Amanda Olson, owner of Olson’s Martial Arts Academy
The discipline kids learn in martial arts carries through to school.
JOHNSON CITY, TN, UNITED STATES, May 11, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — Olson’s Martial Arts Academy
Parents enroll their children in martial arts for a variety of reasons. Amanda Olson of Olson’s Martial Arts in Johnson City, TN, understands them all. From wanting a physical fitness outlet for their child to needing help instilling self-discipline, Olson has found that most parents who start their kids in martial arts end up recognizing academic benefits they had not expected.
“I realized that parents want someone to tell their child to stand still, to focus, to pay attention,” said Olson. “We say to the new kid in karate: ‘Sir, we can’t do our lesson until you stand at attention.’ I encourage parents to do the same thing at home. Kids are usually very excited about doing a martial art, so there’s a lot of motivation for them to do the right thing. Having that positive reinforcement helps them practice focus at school.”
Self-discipline then lends itself to other important lessons, such as respect for others and goal setting. Olson said, “We try to teach the children that their parents do so much more for them than we do, and they deserve a lot more respect.” For parents, this means consequences for not being respectful. Consistency and follow-through are key. The same applies to setting goals. “Take small steps forward and build on that success,” Olson said. “Celebrate each victory. This leads to greater confidence which feeds into so many other things.”
Academic performance is also impacted by martial arts. Two recent studies, one in the Journal of Sports & Health Medicine [Effects of a school-based karate intervention on academic achievement, psychosocial functioning, and physical fitness] and the other from the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology [Promoting self-regulation through school-based martial arts training], have shown that students in martial arts tend to have better attention and performance at school. Olson has already seen this in her students: “Karate training makes kids mentally strong. It only makes them train and study harder which could never be a bad thing.”
Olson’s Martial Arts Academy is a family-owned and operated business that has been serving the Johnson City, TN, area for over 20 years. Amanda Olson started the Academy with her family in 1997 after teaching and training in Florida for the previous 20 years. 8th Degree Black Belt Grand Master Amanda Olson developed the Nationally recognized Leadership Program for the American Martial Arts Institute that is taught nationwide. She’s also the creator of Ask Master Mom, an advice column and podcast to help parents with a variety of subjects concerning children and families.
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Amanda Olson
Olson’s Martial Arts Academy
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