6972 now. Remember, there is no other cost or future obligation whatsoever. (This is for our INTERNET CLIENTS ONLY, so please print out the above offer and bring it with you when you come!)

While thousands of parents like you have experienced positive and lasting benefits for their children, the best way to experience our program is to try it for yourself.

Thank you for taking the time to read this valuable information, and I look forward to meeting you in person at the school soon.

Yours Sincerely,

Bryan Bagnas

Headmaster, Golden Leopard Kempo

P.S. Remember, the greatest gifts you can give your child are self-confidence, greater self-esteem and a positive mental attitude. Give them the best chance they have at attaining these all-important qualities. Register today to take advantage of our special free Internet offer.

P.P.S. Why not consider joining our adult program while you are at it? There is no better way to stay in shape, have fun, learn to defend yourself, lose weight, and relieve stress.

Leave a Reply