When kids start karate, they often join classes to learn skills and make new friends with similar interests. At some point, you may consider signing them up for competitions. However, it can be challenging to decide if you want your children to turn their hobby into a competitive sport. Here are some of the benefits of partaking in these tournaments. 

What Are the Benefits of Competitive Karate?

1. Assessing Skills

During the competition, karate practitioners gain insight into what skills they are good at and which they should work on. Matches offer opportunities to test new skills and see what students remember while they are in a real-time fight. From board breaking to patterns, your children will learn a lot about their current skillset from partaking in a match.

2. Getting Out of Their Comfort Zone

Many kids thrive when they are removed from their comfort zone to try something new. Instead of practicing moves and sparring in their typical setting, the competition encourages children to try their skills against new competitors and in front of new evaluators. 

3. Encouraging Goal Setting

Parents and guardians can encourage their little ones to better their skills by practicing goal setting. Work with your kids to create goals for each karate class that will help them work toward competition. For example, they may want to earn a specific colored belt before their next tournament. Then, they can compete at a higher level to further improve their skills. 

4. Cultivating Teamwork

Competitions aren’t always about showing off your skills alone. Kids benefit from cheering on their teammates during matches. Encouraging one another develops teamwork, and provides a support network that can help kids work toward mastering more difficult karate moves. Plus, children who know their team has their back are more likely to feel confident as they enter each match. This determination can spread from karate to their academic and social lives, helping them make friends and do well in school.

If you’re looking for a world-class Japanese martial arts education for your kids, enroll them in classes at Shito-Kai Ohio in Cincinnati, OH. The dojo offers authentic Japanese skills from experienced instructors that will help your children prepare for competition and translate their skills into school and social relationships. Call the West Chester-area organization at (513) 860-4386 or visit the website for information on their upcoming beginner courses and weapons training.