Why Martial Arts for Children

Bushintai-Do for the Middle School Classroom

There are many reasons to consider martial arts for children. One of the best reasons was illustrated to me in an exchange I once had with a former student. It had been a random meeting at a public place, when I struck up a conversation with a young couple. We had chatted briefly, and the young man asked my name. When I told him, his face brightened and he said with a smile, “You taught me Kempo!”

This happens occasionally, and it is often hard for me to place the former student. In this case, the young man told me he had been part of a class I had taught at a local school ten years earlier. I didn’t recognize his name at first, but remembered the program. My goal going in had been to help the kids develop self-esteem, learn the value of hard work, and the importance of respect and self-control. Until that day, I had considered the effort a huge failure.

I’d like to say that in our brief chat, he told me that martial arts had changed his life for the better; that he had taken the lessons learned on the mat and applied them to everyday situations, allowing him to become a successful adult in spite of his troubled childhood. Not only did he not say that, he didn’t even imply it. But it was clear that the experience, which I remembered as a negative, had meant something positive to him. His choice of words, “you taught me,” not “I was in your class,” seemed significant. And as I considered that, I remembered him. Chris. He was an enthusiastic and hard-working student, and I had forgotten about him. I had let the negatives of the experience outweigh the positives--something I vowed not to do again.

We want so much for our children. We want them to have every tool we can give them, to help them through the day-to-day challenges of their present, and along the great unknown path of their future. I hope that we can help build a foundation for your child’s academic, professional, and personal success. I hope we can help our students’ develop a lifelong interest in learning, and an appreciation for a healthy lifestyle. I hope their fighting skills will be there if they are ever needed, along with their compassion and self-control, which will always be of use. I hope they can get all of the benefits of the martial arts, and apply them every day of their lives.

And, if nothing more, I hope that someday, long after the martial arts belts have been thrown out or moved up to the attic, if I meet up with your child again, his or her face will brighten at the memory of learning martial arts.

David Quinlan, Founder and Lead Instructor

Martial Way Self-Defense Center
and Bushintai-Do Programs, Inc.

Milton, Vermont