Martial arts boosts children’s self-confidence.  If you improve a child’s self-confidence, you would expect to see better grades. Martial study teaches martial focus.  If you teach a child how to focus, surely their grades will improve. Martial programs emphasize discipline.  If you help kids understand how discipline builds success, this helps them build good study habits. Finally, these programs are physical, which improves fitness levels.  When a child is more physically fit, they feel better, and children who feel better physically do better academically.

I would like to think this is unique to my martial arts program, but it is not. I think any children’s martial arts program, whether it be Tai Kwon Do, Karate, Judo, Aikido, BJJ, or Jujutsu has the potential to help improve children’s academics.  If the program emphasizes fitness, focus and individual improvement, any martial arts program that focuses on the child, not just in giving out black belts, will have similar results.

Sensei Shawn Forristall
Head Instructor
Atlanta Budokan