Ernest Cadorin

Karate Benefits You (Probably) Never Thought Of

2020/06/20

Teenager Edition

Over the years, I’ve talked at length about the value of studying karate. I’ve explained how the self-defence training, physical activity, social interaction, and character development that we enjoy as karate-ka all have a profound effect on our quality of life. In this article, however, I’m going to focus on a couple of different benefits that our younger students will be particularly interested in. They may not be listed in dojo brochures, but here are two very concrete and very practical reasons why it’s advantageous for teenagers to be active members in a dojo:


1) It looks good on a university or college application

A few months ago, my wife and I took our teenage daughter to tour the University of Waterloo on one of their open house weekends. We visited the residences and attended several presentations in the faculties of math and engineering. Some of the presenters were in charge of student admissions, and they made it very clear that marks alone will not guarantee acceptance. More than ever, they are looking for well-rounded students who are involved in a variety of extra-curricular activities.

The criteria for awarding academic scholarships also places a large emphasis on how well-rounded the applicants are. This was mentioned at the open house, and I know of at least one instance in which an academic scholarship was awarded to someone who had decent marks (perhaps not what you might normally consider scholarship material), but who also was heavily involved in a variety of other activities. It’s nice to see that universities and colleges are recognizing the importance of having interests outside of academics.

Karate, of course, is an excellent activity to have on your roster – especially because it’s an activity that has well-defined levels of achievement. It’s much more impressive to say that you have studied karate for six years and have reached the rank of brown belt than it would be just to say that you have studied karate for six years. It proves that you have more than merely a casual interest in the art, and that you are able to dedicate yourself to attaining certain goals. Not all activities have this kind of structure.

2) It looks good on a resume or job application

It’s good to mention a couple of interests and hobbies on your resume no matter what stage you are at in your career, but it’s especially important to showcase them when you are trying to land your first or second job. As a teenager looking for a summer position, you generally won’t have a wealth of work experience that you can cite on a job application. You are going to have to rely heavily on your extra-curricular activities to provide evidence of your work ethic and your ability to cooperate with others.

Karate is a particularly good activity to have on your resume because it is commonly associated with many of the qualities that employers desire in their applicants. It’s known to promote discipline and respect, and as you advance in your training and take on the responsibilities of leading lower-belt groups, it helps you develop leadership and communication skills as well. These are exactly the types of attributes that many employers look for.

One last thing worth mentioning is that employers often require you to provide references as part of the job application process. References are people who know you well and who can say a few things about you to your prospective employer*. You typically provide professional references (i.e. people who have worked with you in some capacity), but you can also provide character references. Since the dojo is a place of character development, what better character reference than Sensei! Whether you are just starting out, or you have plenty of work experience under your belt, a character reference like that will definitely help you land the job.

* You should always get permission from the person before you provide them as a reference.