As a new student of martial arts you could have taken that first step into the Gym or Dojo for any number of reasons, but no matter what your individual motive was at the start, many of the benefits of martial arts training are universal. In this article we’re going to look at a few of the common benefits of training in a combat sport or martial art.
Fitness & Weight Loss
Personally I’ve never trained martial arts for that reason but a by product of training in any martial art or combat sport tends to be increases in your overall fitness level and decreases in your weight. One curious thing about this is fact that whilst there are certainly forms of exercise that are superior for both overall fitness and for weight loss than combat sports, cross fit style training being one that leaps to mind, Martial Art’s has an edge many others do not.
Because martial arts training is so multi faceted with a blend of physical, mental and even emotional challenges, people who train, even if it’s only once a week have this tendency to start thinking differently. There is a natural movement toward eating better, taking a more healthy approach to other pursuits and to think about lifting some weights, going for a run and avoiding deserts and unhealthy snacks.
Combat Athletes are some of the fittest people on the planet but even for the part time class goer, Martial arts widens your thought process into a world where the healthy choice just feels like the best one.
Confidence
A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing but there is a huge benefit to the gradual realisation that if it comes to a physical encounter you have the ability to handle yourself. However there is much more to it than that.
Real confidence comes from real knowledge. Fake confidence is called bravado. But again we are not just talking about the ability to fight, we are talking of the ability to successfully interact with other people.
The none stop interactions in a martial arts class, which usually involve a degree of physicality with people who start often as strangers in still a level of comfort with such situations in day to day life. The growth of your status and rank within a group and the banter and feeling of belonging within it breeds a form of confidence rarely built outside of institutions such as the military.
Martial Arts is a breeding ground for good manners, self esteem and self confidence.
The Network
Whether you are 14, 24, 34 or 64 years old, there are some people in life who know a lot of different people and there are some whom appear tied to a very specific peer group. Martial Arts allows people of very different backgrounds, social status, ethnicity and ages to interact.
Especially in young people, this is an excellent opportunity to build relationships with a diverse range of people and get accustomed to interacting in a positive manner. Again this breeds confidence but if you are in a big enough club, very soon you will be connected to people who can help you in all manner of different areas of life.
Need a joiner, plumber, lawyer, doctor or any number of things you’ll quickly find there’s one in your club or at least connected to it. The network is a winner in martial arts.
Philosophy
A lost art in much of the 21st century but the most important thing you might ever learn are new ways of thinking.
Martial Arts is chock full of smart thinking from both East & West. Whether it’s the depth of Confucian wisdom, Miyamoto Musashi’s Book of Five Rings, quotes from Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee, Cus D’Amato or many of the great Jiu Jitsu fighters, philosophy is at the heart of martial arts.
The constant process of evaluation, testing and re evaluation has a tendency to cause the martial artist to re invent, evolve and even re define him or herself over and over in a quest for improvement, a quest that ultimately creates a stronger person.
Mental Health
There is much said about peoples mental health in the 21st Century and there is little doubt that poor mental health or a better term being mental illness is a modern epidemic.
Martial Arts combines physical, mental and in some ways spiritual practices that encourage over all mental wellbeing. Add in the interactions with other people and a genuine support network, there are few places left in the modern world more positive than the dojo for overall mental healthiness.
Many of the other benefits ultimately lead to a positive mental attitude and even when going through times of strife in life, once you feel comfortable in your chosen place the dojo becomes a sanctuary where you can be yourself and focus on something for you, something innately positive which reverberates into your soul.
Self Defence
In my view the entire concept of self defence is quite often incorrect. My opinion is that if you are fighting or running you already missed the boat. However the ability to be able to genuinely fight tends to also make you more aware, more alert and more confident.
These things help you in moments of high stress and your training will generally allow you to think under pressure. In turn your ability to keep both yourself and your closest people safe is dramatically improved.
When all else fails the straight out ability to defend yourself may one day save your life or someone’s you care about. With power comes responsibility but it is one as martial artists we must carry with confidence and humility.
Tyne Valley Martial Arts 