Did you know that there are mental benefits of martial arts aside from feeling amazing after a workout? Most people see martial arts as a purely physical sport…. But it actually requires quite a bit of mental stamina and self talk. We help hundreds of people in our Martial Arts America community build confidence and self-respect through the power of martial arts and self defense. Here’s how:
Confidence is a Huge Advantage of Martial Arts
There’s probably an area of your life that you already feel confident in, like how you handle tough situations at work or your ability to be a supportive friend. You might already feel confident in your body and even hit the gym every day.
But how confident do you feel in your ability to protect yourself? If push really came to shove (literally), would you know how to defend yourself against an attacker? Would you know how to save the lives of the people you love?
These are scary questions, but they’re necessary, and fear can sometimes motivate you to act appropriately- nothing worse than not knowing self defense in an emergency and wishing you did! Learning how to protect yourself and the people you love is so important.
It’s why we have the goal of teaching EVERYONE in the Greendale area how to defend themselves against an attacker. It’s not just because it literally saves lives, either: imagine how much more confident you could be if you were sure you could handle any physical situation that came your way. Knowing how to keep yourself safe would just be one more thing for you to hang your hat on. It’s a huge mental benefit of martial arts.
Self-Respect: A Little-Known Benefit
So we all want to be confident people – but why is self respect important? Well, once you learn to respect yourself and your body, you begin making better choices. Once you start taking martial arts classes, you may notice you feel more energized. You may start to want to eat healthier and think, “My body doesn’t feel so great when I eat pizza- maybe I’ll choose a salad tonight instead.” You may also find yourself wanting to take a walk in the afternoon or finally making time for a hike with a friend. Then you become even more confident because you’re doing right by your body, you have more energy to do things that benefit you, and you feel in alignment with your best self. The voice in your head saying “Let’s eat better” or “Go for that run” is finally being heard.
Also, and this is huge – when you respect yourself, you start to treat others with more kindness and patience because you see and respect them, too. This makes OTHERS more confident because they feel understood, and then they pass that feeling on to others… and there’s a compound effect in the community. It’s kind of great, isn’t it? And it’s all because of this little old sport we call martial arts.
How these Mental Benefits Change Lives
Picture this – a new student will come in to start training, and within months, they’ll get promoted at work. Or negotiate a better salary. They may even get the courage to ask someone out on a date. Or speak up for themselves in an unhealthy friendship.
These are not coincidences – they happen because martial arts classes build confidence and self respect. Plain and simple. When you respect yourself, you also start to treat yourself better. You begin realizing that you deserve better treatment from others, professionally and personally, and you find the courage to stand up for what you want.
Are you starting to see how the mental benefits of martial arts can really change your life? Just these two benefits- the mix of self respect and confidence- can help you realize that other people’s judgments the value you place on other people’s judgments is worth less than how it feels to respect yourself.
When YOU know you’re awesome because you’re kicking major butt in your martial arts classes, you’re not afraid to confidently create awesomeness in your own life. You make bold decisions in your life, embark on exciting new adventures, and do the things you never thought you could do. It’s awesome!
Okay, one more thing. In the classic mental health sense, the benefits of martial arts are endless. Staying active, being a part of a community, achieving new goals each week- these are pieces of the mental health checklist that every martial arts class checks off. Your mood and health can improve tremendously right alongside your mindset.
Confidence & Self Respect- Join Us to Learn More!
So, to conclude- some of the biggest advantages of martial arts classes are the improvement of your mental health, the boost in your confidence and the surge in your self respect. If these benefits sound pretty good to you, come by our studio. See for yourself how martial arts can change your life. Check out our Martial Arts America Adult Martial Arts classes that Greendale is raving about- you’ll love them:
