At the beginning of every karate class, seven-year-old Weston sits completely still and meditates for two solid minutes. ?He doesn?t even fidget,? says his mom, Stacey McDowall. Weston is a hyper kid who has trouble focusing, so being able to concentrate for that long is a huge feat, says McDowall. She calls enrolling him in martial arts at age four a total game-changer: ?It has absolutely, hands-down improved his focus.?
Increased concentration is just one of the positive results that can come out of putting your kid in martial arts classes. They are great exercise, and a good martial arts studio puts special emphasis on respect, kindness, honesty, self-discipline and self-confidence.
But with many types of martial arts courses available, how do you choose the best one for your kid" Finding the right studio

Each kind of martial arts has a different origin, style and technique. For example, karate has a strong focus on striking, whether with punches, kicks or knee strikes; certain styles of tae kwon do have an emphasis on kicking; while jiu-jitsu and aikido are grappling sports. To complicate matters, many modern studios incorporate more than one martial art into their classes.
But far more important than which form you select is the studio?s philosophy and teaching style, says Antoinette Moulton of DeSantos Premier Martial Arts in Toronto. She recommends asking studios about their approach rather than focusing too much on, say, karate versus judo.

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