Hi and welcome,
I’m Master Frank, owner of Lions Panzek Martial Arts in Winfield, Illinois.
Over the years of teaching children and working with families, I’ve noticed something that surprises a lot of parents:
The way we try to build confidence can sometimes hold kids back.
One lesson for this week
Confidence doesn’t come from constant praise.
That might sound a little strange at first.
After all, encouraging kids is a good thing… right?
Of course it is.
But here’s where things get tricky.
When kids hear “good job” for everything, they can start to rely on it.
They look for approval instead of focusing on effort.
And over time, something subtle happens:
They begin to avoid challenges—because if they struggle or fail, they might not get that praise.
What actually builds confidence
Real confidence is built differently.
It comes from:
Trying something difficult
Struggling through it
Improving over time
Knowing “I earned this”
That feeling sticks.
It’s not fragile. It doesn’t disappear when things get hard.
What we do in the dojang
In martial arts, progress isn’t given—it’s earned.
Students don’t get their next belt because they showed up.
They earn it by practicing, improving, and pushing through challenges.
And along the way, we don’t just say “good job.”
We say things like:
“You stayed focused even when that was hard.”
“That was better than last time.”
“You didn’t give up—that’s what matters.”
That’s how confidence is built from the inside out.
What you can do at home
A few simple shifts can make a big difference:
Instead of: “Good job”
Try: “That took effort”
Instead of jumping in to help right away:
Let them try one more time
Instead of praising the result:
Highlight the improvement
These small changes help kids focus on growth—not just approval.
A small opportunity for your child
If you’d like your child to experience this kind of growth firsthand, we’d love to help.
As a thank-you for reading the newsletter, we offer a 2-week trial so your child can step on the mat and experience it for themselves. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
See you next week,
Master Frank
Lions Panzek Martial Arts
Winfield, Illinois
WWW.PANZEK.COM