At Kicx Academy, the home of Kids Martial Arts in Gloucester, we believe martial arts is about more than kicking and punching — it’s also about teaching children the life skills they need to handle their emotions and build resilience.

Have you ever wondered why two children can face the same event — maybe someone says something unkind, a plan changes at the last minute, or a parent asks them to tidy their room — and yet they react completely differently?

One might cry, one might argue, and another might shrug it off.

This is something we talk about every week at Kicx Academy in Churchdown, not just in our martial arts classes but through our Champions Character Programme. Because the truth is, while kids are learning to block, kick and punch, they’re also learning how to handle life itself.

The ABC Model of Emotions

The psychologist Albert Ellis developed what’s now called the ABC Model of emotions — and it’s a foundation we use at Kicx:

A = Activating Event (what happens)
B = Belief (what you think about it)
C = Consequence (how you feel and act)

Here’s the powerful part: A doesn’t directly cause C. It’s not the event itself that makes us angry, upset, or calm. It’s the belief we attach to it. (Simply Psychology explains this here)

That’s why two children can face the same “A” but experience completely different “C’s.”

Why This Is at the Heart of Kicx

At Kicx Academy we are continually training our martial arts — technique, discipline, fitness. But our real mission goes deeper. The life skills programme we teach is backed up by science, by experts like Ellis and Covey, and also by good old-fashioned common sense.

As a parent, you already know this: two children can react in totally different ways to the same thing. What I love is when science explains it clearly enough for children to understand too.

Because if it’s only the parents who get it, then we haven’t done our job. The child must understand it for themselves — that’s how true resilience and confidence are built.

That’s why at Kicx, the car journey home is part of the lesson. We encourage parents to ask two simple questions:

“What martial arts move did you improve today?” 🥋
“What life skill did you learn today?” (or as we like to say, What Champion Skill did you practice?)

It’s this reflection that cements the lesson — both on the mats and in life.

Why It Matters for Parents

Teaching children to understand the ABC model gives them:

✅ Resilience – they don’t crumble at the first setback
✅ Confidence – they see they have choices, even in hard moments
✅ Self-control – instead of reacting, they respond
✅ Emotional intelligence – they start to recognise their own thought patterns

This isn’t just helpful at Kicx. It’s exactly what schools and education experts talk about when they refer to a “whole-school approach” to emotional wellbeing and resilience. (See the PSHE Association’s guidance and Ofsted’s Personal Development framework).

And it’s not just theory — this approach lines up perfectly with safeguarding and wellbeing priorities in UK schools, as well as trusted advice from organisations like the NSPCC.

In Conclusion

The ABC model shows us that life isn’t about controlling every event — it’s about controlling how we choose to see it.

That’s why at Kicx Academy in Churchdown, our Champions Character Programme makes sure children don’t just build strong bodies through martial arts — they build strong minds too. Because resilience, focus, and confidence are just as important as self-defence.

If you’d like to see how this works in action, come and visit us at Kicx. Your child can experience both the physical and the life lessons that set them up for success.

👉 Click here to contact us and book your child’s trial

— The Karate Kid Teacher
One More Thing
Character Comes First
Your child becomes like the people they spend time with.
Choose the tribe that builds them up. 💪