How Karate Helps ADHD Kids (And Adults!)

Zoe Jagger-Hinis
Dec 3, 2025
9 min read

It's always been a given that kids with ADHD get referred to karate, and everyone has a story about how karate helped them improve and manage their ADHD symptoms. But how? What is the magic sauce in karate that soccer, or tennis, or gymnastics doesn't have? Why does your child's pediatrician, occupational therapist or play therapist recommend the dojo?

From the outset, it is worth noting that both I and my husband Ché, the instructors at GRKC, both have ADHD. I was only diagnosed a few months ago (early 2025), at the age of 38, like so many women. For me, personally, it feels very much like having a Bugatti engine for a brain, with cardboard for brakes and a steering wheel made of spiders. When I finally had the answer as to why I had struggled all my life to fit in, to be 'normal', why I was both so smart and so stupid, it was like an anointment, the annunciation I had been waiting for for decades. But it also explained why starting judo at the age of 11, and later karate at 19, had helped me manage it without medication or guidance for much of my life. (You can read more about my specific journey here).

Firstly, what is this ADHD?

There has never been so much focus on ADHD, and for better or for worse, it has helped bring greater attention, research and nuance to the topic. In part because of Tiktok and the proliferation of ADHD content, both from medical professionals and those with lived experience, the diagnosis of ADHD is becoming more common. It is also a deeply complex and everchanging subject, so I will add references to those far more educated than me at the end.

(And no, it isn’t being over-diagnosed - women and girls are finally getting the help we need, after being undiagnosed or written off as having Bipolar Disorder. We also have a better understanding of how it presents, and that it can present in many ways other than little boys disrupting the classroom.)

A list of adhd symptoms written by Dr Gabor Mate — Taken from Dr Gabor Maté's site

ADHD, which was originally called ADD, is not a fad, or a cover for badly behaved kids, or caused by lazy/bad/Millennial parenting. Essentially, the brain struggles to direct focus. There is no lack of focus – the hyperactivity is a bit of a misdirect – but rather it is the inability to focus on topics regardless of interest. The ADHD kid can play lego for hours, read for a day, or get absorbed in making pottery, but cannot selectively apply that high-watt beam of attention to something boring, like math, or chores, or waiting in the doctor's office. We're not doing this on purpose. Believe me, if we could control this focus, we would absolutely rule the world.

a CGI brain floating on a purple background — As Sam Harris calls it, "a soggy miracle of computation".

Briefly, some neuroscience! The brain works in two modes: the default mode network (when our brains are at rest: daydreaming, thinking, imagining) and the task positive network, which is when our brains light up, focus, and actively engage with a task. For ADHD folks, the switch from default mode network to the task positive network just doesn't work on command. It needs guidance and more effort than for neurotypical brains. We struggle to disengage from one network to the other, which is the cause of the immense distractibility and often careless mistakes we make, as well as the obsessive thoughts that we struggle to shake off.

ADHD is also a spectrum, with a variety of traits that manifest differently from person to person. The key takeaway though, is that the brain cannot be easily commanded to do tasks it does not want to do. It feels like being a passenger in your own brain, unable to steer this magnificently powerful car, or put on the brakes.

So how does karate help these brains out?

Structure and routine

The dojo, and the people in it, provide a clear structure and set routine, something that ADHD minds desperately want but struggle to manifest themselves. The ADHD brain will latch onto something tangible when possible to take off some of the pressure of managing attention. Routine is one of the best ways to manage ADHD; it is a cruel irony that the people who need it most struggle to implement it.

In the dojo there is a very clear hierarchy of command: Sensei is the boss, and there will be no exception to this rule. There may be some sempai (seniors) to help, but they are not your besties; they are mentors. There is no grey area to confuse or redirect the student's mind. There will be structure: from the bow to start the class, the warm-ups, the colour belts, the clearcut syllabus (there are no surprise questions in grading). The juniors follow the seniors, who follow sensei. The instructor carries the entire mental load for the class, so that they can focus on karate, and be free of any other responsibilities for the entire duration of the lesson. Everyone has clear tasks to do, and with guardrails to ensure they are kept on task. Unlike school, the dojo can enjoy a level of strictness that is often desperately sought by parents.

And unlike life, the dojo should be an oasis of familiarity in a chaotic world and mind. Sensei creates a place where everything feels familiar, and takes over the job of the prefrontal cortex, just for a little bit, so that we can get a break from our annoying, exhausting brains.

The link between the body and ADHD

One of the signs of ADHD in children is poor fine motor coordination, appalling handwriting (mine was so bad that it easily dropped my marks by 15-20%), clumsiness, diminished proprioception, and weak core muscles. The current science suggests that the same areas of the brain that are responsible for balance and coordination are affected by ADHD:

“The right orbitofrontal cortex [OFC]...plays a role in visual-spatial orientation, the locating of objects in space. When visual-spatial orientation is impaired, a person tends to bump his head a lot or run into people unseeingly and have difficulty following physical directions - all features of ADD I am intimately familiar with.” - Gabor Maté, Scattered Minds

Karate greatly improves midline crossing through blocks and complex movements, especially in kata and kumite. Kicking automatically requires core strength and balance, which is why some kids truly struggle with kicks when they start. It is not for a lack of effort, but they are already at a disadvantage when they begin training. It is one of the reasons why so many of our students have been referred to us by an occupational therapist; karate demonstrably improves muscle tone, coordination and balance.

