Tae Kwon Do
1. A Boost in Self Esteem
To break a board with their fist and/or foot brings Self Esteem and Confidence for a kid. The look on their face as they break the board and hear the applause from the grownups makes them feel proud of all the hard work they put in up until that point.
A child comes to understand that their true competition isn’t with others, but with themselves. With each step forward, they gain the confidence of knowing they’ve earned every belt through dedication and effort. They don’t just believe they can succeed — they know they can, because they’ve put in the work to prove it to themselves.
​
2. Self-Discipline Self Control
Taekwondo teaches self-discipline and self-control through the practice of challenging forms and advanced kicks that demand intense focus, consistent training, and unwavering dedication. Taekwondo requires not only physical effort, but also precision and mental control—qualities developed through every movement and repetition.
​
3. Socialization Skills
Kids who don’t always thrive in highly social environments may find it easier to get to know people and make new friends when they’re in a room filled with peers who share a common interest.
If you have a shy or timid child, putting them in a Taekwondo class, where they are all start off at the same level, helps them learn to interact with other kids of their own age as they all go through the same process of learning.
​
4. Physical Fitness and Activity
The 3 pieces of the fitness puzzle are Strength, Flexibility, and Endurance. A typical Taekwondo class involves dynamic punching and kicking drills, blocks, core-strengthening exercises such as sit-ups, push-ups and stretches.
A kid will build stamina and strength through such active movements and for younger children, learning and practicing the forms (specific patterns of defense and attack movements) leads to better motor skills and body control.
Another advantage is, by limiting a kid's technology time, and getting them off the couch encourages them to be more physically active and mentally fresh.
Signing up an inactive child for a physically demanding Martial Arts like Taekwondo not only discourages the sedentary lifestyle they may be used to but also gives them an enjoyable activity that encourages them to keep moving.
​
5. Learning the Ability to Fail
In today’s society where everyone seems to get an award regardless of how well they did, learning to fail, although this may be a harsh term, is also a valuable lesson to learn. For example in a Taekwondo sparring event, if a kid loses a 1-1 match, they can still learn from their mistakes and talk to their master about what to work on to do better next time.
​
​
6. Respect
One of the first things you will notice when starting Taekwondo is the instructor will start to instill in a student the necessity of showing respect to not only the instructor but to their classmates as well, regardless of their skill level.
In any reputable Taekwondo school, you will rarely see a student bragging or showing off. Rather they would flaunt their skills to make other people around them awestruck. They understand that everyone has their strengths and weakness and they cherish the differences.
​
​
7. Goal Setting
Having goals is one of the most important things one can learn in life and in Taekwondo, this is done from the very beginning. The student steps up the ladder by going up with the belt ranks and eventually reach their goal of getting a black belt.
This habit of goal setting will show them that with hard work and dedication any goal they set can be achieved. We believe that this is one of the vital lessons to learn from Taekwondo.
​
​
8. Focus
Today’s world is full of distractions for a child, by taking Taekwondo, a child develops the ability to focus at a young age which pays dividends not only today but for their entire life.
In choosing a Taekwondo school, look for one that has a distraction-free environment so your child has some time to forget about the outside world and concentrate on their training. Meditation also plays a big role in taekwondo so don’t be surprised if your child’s teacher sets aside time at the beginning or end of class for it.
​
​
9. Teamwork
From sparring and board breaking to earning a new belt, your child will be learning to work together with their peers in the Taekwondo school.
By practicing forms and techniques alongside their peers, they'll build strong collaborative skills that will benefit them far beyond the mat - in school, in friendships, and throughout life.
​
​
10. Encouraging Self Defense
​
Taekwondo, as well as other martial arts, have many defensive styles that teach kids peaceful, non-violent conflict resolution skills. They learn how to protect and defend themselves in unavoidable situations, giving them confidence and peace of mind.
​
​
11. Fun
Learning is most effective when it's fun and engaging. Taekwondo programs recognize this by blending the discipline and traditions of the martial art with exciting challenges, interactive games, and community-focused events - keeping kids motivated, involved, and eager to learn.
​
​
Final Thoughts
Taekwondo provides many benefits while a student continues the pursuit of higher learning, whether that be character building or learning to control one's body and mind. Being a Master with over 10 years of teaching, I can tell you first hand the changes I have seen in kids who have trained in Taekwondo for an extended period of time.
I mention an “extended period of time” because this transformation doesn't happen overnight and every child is different.
It will take time, depending on the child, but you will see subtle changes happening that your child may not even be aware of, such as being more respectful to elder people or more kind to others. I know, for myself, I am still answering to people who are older than me with “Yes Ma’am” or “Yes Sir” instinctively.
​