Is Your Kid Screen-Glued?

Mortal Kombat 2 came out in 1993, and I was completely glued to the screen, for what seemed like years. 

I put on weight, became anti-social, my confidence tanked, and my knees started to ache with inflammation brought on by stagnation.

I remember going to see a doctor about it, and he told me to get on my bike and it would go away. I was furious about it, but he was more or less right.

Once I found a physical activity that I enjoyed, it very quickly went away, no pills needed. Surprise surprise. I’m just happy I found a good doctor at the time who told me what I needed to hear, not what I wanted to hear, otherwise I’d still be popping pills for something that was a pretty easy fix.

Still, even after that visit, it took me a while to get sorted out. I was stuck in a rut of anti-social behaviour, and the only thing I thought I was good at was playing video games. This made it more challenging to get outside and meet people.

The less I engaged socially, the more awkward I became, and the less incentive there was for me to get out and interact.

Sound familiar?

You may have a child that is going through the same thing.

The reason I want to share this with you is to assure you that:

This is NOTHING NEW

Sure, the pandemic may have aggravated this problem, having kids stuck inside on screens, making them spiral down into this trend of low confidence, low activity, and a stagnant lifestyle, but it didn’t create.

I know because I went through the exact same thing 30 years ago. The screens have changed a bit, and so have the games, but the behaviours are the same; When someone would try to shut the screen off on me I would snap at them… much like kids do now, making you think you are dealing with someone with a substance abuse problem rather than merely a child.

It was difficult at that time to get into most physical activities because I was not very confident in myself. My brother was a hockey star, my sister was into rowing, and I was in a rut.

It seemed like whenever I tried any kind of support, I wasn’t good enough compared to others on the team, so it felt hopeless.

This all changed when I found the Martial Arts.

When I started in the Martial Arts what made all the difference was that the focus was on me.

I wasn’t comparing myself to other team members, or the score compared to another team. All that was important was my own progress.

This allowed me to succeed regardless of what others were doing. Rather than competing against others, I was just competing with my own self.

I didn’t have to outperform anyone else, I only had to outperform myself and who I was yesterday, and aim at being a better version of myself tomorrow.

Part of what made video games so fun and addictive is what also drew me to Martial Arts.

As I would learn more and practice more, I would earn different belt ranks. This had the effect of positively reinforcing the behaviour, the same way my game score would reinforce the stagnant behaviour of sitting on the couch covering myself with Dorito crumbs.

The positive reinforcement from Kung Fu however, got me moving, and in very good shape in a short time.

Ironically, after a short while, when I did try other sports, I was actually outperforming many of my peers because I was developing more speed and power on my own terms.

The belt ranking and personal focus of Martial Arts worked very well and was very similar to how one would level up in video games.

It’s almost like the teachers and masters of previous generations knew this when they designed the martial arts curriculum that we use today.

Regardless of if it was intentional or not, the game-theory that seems to be baked into Martial Arts achievement worked very well to get me off of the screen and into a healthier lifestyle.

As I continued to train, I also gained experience working with partners in the martial arts, and then teams. I started to speak up more, look people in the eye again, and socialize with other martial artists in class. Eventually this led to me socializing more outside of Kung Fu class as well.

In a massive U-turn, I actually started performing on stage in high school. Something that would have scared me to death only a couple years prior.

There are two main reasons I’m sharing my story with you.

Firstly, I want to impress upon you that this is not a new phenomenon with kids, although it seems more prevalent now as more technology is everywhere.

Secondly, there is a lot of hope if your child seems screen addicted, IF you can find the right activity that triggers their interest and passion.

Simply limiting screen time, hiding electronics, or shaming them is not going to work, but when you find the right activity that clicks, and it sets their soul on fire, like Martial Arts did for me, it won’t be a fight to get them off of screens anymore, it won’t even be an effort on your part.

It won't be a fight to get them outside, or eat healthy. It also won't be a fight to get them to look at you when you're talking to them, or to stop mumbling when they're speaking. It won't be a fight to answer questions without attitude. It will barely be an effort at all.

If these are issues that your child is currently struggling with and they don't  seem to be interested in group sports so much, and they're a little anti-social, and glued to a screen because of the addictive nature of it, there’s a good chance that Martial Arts is probably the right activity.

It’s definitely worth a try.

I’m willing to put time, effort, and a bit of cash on the line to prove it to you ($350 worth)

I’m offering 2 weeks of free classes, a free uniform, and a free 1 on 1 start up lesson (total value of $350) for your child to see if the martial arts are as life changing for them as they were for me.

If after the 2 week trial they are still not interested and they would rather bake in front of screen, I’ll buy back the free uniform I gave you, even if they smeared Dorito crumbs into it.

Fill this in below and we’ll connect with a good time for you to come in for your 1 on 1 lesson, get sized up for your kid’s free uniform, and schedule in your 2 weeks of free classes.

Sifu Rob Atalick
Owner/Master Instructor
Niagara Kung Fu Academy
6th Degree Black Belt,
9th Generation Master of Praying Mantis Kung Fu
and Author of "the Art of Holistic Kung Fu"

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