What Do YOU Get Out of Martial Arts?
That is a legitimate question. As with most things in life, you get what you put into it. Not the sort of answer you’re looking for? Well, then here are a few benefits you get out of dedicated practice of martial arts. Your mileage may vary, but then, hey, that’s life.
Health
Martial arts is about movement. Often times, healthy movement. Today, the internet and video games seem to be the go-to activity not only for kids and teens, but way too many adults as well. If you’ve ever thought to yourself that you just spent the whole evening staring at a screen and the only movements you’ve made were hand and eyeball related, then martial arts may be something to consider. From the start, you have to get up off that couch to actually go to your dojo or gym. That’s a start. Next, you have to join in with the class to properly begin by lining up and respectfully bowing in. Yay, more movement. Don’t forget your warm-ups. Then comes the fun part of actually learning new moves and doing them over and over and over again. From learning to side step an oncoming opponent to performing a proper roll on the floor for the hundredth time that day, you get a real first person perspective, and the raised heart rate to prove it. Your muscles get a workout, your heart gets a workout and your brain gets a workout trying to keep you from breaking anything internally.
Self-confidence
You ever get the feeling like you never accomplish anything? Yeah, me neither, but I hear some people do. That’s not really something you feel proud of, but there’s a solution out there. It’s called doing something and sticking to it. With martial arts, you start from nothing. From there, you set your goal to learn a proper stance. Next, a proper hold. Then, a proper block or evasive move. These are all goals that you set yourself to learn in martial arts. With each new thing, you get a chance to feel good that you can do it. Mastering these goals only makes you ready to set your new goals. From higher rankings to tournament competition, you get to not only show the world some cool moves, you’ve shown yourself that you can set those goals and crush them.
Communication Skills
If you’ve ever had the chance to watch a sports karate team like Team Paul Mitchell Karate do an exhibition, you know that communication is pretty vital when applied to martial arts. When you have ten other people on one floor doing butterfly kicks, you want them to know where you are are pretty much any time. If you practice in a dojo or gym, you’ve got to be able to let others know your intent. If you keep it all to yourself, someone is going to get hurt. From bowing, to signify that you’re ready, to tapping out of a neck hold, communication is something you have to be ready to send and receive. Just like life, martial arts is a social activity. Don’t be afraid to speak up unless you don’t mind getting kicked in the face.
Fun with Weapons
Okay, there is no guarantee that you’ll get the chance to swing a bo staff while doing a backwards flip or to disarm someone coming at you with a foam practice knife, but isn’t the chance that it could happen worth calling a benefit? I think do.