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Martial arts helps kids focus, teaches them independence, discipline and self-control
IT PAYS to fight.
That is what Singaporean parent Mrs Selva Shaan believes.
That is because her seven-year-old son, Khishen, has become a better student ever since he took up wrestling two weeks ago.
Mrs Shaan, 32, a cashier, said Khishen used to have “problems concentrating and never showed interest in his studies”.
She added that his teachers would constantly complain about his lack of focus and were disappointed that he didn’t do well in his exams.
But ever since Khishen started attending the Wrestling Satellite Centre programme, organised by the Wrestling Federation of Singapore, his attitude towards his studies has changed.
“The weekly Saturday classes are a good motivation for Khishen to work hard during school days,” said Mrs Shaan.
“I’d tell him that if he finishes his homework and if his teachers don’t complain about him, he can then go for the wrestling classes. Otherwise, he’ll be grounded.” Khishen has always showed interest in muay thai, boxing and wrestling.
“He watches WWE on TV and loves John Cena,” she said.
Cena is a champion World Wrestling Entertainment professional wrestler.
“He also hopes to represent Singapore one day,” added Mrs Shaan with a laugh.
The mother of four didn’t know that competitive wrestling existed in Singapore.
Joint initiative
“Khishen saw an advertisement on it in The New Paper, and asked if he could take it up.”
A joint initiative by the Singapore Sports Council and Ministry of Education to promote sports exposure to children, the Wrestling Satellite Centre programme is a 10-week course for boys and girls aged seven to 16.
The programme is devised by two-time Olympic and six-time World Champion Wrestler, Sergei Beloglazov, and introduces the Olympic discipline of Freestyle Wrestling.
“It is totally different from WWE,”stressed Mr Gabriel Huang, the junior development coach of the programme.
And before you dismiss the sport as rough and violent, Mr Huang stressed that they only train on professional Olympic standard wrestling mats and there is a high coach to student ratio of 1:4.
“It is a misconception that contact sports – wrestling in particular – are more risky than other sports such as basketball and soccer or even running,” Mr Huang explained.
“The coach is always around to supervise the children and make sure they are doing only what they are instructed and not attempting some WWE moves on
each other.”
When asked about her concerns over possible injuries that Khishen may sustain, Mrs Shaan said that “boys are boys” and that “they get injuries from other places and they should rough it out”.
But Mrs Shaan said that Khishen “knows his limits and will not try the moves on his brothers and sisters at
home”.
Wrestling isn’t the only “fight club” that is gaining popularity among the young.
 For Kinaree Adkins, it is mixed martial arts that caught her attention.
The seven-year-old Singapore permanent resident and US citizen enrolled in the Little Samurai programme at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts.
Mixed martial arts include muay thai, boxing and jujitsu.
Said her father Mr Paul Adkins: “Mixed martial arts has increased Kinaree’s confidence and inner strength.”
Mr Adkins added that Kinaree has learnt to be more independent andself-disciplined.
The lessons, he added, also showed her how to control her body and defend herself.
“She knows it’s going to be a rough world out there and she needs to be prepared for it.”
Despite her interest, Mr Adkins, an asset manager, shared his concerns over the combative nature of the martial arts.
 “Of course I worry. I’m a single parent. She was actually terrified the very first time. She’s this tiny little girl and she had to take on these bigger opponents who are skilled in martial arts.”
But Kinaree, he said, has now developed a level of comfort and knows the risks of the sport.
Dr Patrick Goh of Sports Medicine International at Camden Medical Centre agreed that people “have the mistaken belief that learning a martial art is tantamount to learning how to street-fight”.
“If the programme is specifically geared towards their age and level of maturity, and with appropriate attention on safety, there is no physiological reason why children can’t participate in such contact sports,” said Dr Goh.
Parents, he added, can expect minor sprains, strains and contusions.
“Fractures or dislocations may occur, but it is less common,”he said.
“The injury rate of such sports is not unduly high compared to other contact sports such as rugby, soccer
or even gymnastics.
“Prevention of injuries mainly lies in the way the age-appropriate programme is conducted, with sufficient focus on safety, technique and discipline.”
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