Consistency & Persistence are paramount in achieving results in martial arts training. Martial arts is a sport that requires year-round commitment, and interrupting your child’s training by taking breaks during the summer or starting and stopping can lead to setbacks. These regressions can be discouraging for your child and may even tempt them to give up altogether.

Consider what would happen if you attended kindergarten for just one or two months and then abandoned school entirely. Your reading, writing, and math skills wouldn’t develop properly. The same principle applies to taking martial arts lessons for only a brief period of one to three months.

In today’s fast-paced world, where distractions constantly vie for our attention, it’s crucial for us as parents to instill the value of consistency in our children. Merely flitting from one endeavor to another hampers their overall growth and development.

When faced with challenges, those who possess resilience persevere. It is essential to push forward when the going gets tough. The true growth in martial arts comes from weathering difficult times. If you permit your child to quit when the initial excitement fades or when they encounter a rough day, they will miss out on one of life’s most valuable lessons: consistency.

As parents, it is our responsibility to provide support and encouragement to our children as they navigate through rough patches in any pursuit they undertake, guiding them toward positive progress. Personally, I began practicing martial arts at the age of 7, and though I entertained thoughts of quitting on several occasions, my father was always there to motivate and propel me to new heights. He never allowed me to give up, regardless of what I said. Through this experience, I gleaned invaluable life skills that extended far beyond punching, kicking, and self-defense.

I have observed that the long-term commitment of my Martial arts students often reflects how their parents support and encourage them. By teaching your child to constantly chase after the next fleeting distraction instead of persevering and being consistent, you would be doing them a great disservice. Let us nurture within them the virtues of perseverance, consistency, and dedication, for these lessons will serve them well throughout their lives.

Sensei Bill