It’s time to talk about our second core tenet, and it’s an important one. It can be hard to teach kids about the importance of honor. Every day, they see celebrities and other public figures behaving dishonorably – and if you want your child to learn why integrity matters, then signing them up for a martial arts class can help.
Integrity is central to everything we do in our school. We teach our students that there’s a right and a wrong way to do things – and that there are rewards if they adhere to the rules.
To have integrity is to be honest and good. This is a tenet that springs directly from courtesy. Interacting with other people is easier and more productive if we conduct ourselves with honor.
Let’s talk about how martial arts builds integrity. Here are some of the things we do to show kids the value of honor and integrity.
1. We talk about honesty and why it matters. More importantly, we provide kids with honest feedback and teach them how to accept constructive criticism. In the process, they learn how to be honest without being hurtful, and that’s a key component of integrity
2. We also talk about morality and the importance of fighting clean. When students spar in class, they must do so in a way that is full of integrity. They aren’t allowed to break the rules or fight dirty. It’s a simple lesson, but one that emphasizes the importance of doing things properly.
3. Another component of integrity is follow-through. In our classes, kids learn the importance of keeping the promises they make. They make a commitment to martial arts and to their instructors, and by following through on it, they learn to behave with honor and integrity.
These three things – honesty, morality, and follow-through – are the three pillars of integrity. Every time they visit TopKick Martial Arts, your child will see these things in action. Our instructors live by these rules, and our students learn by watching them.
When children learn integrity at an early age, it sets them up for success in life. They understand the importance of honesty, and they see the effect that behaving with integrity has on their relationships with other people.
It goes without saying that learning about integrity helps them in school, too. A child who understand integrity won’t lie, cheat, or bully – and they’re less likely to let peers pressure them into dangerous or unhealthy behavior.
Is your child ready to learn about integrity?
