The Benefits of SKILLZ Martial Arts for 5 & 6-Year-Olds
Children between the ages of 5 and 6 years are in the “dynamo” stage of development. They are now at a point where basic skills become the foundation for their continued growth and development. At American Family Martial Arts, we call them Little Ninjas.
Martial Arts helps them build a more solid foundation for these basic skills, which are essential for continued growth and development. And the research has been done showing that age specific martial arts is the best thing for growing and developing children. 
Here are the basic skills that kids between the ages of 5 and 6 will develop through their time training at American Family Martial Arts:
1. Focus
2. Teamwork (learn more by clicking link)
3. Control
4. Memory
5. Balance
6. Discipline (learn more by clicking link)
7. Fitness
8. Coordination
During each class, American Family Martial Arts is working with our Little Ninjas on the Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and Social (PIES) skills they need to grow and develop to be the best self they can be.
Top five PHYSICAL development milestones through these skills:
1. Basic development of basic muscles: legs, arms, abs, and cardiovascular endurance, with the goal of doing 50 of each within the first 18 months of training.
2. Basic development of good balance, with the goal of doing 50 kicks without putting their foot down within the first 18 months of training.
3. Basic development using both hands at the same time or hands and feet at the same time.
4. Basic development of controlling their body during extreme or intense movement.
5. Basic development of grasping distance between themselves and other objects.
Top five INTELLECTUAL development milestones through these skills:
1. Basic development of following four to five commands at one time.
2. Basic development of counting up to 50 as it applies to physical repetitions.
3. Basic development of short-term, long-term, and reactive memory.
4. Basic development of grasping the purpose and importance of discipline in various environments.
5. Basic development of maintaining focus during various activities.
Top five EMOTIONAL development milestones through these skills:
1. Basic development of controlling their emotions through various tasks and challenges.
2. Basic development of believing in themselves when trying something new.
3. Basic development of enjoying themselves through various activities and challenges.
4. Basic development of embracing discipline with pride.
5. Basic development of maintaining a good attitude during competitions.
Top five SOCIAL development milestones through these skills:
1. Basic development of working together through various tasks and challenges.
2. Basic development of helping each other through various tasks and challenges.
3. Basic development of sportsmanship through various tasks and challenges.
4. Basic development of meeting and maintain relationships with peers and adults.
5. Basic development of leadership skills.
This is what a typical class for our 5 & 6 year olds looks like:
Skill: Control
Drill: Control relay race
Benefits: In this drill the students will develop better control of their body by racing down the training mat, spinning their head around an object four times, and then kicking a target ten times. This is a fun way to teach the students how to control their body.
This is a fun way to teach the students how to PHYSICALLY develop balance while they kick.
This is a great way to improve INTELLECTUAL development because they need to focus on the sequential order of the alphabet while multi-tasking by focusing on balance and kicking.
This is great for their EMOTIONAL development as they gain the motivation to challenge themselves to kick at higher reps each turn.
This is great for their SOCIAL development to show good sportsmanship on the third round when it turns into a healthy competition.
As you can see, we know how to take a simple drill and turn it into a drill that has VALUE. As we say at American Family Martial Arts -we’re more than punching and kicking!
To learn more about this powerful childhood development program, or to get your child started, click the button below:
