Some people still associate Martial Arts with violence and deem it a non-appropriate sport for their children or personally.
While Martial Arts teaches techniques that are designed to defend yourself or to compete in well structured tournaments, there is much more to it that meets the eye.
You gain much more than just a bunch of techniques to hurt others.
When you commence the journey you discover that prevention and de-escalation are the ultimate goals in solving conflict.
Learning Martial Arts is a great way to enhance your life. The changes people experience go way beyond the skills they learn in class.
The skills learnt impact people individually, throughout their daily life and have positive impacts on people around them. Taking up Martial Arts lessons is the first step towards a better you.
This is true for children, as well as men and women of all ages. Here is our top ten reasons why you should take up Martial Arts:
10. Socialisation Skills
Training in a group is a great opportunity to meet new people. The casual atmosphere people enjoy during sports, combined with partner practice makes it very easy to bond with others.
It´s not uncommon that the friendships you make in training will last for years to come.
9. Goal setting
Setting goals and following through to success is an essential skill in today’s world.
Just like setting goals in business or in our private lives, the road to your black belt starts with the first step.
To focus on your goal, work hard to achieve it and deal with occasional setbacks is a guarantee for success in Martial Arts and life in general. Everybody can quit, it is easy.
But true achievement only comes if you overcome the odds and keep going when times are hard.
Martial Arts is extraordinary in helping you develop this mindset. Set your goal, follow through and succeed.
8. Personal growth
Martial Arts is demanding. Training takes people out of their comfort zone and helps them to deal with orders, criticism as well as developing self-evaluation skills. Training is not always comfortable,
it forces you to do things you would normally avoid. It forces you to deal with problems, and ultimately helps your character to grow.
7. Team work
Martial Arts is often viewed as an individual sport. And this is partly true. However, no martial artist will ever grow to a master level without good training partners.
You help each other to develop new skills and motivate one another during training, this team work helps individuals to ultimately get better and achieve their goals.
Being a good training partner is one of the essentials in Martial Arts
6. Mental benefits
In today’s world more and more people suffer from mental problems, like stress, burn out and depression. Most people have no outlet to blow off some steam and clear their mind.
Punching a bag really hard or training with some friendly people can have a huge impact on your emotional well-being. You will reduce your stress and increase your happiness.
Focussing on technique and practicing with a sharp mind will also enhance your learning ability, a skill that is important throughout all age groups.
5. Confidence
Martial Arts is a great boost for confidence, there is no doubt about that. Not only will your increased skillset help you, it will also change the way you walk, talk and get noticed by others. People can literally feel their selfconfidence increasing and benefit from the interaction with others.
4. Self-discipline
Discipline is a big factor in Martial Arts. But not only there, it is an essential skill for life. If you want to make achievements in life you need discipline to get there.
Everybody is accountable for their actions. Discipline is making your actions count.
To have success in life you need willpower to achieve your goals. Martial Arts is a great way to increase and develop this skill and take you closer to your dreams.
3. Physical fitness and health
One major benefit of following a Martial Arts program is the fitness you will develop along the road.
Losing weight, gain muscular strength and increased motor skills, while improving flexibility and mobility are only a few of the things you can achieve.
Feeling healthy and in great shape has a positive effect on other health parameters such as blood pressure, cholesterol among others.
The dangers of the sedentary lifestyle are well documented. When you start a physical activity such as Martial Arts you can help to increase the quality of your life.
2. Learn life skills and values
Skills for life are very important, especially for our kids. Martial Arts is great for shaping values and behaviours such as focus, tolerance, fairness, humbleness, and discipline.
To develop these skills in a safe environment will be a major benefit for students of all ages.
1. Self-defence
The number one reason of course is the ability to defend yourself. Unfortunately not every dangerous situation can be avoided or solved without physical encounter.
The skills you learn over time will help protect yourself and those around you. Martial Arts will give you all the tools you need.