Martial Arts World News Magazine - Volume 22 | Special Edition

INSTRUCTIONAL EXCELLENCE
The Value of Meditation
by Grandmaster Tim McCarthy
The value of meditation for your classes depends on the goals for your school.
If your goal is only to create great fighters, meditation may
not be right for your students. On the other hand, if you tell prospective
parents that training at your school will help their kids
focus, or if you tell adults that training in the martial arts will help
them reduce stress, incorporate meditation in your classes.
For Children
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) seems to be
growing among children in the U.S. In one study
(eurekalert.org/news-releases/667173) they reported that in 1997
approximately 6.1% of U.S. children were diagnosed with ADHD,
while in 2016 that number increased to 10.2%.
Whether that increase represents a change in the
number of diagnoses or a change in the actual
number of children affected, it represents a
growing concern. Chances are you have several
children with ADHD in your classes. You may
even tell parents in your sales presentation
that the martial arts will help their child develop
focus. Meditation is one clear way we can help.
I recommend a simple addition to your belt
requirements: Children must sit completely still
for 30 seconds for each belt level. That would
mean a white belt testing for yellow
would have to sit completely still
for 30 seconds, while a yellow
belt testing for green would
have to sit completely still for
60 seconds, adding 30 more
seconds for each belt level,
possibly requiring 5 minutes
or more before they are ready
for black belt.
At first, they will not be
aware of fidgeting, rocking,
or scratching their nose,
but when you point it out,
they will become aware. Ask them to focus on their breathing,
possibly feeling their heart beat. If you make it part of a tip test
requirement, they will master the skill with practice.
Just imagine how valuable those 30 seconds or more would
be to the parent of a hyperactive child. Just imagine how valuable
that ability to calm down would be to the child who has a
race car brain and bicycle brakes. It can change his or her life.
For Adults
ADHD does not just go away when you become an adult.
Many adults continue to suffer from a lack of focus because their
brains learned to function as ADHD children and they never
learned any other way. Focus is a skill that can be learned and
practiced. The more you practice, the easier it becomes.
Adults can probably learn to sit motionless for several
minutes, but they may have a harder time quieting their minds.
They are so used to worrying about money and work and family
and relationships that they may not know how to stop worrying.
Again, just sitting still for a set period of time and focusing on
your breath (trying to slow it down) can do wonders in reducing
stress. If your students feel less stressed when they practice
the martial arts and more stress when they don’t, that’s a pretty
powerful retention program.
Beyond these basic “sit still and breathe” techniques, there
are may more advanced forms of meditation that you can find
on the Internet with more advanced benefits, especially for
internal martial arts. Grandmaster Y. K. Kim offers several different
kinds of meditation appropriate for martial artists in his
book and video collection Health is the Foundation of Success,
plus he has updated some of the meditation videos on YouTube.
Contact your AMS business development consultant for details
on where to get them.
Ultimately the choice to teach meditation in your classes is up
to you based on your goals for your students. I highly recommend
it not as a central focus, but as one of the many facets
of the martial arts that separates us from other activities like
aerobics, soccer, gymnastics, and even yoga.
GRANDMASTER TIM MCCARTHY is a 9th degree black belt and is a martial arts educator
with a master’s degree in education. He has been instrumental in developing two industry-changing
programs, plus has directed and been featured in hundreds of martial arts videos and webinars.
90 MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME 22 | SPECIAL EDITION