| Childhood obesity is a worrying trend that | | | | can be a powerful tool in gaining self |
| needs to be addressed as urgently as | | | | assurance. Moreover, the traditional forms of |
| possible. Overweight children not only suffer | | | | Oriental self-defense or combat (aikido, |
| from all kinds of health problems, they are | | | | judo, jujitsu, karate kendo kick boxing kung |
| invariably the targets of bullying in school | | | | fu sumo wrestling, tae kwon do) utilize |
| and generally occupy the lowest rung of the | | | | physical skill and coordination and |
| social ladder among their peers. Telling an | | | | concentration without the use of weapons, so |
| obese child to control his/her food intake or | | | | there is little chance of inflicting lasting |
| to substitute high calorie snacks with | | | | damage. |
| healthier ones is a pointless task - all it | | | | |
| does is hammer home the point to the child | | | | Self discipline is pivotal for those who |
| that you think he/she is lacks self control. | | | | would like to master the skills needed to |
| | | | become a good exponent of the martial arts. |
| Exercise is a great way to lose weight, but | | | | This means that the child, once considered |
| it does tends to get boring. However, there | | | | too weak willed to control his/her appetite, |
| is a way to get overweight kids to exercise | | | | is taught by a master to curb his desires, |
| while empowering them with self confidence | | | | learn restraint and conduct his/her life with |
| and a definite sense of achievement - through | | | | perfect self control. |
| training in the Martial Arts. Learning | | | | |
| martial arts is an excellent way to lose | | | | Building stamina, learning the correct method |
| weight, build stamina, learn self discipline | | | | of breathing, flexibility of the body and |
| and develop a positive sense of self and the | | | | strengthening of muscles through repetitive |
| advantages of this type of training cannot be | | | | exercises are the inevitable results of |
| overstated. | | | | learning any of the different self defence |
| | | | techniques. The student can sense the changes |
| The child is taught by a trained expert. | | | | in his/her body within a month or two and the |
| There are many forms of martial arts and each | | | | effect only increases as the higher levels of |
| one of them has a different approach and | | | | technical difficulty are scaled. |
| philosophy. The cornerstone of any form of | | | | |
| martial arts training is the relationship | | | | With little or no external pressure to be the |
| between the master and student. Strict | | | | best other than that which the students place |
| adherence to the rules of the training school | | | | on themselves, the out of shape child can |
| and obedience to the master are vital aspects | | | | take as long as he/she wants to master each |
| of the training process. In return, the child | | | | level of skill before going on to the next. |
| as a student of the martial arts school gets | | | | Since older and more experienced students are |
| the teacher's guidance in all matters | | | | encouraged to lend a hand in coaching the |
| relating to the particular form of combat he | | | | newer ones, a feeling of belonging and |
| she has decided to master. Since the sanctity | | | | camaraderie is fostered. This in turn gives |
| of the teacher- student relationship is | | | | the obese child the safe environment he needs |
| paramount to the the philosophy of martial | | | | to master his chosen discipline knowing that |
| arts, the overweight child finds in his | | | | he /she will never be mocked or made to feel |
| trainer a mentor that he can respect and | | | | worthless. |
| whose advice he is willing to follow. | | | | |
| | | | Although learning and mastering any of the |
| Self defence is the most important aspect of | | | | various forms of self defence requires a long |
| martial arts. This means that the student is | | | | term commitment; the positive results that |
| taught to protect himself from any form of | | | | manifest themselves within a short period of |
| physical assault. Since overweight children | | | | time indicate that perhaps this is an avenue |
| are often regularly bullied in and out of | | | | worth exploring, along with diet restrictions |
| school, the ability to confront their | | | | and regular exercise, as a means of reducing |
| tormentors with the knowledge that at last | | | | the number of overweight children in our |
| they do not have to be at the receiving end, | | | | society. |