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Martial arts is one of the most popular forms of exercise. It can also be a great way to learn self-defense techniques. But many parents worry that it could make their children more aggressive. So, is this claim true?  

Learning martial arts won’t make your child more aggressive. It can help them learn techniques to stay calm, even in emotionally charged situations. Teachers also focus on the need to use violence as a last resort. Martial arts tactics can also prove useful for children with ADHD. 

Though it’s unlikely that martial arts will increase aggression, this myth persists. Here are some of the things that prospective parents should know if they are thinking about enrolling their children in a martial arts class. 

How Does Martial Arts Affect Children’s Behavior? 

Like most extra-curricular activities, martial arts will have an impact on a child’s behavior. But to understand how it can affect them, it’s important to look at the principles that are being taught by martial arts instructions. 

One of the key values of martial arts is respect. Children are taught to have respect for their opponents. More importantly, they are taught to have respect for themselves. 

Self-esteem is one of the most important predictors of behavior. A Spanish study tracked over 2,000 students between the age of 12 and 16. They found that those who had a high level of self-respect tended to have better relationships with their parents. They also discovered that they were less likely to act aggressively. 

Another crucial part of martial arts training is self-control. Martial arts teachers consistently emphasize the need to avoid potential conflicts. Students are taught that violence should only be used as a last resort. Because of this, studies have shown that those who take martial arts are less aggressive than those who take other sports like hockey.  

Another popular reason why martial arts are so popular is that it provides an engaging way to keep children physically fit. Martial art classes promote pushups and other exercises that seek to build physical strength. They also focus on improving the range of movement. This can have several impacts on mental health. For example, physical activity has been linked to an increase in cognitive functioning in children. 

Should An Aggressive Child Take Martial Arts?

Some parents might struggle with a child that is already showing aggressive tendencies. Often, these individuals can benefit from taking martial arts classes. 

Martial arts can be an effective way of channeling aggressive feelings into a more productive activity. This can be a good way to reduce the risks of a violent outburst. As we mentioned, martial arts can often be used as a technique to teach self-control and develop emotional restraint. These skills can be a valuable way of managing aggression.  

However, these types of students will require a skilled instructor. They must be taught the importance of self-control. The instructor might need to learn how to handle potentially violent outbursts. 

It’s also important to remember that aggressive tendencies are often the result of underlying problems. If these issues aren’t addressed, the violent behaviors will often get worse over time. Alone, martial arts won’t be enough to suppress these actions. The child will require seeing a professional to discuss the issue. Depending on the type of behavior, the child might need additional medical treatment. 

Is Martial Art Good For A Child With ADHD?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can have a profound impact on a child’s behavior. It can manifest in a few ways. For example, they might have difficulty focusing on one task for an extended period. In other cases, it might be harder for them to pay attention or they might act impulsively.  

There are a few reasons why martial arts might be preferred to other types of sports for those with ADHD. For example, the tasks will be broken up into smaller chunks. Because of this, it will be easier to maintain focus and make consistent progress. There are also frequent milestones, which makes it easy to measure achievements. 

Martial arts can teach some valuable techniques to help those who have been diagnosed with ADHD. For example, they might be able to learn how to improve concentration. Martial art places a lot of emphasis on the need to focus, particularly when instructions are being given. Those with ADHD might also benefit from having a productive outlet for their excessive energy. 

Though scientists are still studying the connection between ADHD and martial arts. However, there are clinically significant results that it can have a positive effect.  This supports anecdotal evidence from martial arts teachers and parents. 

What Is The Best Age For A Child To Start Martial Arts?

As the evidence mounts that martial arts can teach valuable life skills to children, parents are becoming more interested in enrolling their children. But this has raised some questions about what the right age to get kids interested in martial arts is. 

This can often depend on the child and the type of martial art they are seeking to learn. Often, they will be ready to start basic classes at the age of four. This will let them learn some of the foundational moves. However, they will often need to be between 10 and 13 before they can start serious training. This will ensure that they will be able to cope with working in a group. 

To get more specific advice, parents are advised to talk to the instructors at the martial arts school. 

Regardless of their age, parents should make sure that their children feel comfortable attending martial arts training classes. This ensures that they will be motivated to learn. There are numerous types of martial arts to explore. If they don’t like one branch, parents will be able to take their child to another school. 

What Martial Arts Is Best For My Child?

There are a few types of martial arts that parents will be able to try. Each of these will have programs designed specifically for children. 

First, they might want to explore taekwondo. This form of martial arts places a heavier emphasis on kicking. This can provide a good introduction to many of the techniques associated with martial arts. As an Olympic sport, this will provide lots of opportunities for young people to put their skills to the test. 

If children want something more advanced, they can explore kickboxing. This will combine the kicking styles of taekwondo with western boxing styles. This can be an exciting way of putting martial arts skills to the test. However, because it is more complex, it’s recommended for older teenagers. 

Karate is another popular option. This has been brought to prominence recently through television shows like Cobra Kai. There are many branches of Karate, each of them focusing on a slightly different aspect. 

