Coach Brian and our students volunteering at Dutchess Outreach
When most people think of martial arts, they think of self-defense or some sort of unarmed fighting. Whether you’re training karate, Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you’re most likely going to be learning a form of hand to hand combat. However, what most people don’t realize is that being a martial artist is about much more than punches, kicks and takedowns. One of the most important benefits that martial arts can provide is instilling a sense of martial character. This means living your life as a confident and compassionate individual who cares just as much about their neighbor’s well-being as they do about their own. It means having the physical skills to defend yourself and the mental wherewithal to be able to deescalate a potentially dangerous or violent situation.
At Poughkeepsie’s premier martial arts academy Precision Boxing and MMA, we make it a priority that our members uphold our ideals of martial character on the mats and in their everyday life. We believe that the first step to developing a strong martial character is giving back to your community. This past week, we volunteered with Dutchess Outreach’s Lunch Box Program where we were given the opportunity to serve hot lunches to families in need throughout the Poughkeepsie area. We had an awesome response from our members, quickly filling up our volunteer list. It was a great time for our staff and members, we loved getting to know some of the people who share our beautiful neighborhood with us. If you’re interested in training martial arts, self-defense and becoming part of a community that gives back, come check out Precision Boxing and MMA; the Hudson Valley’s largest Mixed Martial Arts academy. Give us a call today at (845)392-8495.
8. It gets them involved in an extracurricular activity. Is your child looking for something to do after school? Karate will keep your child busy doing something productive when they aren’t in school. There are many options of extracurricular activities that you can choose from, but karate is one that gives your child the amount of exercise they need every day. 7. Discipline. Your child will learn how to obey and respect authority figures. During karate class, your child will practice referring to authority figures as sir or ma’am, and to follow instructions given to them. 6. It helps to excel in other activities and sports. Karate helps teach you how to breathe correctly and gives you a sense of coordination, which is beneficial with all sports like swimming, track and field, soccer, and gymnastics. 
4. Karate helps children with focusing. Does your child have a rough time staying on task or paying attention? Karate will help your child stay focused. Your child will often be training one on one with a partner, and it is an important skill to be focused and not distracted. 
3. Self-defense. Your child will never have to worry about another kid physically bullying them or threatening to hurt them. They will learn many different methods to defend themselves if another child or adult is coming at them, and will be taught that using violence is always a last resort option. 
2. It moves them in the right direction. When you involve your child in extracurricular activities, it puts them on the right path and keeps them out of trouble. Often times, troubled kids are those that have too much free time. They don’t have anything else to do but go out and find trouble. With karate, your child will be busy doing a productive activity and staying out of trouble. 1. Encourages children to set goals. Karate teaches kids to create goals for themselves and to strive toward them. Your child will feel a sense of accomplishment whenever they receive a new belt, and will learn to work towards their goals knowinng If you’re still having second thoughts about sending your child to 