Kickboxing helping children learn more resilience
A kickboxing coach in Jersey is using his experience to help children in the island learn how to be more resilient.
Matt Collins has drawn on events in his life to write a book on how to cope with setbacks and negative experiences.
Mr Collins was mugged at gunpoint in Nepal in 2005 and has written about how that affected him and how he used the sport to help him recover.
He teaches hundreds of students across Jersey and works with parents to help them with issues like bullying and loss.
Mr Collins has been practicing kickboxing since he was three years old and is a 3rd degree black belt in the sport.
He said the mugging in Nepal was “pretty intense” and the sport "has been a real focus not just for my physical and mental health”.
“You will face tough moments in your life and sports like kickboxing provide a way for children to prepare themselves for that,” Mr Collins added.
He started Samurai Kickboxing which teaches students in Jersey and in the UK.
Jasper, 9, is one of the students who is taught by Mr Collins in Jersey.
He said “I learn kicks and punches and play fun games” at the classes and “I feel protected better and know what to do if something bad happens”.
Evie, 7, is another of the students going to the Samurai Kickboxing classes.
She said “I’ve been learning a lot and practising a lot of fun things” and “kickboxing is good at teaching you how to deal with loss because you lose quite a lot in the sport”.
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