From ballet and badminton to curling and chess, finding a suitable sport for your children can be a whole sport of its own. Martial art lessons have been a popular option for decades now, but how do the benefits stack up against more traditional youth sports?

This question was put to Dr. Jill Tracey, an expert in sport psychology at Wilfred Laurier University. Although research on the effects of martial art training on children is scarce, Dr. Tracey says there are indications that it really does enhance concentration, self-control, and self-discipline in young students. She adds that some children may also benefit from improved self-esteem, reduced aggressiveness, decreased anxiety, and increased independence.

Dr. Tracey explains that self-concept (what people think and feel about themselves) is especially important in young girls. The results of one study suggest that self-concept can be improved through Taekwondo training—good news for concerned parents looking for emotionally as well as physically appropriate activities.

Taekwondo (a martial art of Korean origin and now an Olympic sport) espouses five core values, or ‘tenets’:  Courtesy, Integrity, Self-control, Perseverance, and Indomitable Spirit. These tenets underpin the Taekwondo philosophy and are taught to students through hands-on lessons. Dr. Tracey comments on these principles as well as the Taekwondo belt system:

“All these [tenets] can be learned through sport, but Taekwondo specifically emphasizes them which is quite unique. In other sports it may be assumed they are learned.  You certainly hope all kids learn self-control—how they manage things—but in Taekwondo self-control is specifically taught. Also in Taekwondo the focus is on respect and courtesy, which is also unique.”

“The progression of belts is a strong motivator. Kids need success to build confidence, and the many belts is a continuous motivation. Sports such as hockey are mostly focused on if they win or lose, but Taekwondo focuses on more internal aspects such as memory, concentration, and balance. There are so many things to strive for in the sport.”

What age should children begin studying martial arts? Many schools offer programs for children as young as three or four, but is such an early start really advantageous in the long-run? Dr. Tracey shares her opinion:

“I’m not a big fan of competitive sports at too young an age, but introduction to sport fundamental skills are much more important than competition at a young age to prepare them for later training.  I think everyone needs to learn competition and we should all be exposed to it through various ways; competition is healthy.  But we must recognize that not all children thrive in that environment, we can’t assume everyone does.  Taekwondo does a good job of teaching those fundamental skills at an early age without having to get into competition.  Age seven or eight is a good age to become competitive.”

This stance is supported by Taekwondo Canada (the national governing body for Taekwondo) and the hundreds of clubs under it which encourage fundamental skill development beginning as young as three, and competitive specialization at age nine or ten. Dr. Tracey emphasizes that while appropriate competition provides real benefits to children, “There are no long-term benefits of highly competitive situations for a five year old”. Too much competition often leads to athlete burn-out and early withdrawal from the sport. “What’s really important is happy, healthy, fit kids that love movement.”

Dr. Jill Tracey teaches sports psychology courses at Wilfred Laurier University while focusing her research on the psychology of injury and recovery from sports injuries.

Alex Frakking is a combat sport journalist and martial art instructor