ADHD & Karate

It doesn't have to be karate, any martial art (taught at a good dojo) teaches discipline and emotional regulation in a way that gels REALLY well with how our minds work. In large part, because we're forming mental and emotional regulation *while our bodies are moving*. Dance works for some, but the fact that it's a preforming art AND a main focus of dance *isn't* honor, respect, evaluate, act, reevaluate, act, correct, recover nature of martial arts, means that a person just sort of has to get lucky with the right instructor.

It's the evaluate act reevaluate act evaluate act repetitive but constantly changing nature of martial arts (so it doesn't get boring)... plus that focus on personal responsibility, honor, choice done in a *positive* way, aspects that just really takes our emotional swings and "centers" us.

Horseback riding is also REALLY useful, but in an entirely different way. My son is in Aikido just having started this year, but because of budget concerns, we're waiting to get him riding regularly.

Our son has ADHD and took karate for a few months. He did well with the structured nature of karate and the physical activity. However, just a warning that karate equipment is quite expensive ($400 for starter kit for our son's taekwondo). Our son, of course, lost interest in karate right after the buy-back deadline for the equipment, so if you pursue karate, do keep that deadline in mind. We were out a lot of money on that equipment and only got a fraction back selling it.

Also, if the medication isn't "wowing" anymore, do talk to the doctor about possible adjustments. We've found using a booster dosage after school helps our son get through activities like his gym class or school events.

I personally suffer from ADHD as well as one of my daughters. I have a black belt in Tae kwon do . IT certainly improved my focus. I took tae kwon do in college because I was really finding it hard to focus on my classes and someone in college suggested martial arts and so i tried. I had taken my daughter for classes also and it made a really big difference in making analogies when i was working on her homework with her. Once she started moving up in her belt class , she realized she could focus. I chose not to medicate her because I worked with a neurologist in NJ who suggested checking her for hidden food allergies and POOF she was allergic to nitrates and red dye. Hot dogs and peanut butter were our worst enemies. Who doesnt give their child peanut butter and jelly? well she is now 26 and is amazing in anything she tries to do. With time it all levels off. I am sucessful in medicine and we both should have been medicated and not been able to focus without it. Good Luck

My son doesn't have ADD or ADHD, but did take Tae Kwon Do. The instructors there told me several stories of kids with ADD that had improvements. Of course it wasn't overnight, and each kid has their own level of improvement, but Karate and Tae Kwon Do teaches them to focus on one thing for 2 seconds.