As core strength improves, children spend less energy on sitting upright and have more to expend on careful fine motor coordination required for handwriting and other such tasks, such as building lego or tying knots. And while many sports also offer these opportunities to physically improve, karate doesn’t require you to be on a team, or to excel. You won't be forced to do something you can't do, though you will be encouraged to keep trying. Traditional karate, free of tedious competitive elements, gives the ADHD student time to grow on their own curve, without the pressure of regionals (ugh). Karate is a truly individual pursuit, and thankfully requires no teamwork. (Can you tell I hated group projects at school?)

Focus, and emotional and physical regulation

The ADHD mind is a bit like a trust fund baby – abundantly wealthy in energy, but terrible at knowing when and how to spend it. Emotional regulation is more challenging for the neurodivergent mind, but it can be taught and improved. The dojo teaches self-control, both of mind and body, through a variety of applications. Whether it is the moment of mindfulness at the start of class with 'mokso', or learning to watch while Sensei demonstrates, or that acting out will result in swift, firm correction, the tools for self-control are taught over time in age-appropriate chunks. (Which is why I try to be like Miss Rachel when I teach the littlest members of our dojo.)

We give students the tools to learn control, both of mind and body, through all the little tasks: tying a neat belt, putting their shoes and bags away neatly, learning how to spar with smaller partners, helping Sensei with chores around the dojo. Having a clear goal of the next belt, rather than a nebulous mark of some kind, also guides and focuses the mind.

Kata, which are choreographed movements to practice defense and basics, teach students to stretch their focus. Watching Sensei to learn the moves and follow the teaching cues also helps build our ability to focus. As kata get longer, they get more demanding, and require intense concentration while also executing increasingly complex movements. With wrestling or fighting, the world gets distilled down to the present moment – it's hard to think about anything else when you're defending yourself. Besides, either you focus, or you get hit in the face. Kumite is a delightful clarifier for the mind.

And, of course, physical exertion releases many wonderful hormones, all of which are a boon to the dopamine-starved ADHD brain.

How do I choose the right dojo for my ADHD kid (or my adult ADHD self?)

Not all dojos work for all ADHD kids and grown-ups. Dojos are on a spectrum: from ultra-strict, elite tournament dojos, right through to cheerful nursery school karate clubs. You may have to try a few dojos before you find the right one. At the beginning, the kind of karate isn't as important as the instructor and dojo culture: its nice when you can find the style you want in a dojo you love, but a great instructor is a great instructor, regardless of style.

Not all dojos are neurodivergent friendly, and that's fine. Every dojo is entitled to teach what they want to who they want. However, as a parent, or as a possible new student, you are entitled to ask the instructor what their experience is with neurodivergent students, and their accommodations for it. You may find that dojos focused on elite performance don't have the space to nurture students who aren't physically talented, or the patience to teach them additional skills that neurotypical kids already have.

A reputable dojo will offer you free classes, so that you can make the right decision for your family, or for yourself. We are a neurodivergent-friendly dojo – not just because we both have ADHD (albeit in different manifestations) but because we've seen the incredible improvement in kids who have committed to their karate. It's those stories, and those kids, that give us true joy and motivation. Medals are nice, I'm sure, but kids blossoming into their best selves? Priceless.

All of these changes and improvements are possible, and have been replicated many, many times in the 48 year history of GRKC. But the big, big disclaimer is this: real progress takes time. Six weeks of karate is not enough to teach the skills and tools that help ADHD people improve their lives. While we do see improvement within weeks with some kids, it can take longer with others. And if you’ve been living with ADHD your whole life, understandably it’ll take some time to undo years of poor self-esteem and bad habits, and learn better ways to cope.

Karate works, but only if you do the work. It is not a magical shortcut to godlike self-control and focus. It is not a magic box that you can put in a little work, and get a huge reward. It is more like an interest-bearing savings account. The more you put in, over a longer period of time, the more rewards you will gain. Focusing for longer periods of time becomes easier. Kata that seemed insurmountable will become a breeze and a joy.

If you're willing to do the work, to climb up the mountain with our guidance, then you will reap amazing benefits. But unlike the promises of social media, it is not a quick fix. It is, however, a long-lasting one.

ADHD can be a gift, and a curse. Unmanaged, it can ruin lives. For kids without tools or medication or therapy or guidance, life becomes miserable. School is an unmitigated nightmare. There are fights at home, always with the ADHD child's behaviour at the centre of family problems. But it doesn't have to be this way. Karate can make a huge difference, and even more so with behavioural therapy, and medication where appropriate. With a holistic treatment plan of exercise, better sleep, less screen time, better eating and medication/therapy, ADHD doesn’t have to be an unrelenting source of struggle and frustration. I know that when I take the right balance of my meds, exercise, and better sleep, I truly function much better than when I treat my body and mind with disdain. After all, one of the lines of the dojo kun is "take care of your health" - so simple, and yet so difficult to accomplish.

If our dojo isn't in your area, we really hope you can find the right dojo for you. Our lives as instructors, and as people, have been so positively shaped through martial arts. It is our great honour to be able to do the same for others.

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