7 Bad Habits Negatively Impacting Taekwondo Performance
Forming good habits through Taekwondo is supposed to be one of the major benefits of the practice. It helps to develop the discipline that will translate positively into all other aspects of your life. Sometimes, we can carry over these bad habits in our Taekwondo practice. This can result in the effects not being as beneficial as they could be.
Benefits of Taekwondo
Before we dive into the bad habits, let’s look at what benefits Taekwondo brings to your life:
Discipline
Increased self-confidence
Finely tuned concentration
Reduced anxiety, tension, and stress
A sense of personal accomplishment
A positive outlet away from drugs, alcohol, and trouble
With the proper attitude and motivation, it’s simple for Taekwondo to turn around bad habits and have you experiencing the benefits that the practice brings. The key is to stay focused on the present moment and work hard.
Life can get in the way, however, and you can carry over these bad habits into your training. So what are ways that bad habits can negatively impact Taekwondo performance? Let’s take a more in-depth look into how they develop and hurt your chances of being successful. Here are 7 bad habits negatively impacting Taekwondo performance.
Lack of Hydration
The lifeblood of an athlete is water, and this is no less true for the Taekwondo student. Children’s bodies aren’t as effective as adults when it comes to cooling down. They tend to sweat out more liquid than they intake.
When working hard in the Taekwondo, your child will lose these liquids. Therefore, it’s vital that they’re hydrating correctly and frequently. Encourage your child to take drinks regularly. Specially designed drinks with electrolytes can help to replace the liquid and salts in the body that leak out during heavy training.
Failure to Stretch
It’s not always about patience with children. Most of the time they want to jump right into an activity and be active and involved. This is a fantastic attitude to have in most areas of their life including education, but when it comes to Taekwondo, this can actually be a pretty bad habit.
Stretching is essential to a solid Taekwondo base. Your child will need to expand the growing muscles in their body and train them to stretch and flex. This will cause fewer injuries down the line and develop discipline. Sometimes doing the “boring” things makes the “fun” things possible.
Lack of Cardio
Taekwondo is an excellent exercise and can help your child get into shape. This shouldn’t be the only form of exercise though. Your child needs a lot of activity for their growing body. Too often children sit around playing video games, watching tv, or browsing the internet. This sedentary lifestyle is a bad habit that can carry on into adulthood.
Getting your child active and moving is key to a successful Taekwondo practice. At least once a day, they should be moving and building up their heart rate. An emphasis on taking care of the body should always be tied with Taekwondo.
Forgetting to Pace Themselves
A lot of first time students want to begin sparring immediately. They want to test their skills against others. It’s this competitive mindset that is instilled throughout our society that Taekwondo has to contend with.
Pacing is essential in all areas of your child’s life. In Taekwondo it allows your child to learn the basics and master the techniques before physically sparring. This builds the good habit of patience, discipline, and learning. Pacing translates well from Taekwondo to your child’s classroom at school.
Drug Addictions
Addictive behaviors develop early in growing children. This could be due to a number of reasons but catching them early is an important step in their later success. Giving them outlets, like Taekwondo, is a great way to keep kids off of drugs.
Drug addiction can affect anyone, and outside influences are usually the gateway for children. Replace those negative influences with positive ones like Taekwondo and allow them to develop the discipline necessary to say no.
Forgetting This is About Self-Defense
Taekwondo is not a fighting sport. Is there sparring and competitive combat? Yes, however, that’s not the core of its ideals. Taekwondo is and always will be about personal growth. To correct bad habits and turn them into good habits, it’s important to focus more on the character than the fighting aspect.
Self-defense is the main purpose of learning the techniques of Taekwondo. Every teacher will tell your child that the practice is meant as a way to avoid danger rather than enter combat. It creates a positive outlet that allows your child to defend themselves, if necessary. It also gives them the tools necessary to get out of a potentially risky situation.
Bad Attitude
Too many parents pull their children from Taekwondo before the real work has begun. The practice can get hard and challenging. We're strict in our instruction--we get that, but you're not doing your kid any favors by helicopter parenting them into a safe space. Part of developing a well-rounded child is to create a mindset towards resilience--pursuing a goal even when you run into problems along the way.
Arriving on time, paying attention, having a willingness to participate, and being courteous of the teacher will significantly decrease the chances that your child will want to quit Taekwondo. This starts with the parents--show your commitment to Taekwondo, and your child will see that it’s serious.
Taekwondo has helped so many people. It’s a wonder how it’s not mandatory by now. Taekwondo allows kids to have a creative and physical outlet to channel the energies of their growing body. This, in turn, keeps kids out of trouble, away from negative influences, and on the path to success.
If you’re wanting more information on taekwondo, and other martial arts, please check out our programs page! We know you’ll find something interesting and want to be a part of!
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