With so many options, children should be encouraged to try multiple forms of martial arts. This will allow them to find the one that appeals the most to them. If they don’t enjoy themselves after a few sessions, they can move to a different style.

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Final Thoughts

Martial arts are a popular pastime, particularly amongst children. Regular sessions can have a range of positive benefits. For example, it can help boost self-esteem and increase emotional control. This has been shown to reduce aggression in children. It can also boost cognition and help kids with ADHD. Because of these advantages, parents should consider encouraging their children to pursue martial arts. 

Regarding qualifying factors for combat sports, height and reach are some of the most important elements to determining natural ability. Most combat sports separate fighters into different classes based on their weight, but their height and reach can vary massively within these categories.

Both height and reach play a significant role in every combat sport. Generally speaking, a taller fighter with a longer reach can strike their opponent more safely, but they are also at risk of being a larger target if their opponent makes it past their range. They must have reliable defensive capabilities to overcome that disadvantage.

Combat sports are incredibly nuanced, and while height and reach are undeniably crucial to the sport, the way in which they affect an individual fighter’s abilities can differ enormously. Continue reading to learn more about how these elements affect every fighter and every match.

Is It Better To Be Taller Or Shorter In A Fight?

One of the most hotly debated topics surrounding combat sports is whether it is more advantageous to be taller or shorter in a fight. The reason it is such a divisive concept is that there is no clear answer to the question. There have been numerous successful fighters on either end of the spectrum across multiple disciplines, making a definite answer nearly impossible.

There are advantages to being tall and being short, and there are disadvantages to both extremes. Review the following pros and cons of height variations to learn more about the inherent advantages and disadvantages of each.

Advantages For Tall Combatants

• Generally increased range. There are certain exceptions to this rule, which will be discussed later in this article, but in most cases, the taller the fighter, the greater their reach. A fighter with a more extended reach than their opponent can strike without fear of reprisal.
• Better defensive capabilities in individual sports. Especially in boxing, a taller fighter has the advantage of their opponent needing to punch upwards, which can lessen their effectiveness unless they are familiar with that particular matchup.

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Disadvantages For Tall Combatants

• A higher center of gravity. In most instances, a taller fighter will be easier to throw off balance and have a more challenging time recovering their stance.
• Weight class disadvantage. This aspect, in particular, is vital to consider when comparing shorter fighters to taller ones. It is easier to fit into a lower weight class as a smaller fighter, which can allow these combatants an advantage against others in their weight category.

Advantages For Shorter Combatants

• Being shorter and smaller often provides the benefit of greater agility. A smaller body requires less energy to move around the arena, which can give an advantage in terms of endurance.
• Close range. Shorter fighters can often beat taller opponents if they can position themselves close against their opponents, nullifying the range advantage. Since shorter fighters tend to have shorter limbs as well, they can execute full-power strikes more efficiently while eliminating their opponent’s range advantage.

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Disadvantages For Shorter Combatants

• Getting into closer range. As effective as shorter fighters can be when they close the gap, it can be challenging to get past a taller fighter’s range. Most combatants with a range advantage are familiar with using that advantage to wall out their opponent and prevent them from getting close enough to strike.
• As the match goes on in specific fighting disciplines and the combatants become exhausted, the taller fighter may end up leaning on the shorter fighter and using them to support their weight, alleviating some of their exhaustion and adding to their opponents.

However, it is of the utmost importance to be aware that every one of these advantages and disadvantages can be overcome with technique and practice. Understanding the natural advantages and disadvantages that stem from being tall or short is the first step for combatants to develop their skills to overcome those hurdles. 

What Matters More In A Fight, Height or Weight?

Both height and weight play significant roles when determining an advantage in a fight. Especially in an unregulated fight, the heavier opponent will have an advantage as they have increased muscle mass, allowing them to hit harder and withstand strikes from their opponent more easily.

It is for this reason that combat sports separate fighters based on weight class. Creating different categories for fighters to compete in based on their weight helps to level the playing field. These categories prevent combatants from needing to spar against an opponent that creates an unfair disadvantage.

While height does play an important role, it determines the fighter’s style more than weight does. While taller fighters generally end up being in higher weight classes than shorter fighters because of their increased size, their height does not give them an ensured advantage beyond greater reach. Additionally, shorter fighters often find themselves in advantageous weight matchups because they can put on more muscle mass than taller fighters without being pushed up a weight class.

What Is Cutting Weight?

As mentioned above, weight classes exist to ensure some degree of equality between combatants by ensuring that participants are similar in terms of their overall weight. In professional fighting competitions, fighters agree to show up for the weigh-in at an acceptable range for their competing category. Cutting weight is the practice of rapidly losing weight before their weigh-in to compete at a specific weight class.

Through the process of dehydrating themselves, fighters can lose up to 30lbs over a period of 48 hours. In most professional fights, the combatants are then allowed 24 hours to rehydrate themselves before they compete. This practice often results in fighters weighing themselves in up to two categories lower than they will weigh on the day of the competition itself. 

