Most people at some point in their lives have thought about doing some form of Martial Arts - I often speak to parents about how they used to do ‘so-and-so martial art’ when they were younger. We’ve seen Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee or some other star in action films; we might have been in a scary real-life situation; or maybe we just wish that we could do what martial arts experts can do.
Well, the good news is you can do anything you want - all you need to do is start learning…
1 - Fitness
Martial arts are a great all over body workout. It’s a great cardio workout – you will burn lots of calories every time you train. It will also improve your speed, as you are taught, slowly, to be faster & faster in training. You will also get stronger and will see improvements in your endurance and explosive power. There are very few types of training that are so complete - plus you are learning a useful skill.
2 - Self-Defence
The most common reason to learn a martial art is to learn the skills to protect yourself. Every martial art you could possibly learn will teach you this. Every Instructor will have an opinion on which is the best for protection. It doesn’t really matter which one you learn - any martial artist has an instant advantage over any would-be attacker. They will all teach you how to defend yourself and they all have all the other benefits mentioned in this blog. Their effectiveness is more to do with how hard you try in class than the type of martial art.
3 - Discipline
Martial arts teach you discipline whether you start at 6yrs old or 60. You will notice most children who start martial arts are calmer and more respectful to those around them. Having a place to burn off that excess energy certainly helps, but this is mostly because respect to others around you is taught in every traditional martial art. Plus, the dedication to learn a complex skill focuses the mind, teaching you how to learn.
4 - Make Friends
There is nothing like (safely) beating people up every week to make friends and build a sense of community! You get very up close & personal with your fellow classmates and you can’t help but make friends with them. The more you get into martial arts, the more your fellow classmates are the only people you know who truly understand why you dedicate yourself to it. I have made some lifelong friends as part of my training.
5 - Confidence
Knowing that you can look after yourself, having a greater level of fitness and experiencing the feeling of kicking the pads and doing spinning kicks – all these build up your confidence. This can help shy people, children and adults alike, gain a sense of self worth and bring them out of their shell.
6 - Be Like Chuck Norris
There is absolutely nothing wrong in starting a martial art to be like one of your heroes! If this is your goal, then find out what martial art (or arts, many really top stars know multiple arts) and go find a class in that art.
The good news is, that whatever your motivation, the martial arts are for you, so give it a whirl - you never know, you might love it!