With so many options today, how do you know which martial arts program or any activity for that matter will be best for your child? It seems that everywhere you turn there’s a new style and system claiming to be the latest and the greatest. As a parent and a consumer, there are a few key elements you should expect for your investment:

Safety: Learning a skill, like a martial art, suggests that there is some physical contact. In the ZenShin Judo Program your child will be exposed to physical contact in a controlled environment under the watchful eye of a certified instructor. The nature of ZenShin Judo itself ensures that your child will not get hurt. Your child will begin with learning how to fall safely and build his or her body through core specific exercises and drills designed to prepare him or her for the contact. Add to that, there is no striking like in tae kwon do or karate or even submissions (strangles and joint dislocation techniques) like you find in mixed martial arts and Brazilian Jujitsu programs. Those types of techniques are introduced when your child is older and can fully appreciate the responsibility that goes along with those methods.

Enjoyment: Learning to follow directions and building discipline does not mean you have to enroll your child in military school. The ZenShin method achieves maximum results through a structure based on a century of research and development. Through cooperative drills and practice methods, your child will come to understand the why and the how of each exercise and each command. Even the very young know that they follow directions so they don’t get injured or hurt one of their classmates. In the Junior Judo program, your child will be motivated through positive reinforcement and goal setting.

Physical Benefits: Studying Judo at ZenShin is fun and exciting while challenging. The class sizes are small enough so your child gets the proper attention and guidance to develop at his or her own pace. As opposed to sports where the biggest, fastest and most gifted children get the attention and the time, the ZenShin Judo program ensures that your child gets equal time and attention. “No one sits on the bench”.  Your child will discover how to work with their own gifts and learn how to apply them to over come adversity.

Confidence: Through the goal setting structure and the small step approach your child will slowly build the confidence most kids need to be happy and well adjusted in the world. Because of our “No one sits on the bench” approach: you will see your child start to grow in what we like to call “school yard confidence”. By slowly challenging your child and allowing them to overcome setbacks in the controlled and safe environment of the dojo (training facility) they will be able to stand up for themselves, become more assertive while remaining polite to their peers and family members.

Professionalism: Each ZenShin certified instructor has undergone the intensity of the instructor program. This includes 1,000 hours of training, 50 hours of observed instruction and monthly staff training. In addition, because of the interaction with children, each Judo instructor has undergone a criminal background check as well. Being a parent myself, I want to make sure my child is exposed to the right type of people and not in any danger. All of the classes are adult taught and supervised.

Cleanliness: The overall appearance of the facility and the cleanliness should ALWAYS be taken into consideration. When you walk into a facility you want to make sure that it is neat and well cared for. The staff and instructors “look the part”. If the studio is well maintained then there’s a good chance that the staff is well maintained.

Stability: You should consider two things, the stability of the program and the stability of the business. With so many “mixed martial arts” and hybrid styles popping up all over the place, it’s enough to make your head spin. ZenShin Judo is an official United States Judo Federation Dojo. This means we have to maintain a certain standard of teaching of curriculum and instruction. We are insured and each instructor has undergone rigorous training. The nature of Judo itself is the culmination of thousands of years of training, research and development. Most martial arts don’t have a long history. Tae Kwon Do was actually founded in 1954 while Judo has been training young people since 1892. Judo has been engineered with the sole purpose of building character, fitness and cooperative skills among children. Plus in the world of “children self defense” it can’t be beat.

I hope you found this information helpful in your search to find the right activity for your family. My only suggestion is you take the next step and call us at 973-831-0315 to schedule your FREE tour and consultation. Then, if you like what you see and hear, you can start the Intro program before you decide.

When You Post or Print Please include: Article Provided Courtesy of Damian Ross and www.zenshin.info ©2008 all rights reserved.