Everyone struggles with self control from time to time whether it is an extra dessert, impulse buys or reacting out of anger, a lack of self control can have a lasting negative impact upon our lives.

With all these issues, it is no ones fault other than our own that we eat too much, spend too much or get ourselves into trouble. Those who have more self control seem to excel at life, they become masters of themselves and then masters of what they do. After all, self control is the biggest obstacle between you and success.

Self Control Dogs

So how do we teach our kids self control so that they can be successful in what they want to do now and later in life?

As a martial arts teacher now for close to 30 years, this is a topic that I have often thought of for my students and my own kid! When I teach classes, there are three main areas of a person that I look to improve and these can be accomplished at any age.

  • MIND – The controlling force in all that we do. A strong, self controlled mind can have the discipline to accomplish any task and not over react to negative stimulus.
  • BODY – The tool that we use to accomplish our goals. A self disciplined body is a healthy one! Fitness is important, our bodies should be coordinated, flexible and strong!
  • SPIRIT – Think of this as our attitude. With a positive attitude about ourselves, we can temper or mind and our body to a high performance machine!

There is such a strong connection between the mind and the body that it is difficult for one to go without the other. When we learn to control the body, we also learn to control the mind. Everyone is different, we all have various strengths and weaknesses. Self control is what keeps us from doing harmful things to ourselves and others. It keeps us from distractions and on the path to success.

Self control is worth having and I’ve found great success teaching it through martial arts.