The Importance Of Mat Chat

     Most martial arts schools have some type of mat chat, where younger students, instructors, and coaches sit together as a group to discuss issues facing today's students. Topics such as developing good habits, communicating with confidence, and how to deal with bullies both in-person and online are discussed. I cannot emphasize enough how important these sessions are in helping equip our students with the information and emotional capacity need to deal with the ever-growing complexities of life. From my experience, I would say most schools only give this portion of student training a superficial amount of time at best. I would further state that these discussion times are crucial to student's overall development not just as a martial artist, but a happy, well-adjusted, and functioning members of society.

     Mat chats give students, instructors, and coaches the opportunity to discuss topics that we traditionally associate with martial arts training. Things like dealing with bullies, developing self-confidence, dealing with strangers, and sharpening one's focus. I would go one step further and say that these discussions have the ability to positively transform a student's life in a variety of other ways most may not associate these with these discussions.

     One of the first benefits that come to mind is that it helps students identify their feelings, and feel comfortable sharing them. I think we could all agree that a large portion of our society, including myself, have trouble identifying and expressing their feelings at times. Helping give students the tools and confidence to effectively identify and deal with their emotions helps them in so many ways. The negative impact that emotions such as fear, anger, frustration, anxiety, sadness, loneliness, have on a child or young person's life can substantially mitigate with these coping skills. Another beneficial consequence of students sharing their feelings in a peer setting is that they get to see that others feel and think just as they do, which is extremely therapeutic. It also gives students practice in the dying art of listening, not listening to respond, just listening for the sake of listening.

     If the time in these discussions is used effectively, we as instructors and coaches can address student issues such as critical thinking, healthy self-image, setting personal boundaries with others, the ability to distinguish healthy from toxic relationships, patients, compassion, and empathy for others, and the importance giving back. I, therefore, think it imperative that we as instructors, coaches, guides mentors, readjust the criteria under which we use to "teach" our students. It is our responsibility and obligation that we help to transform each of our student's lives in real, lasting, and positive ways that can be documented!