There are numerous dangers involved with cutting weight for a professional competition, and even more risks with amateur fights because the window to rehydrate before the match starts may be much shorter. Nevertheless, weight cutting is a common practice for most combat sports and is unlikely to change in the coming years.

What Is An Ape Index?

At this point, we have established that one of the few concrete, natural advantages in combat sports is that of greater reach. Having the ability to strike an opponent while staying out of their range is often a significant factor in determining who wins in a fight. While taller fighters generally have greater reach due to their increased stature, it is not always the case. Sometimes, combatants have greater reach than their height would suggest, which led to the creation of the Ape Index.

Ape Index refers to the measure of a fighter’s arm span relative to their height. In most cases, the average arm span of a person is the same as their height. Ape Index is measured by subtracting a person’s height from their arm span, which would result in a neutral ratio for the average person. 

The average boxer has an arm span that is approximately 2.5″ longer than that of a regular individual, which translates to an Ape Index of 2.5″. It is important to note that this difference does not indicate that boxing increases a person’s arm length. However, people with longer arms have that advantage of reach, making them more likely to become boxers than people without that advantage.

Below are some of the height, reach, and corresponding Ape Indices of fifteen boxing champions.

While reach does contribute enormously to success in boxing, specifically due to the focus on punches as the primary form of attack, it can benefit fighters in other disciplines as well. MMA is another combat sport with many champions possessing higher than average Ape Indices, as shown below.

How Do You Fight Someone With A Long Reach?

Boxing, MMA, and other combat sports are filled with examples of shorter fighters with less reach defeating taller or longer reaching opponents. While their individual techniques differ depending on the combatants’ specialties, there are unifying principles that exist across this spectrum.

Fighters who possess longer-ranged punches or kicks also have the advantage that their limbs have a greater torque, resulting in a more powerful strike in most instances. However, this additional force is only generated at the end of the strike, which creates a situation where shorter combatants have a way to take advantage.

A good analogy is that of a baseball bat. In baseball, the batter tries to strike the ball with the end of the bat, as their swing generates the most force at the farthest end. If the batter hits the ball with the end of the bat closer to their hands, there will be significantly less force behind the swing, which results in the ball traveling less distance.

The same concept applies in combat sports. If a taller person with a longer reach connects their strike without reaching their limb’s almost full extension, they cannot generate the maximum amount of force possible. Conversely, shorter opponents with shorter limbs can achieve their maximum extension over a shorter distance, which gives them an enormous advantage if they can close the distance between themselves and their opponent.

In boxing, this concept of fighting in very close quarters is referred to as “in-fighting” or fighting from the inside. The vast majority of shorter boxers fight from the inside to negate the reach of their taller opponents, but they are only able to do so if they have the speed and mobility to get past the taller opponent’s reach.

A famous example of this tactic is Mike Tyson, who was shorter than many of his opponents and had an average Ape Index, meaning that many of his opponents outranged him. Tyson would use deceptive head movements and defensive options to lull his opponent into making an unsafe strike. Then Tyson would slip past his opponent’s reach and hit them with close-range hooks and uppercuts to win many matches. 

Tyson would take this technique one step further by never leaving that close range, especially early in his career. For many smaller fighters, half of the challenge is getting into that close range to be able to strike their opponent, but the other challenge is managing to get back out when their offense has worn out. Tyson would overcome that challenge by never letting down his aggressive approach and preventing his taller opponents from using their range and power over that longer distance.

How To Punch Harder

Having explored many of the advantages that greater range brings to combat sports, many people may assume that longer arms punch harder. This concept is true to a point, but as mentioned above, this is only the case if the punch coming from a long arm can reach close to its full extension and if the fighter with the more extended arm can move their body entirely.

Learning how to punch correctly, whether with long arms or short ones, is the best tactic to deliver a more powerful blow. There are many techniques and practices to understand how to do this properly, but they all revolve around certain basic principles.

Martial artist Bruce Lee described the theory behind his famous one-inch punch as the importance of putting weight behind your strike, and the way to do that is by using your entire body. Moving your whole body one inch will deliver a more powerful strike than moving your arm one foot. The trick to generating power in this way is to move your entire body all at once, even if only over a short distance.

This concept also applies to the importance of fighters using their legs to create additional force behind their punches. The leg muscles are some of the strongest ones in the entire body, and using them to generate extra power behind punches is necessary to deliver powerful strikes. 

Lastly, it is vital to understand the importance of using range effectively. The most potent punches are not delivered at the arm’s maximum extension but instead just before that point. This distance generates the full amount of force before it dissipates when the arm reaches the end of its extension. 

Conclusion

Height and reach are undeniably important elements of combat sports. In particular, while reach confers an advantage to the fighter with longer limbs, it is not an insurmountable obstacle, and proper training and education can overcome that hurdle. The history of combat sports is filled with examples of fighters on every part of the spectrum excelling at these disciplines. While natural advantages play their role in individual fighters’ careers, the training and practice that those combatants underwent were more critical than their innate capabilities.