728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Your Children › Karate KidsKarate Kids

Karate KidsKarate Kids

How Karate Has Helped My Twins

By Mindy Hudon, M.S., CCC-SLP

Pages:  1  2  3  

My twin's gross motor delays have significantly improved since karate. Karate training is an excellent follow-up to therapy, because it reinforces many developmental gross motor skills. Boys and girls will benefit from karate with or without developmental delays. During the warm-up portion of class, the children work on strength, endurance, balance and flexibility. They then work in small groups on the "basics" of karate including stances, blocks, strikes and kicks. I have seen physical improvements in how my boys move. My twins love karate because they're having fun with friends while learning new skills.

Beyond the Physical
I am fortunate that I also train at Eclectic Karate, because I have the benefit of being directly involved in the boy's classes and the ability to help them carryover their new-learned skills. All students start karate at the same white belt level. They advance through the ranks based on their own individual accomplishments. My twins are elated when they're advanced. When they receive a stripe on their belt, they know that they have earned it. These small "rewards" for hard work and persistence are provided throughout their training and make my twins feel special and proud of their accomplishments.

I was surprised to see how karate has developed self-confidence in my twins. One of my boys often relied on his twin to make friends and feared interacting with peers on his own. A few months after starting karate he started to become more outgoing by taking the lead in meeting new friends. Instead of running to me when an unfamiliar child at the playground accidentally pushed him, he turned around and "used his words" to inform that child not to push.

Karate teaches more than kicks and punches. It teaches children to have respect for others, to be focused and disciplined, as well as how to be safe. I have seen a great improvement in their focus and attention. Watching them in class the first few months was like fingernails on a chalkboard. They were looking all around, asking too many questions and hardly paying attention to instructions. Although I was freaked out about their behavior it didn't seem to bother the instructors, who provided guidance and encouragement.

Today, my twins are often at the front of the class leading the warm-up and quickly learning new things. They can stay focused throughout most of the session and follow the rules of the class. These days I chuckle to myself when I see another mother of twins anxiously watch her children during their first few months of training. I reassure her that they will grow in karate too (as I gently try to remove her

Pages:  1  2  3  


Want to see more?