Embrace the Martial Arts Lifestyle

Martial arts offers us so many benefits, some of them may be more obvious than the others, for instance, we all assume doing self-defense or martial arts we will learn how to defend ourselves, many of us believe that the primary benefits are physical.  We assume we will probably get in shape, we will be able to fight, we will learn techniques, and develop a skill.  This is all true, but there are many more benefits to martial arts then this. 

Learning proper self-defense tactics can be a life changing decision.  Many people struggle on their day to day lives and can encounter situations in which they may feel vulnerable.  Some kids and teens these days are unfortunately bullied, women are in danger of aggressive men, and men are also in danger.  We unfortunately live in a world where it is necessary to learn how to defend you.  So many things happen on a day to day basis.  People are bullied, picked on, kidnapped, and worse.  So many people live in fear and do not have the confidence to do daily activities.  Some people don’t like going out, some don’t like running, and there are different parts of people’s lives that are impacted by these fears.

One of the best ways to develop strong confidence and a sense of security is to learn self-defense.  Learning self-defense is one of the best things that a person can do to help themselves, their families, their loved ones, their mental status, and their confidence.  The benefits of learning self-defense are limitless.  Self-defense classes can teach life saving techniques, they can help you get in shape, and they can help your confidence.   There is a common misconception that martial arts are just to learn how to fight and that is not the case.  Learning martial arts is much more than that. You learn how to deal with adversity and gain so many life skills.

How Martial Arts Can Change Your Life

Learning self-defense/martial arts really can be a life altering decision.  It is so much more than just learning how to defend yourself.  Although this is the primary benefit of learning self-defense because so many people let fear lead their live, it is not the only benefit.  Let’s go over why martial arts can change your life and let’s discuss benefits that you may not see on the surface first. 

1. Stress Relief

Martial arts can provide so many people with stress relief.  We live in a world where it is hard to detach ourselves from our surrounding and our anxieties.  We go to work, we come home and thin of work and fiscal stress and we never really find a place to let go of everything.  According to studies stress levels are higher than ever and they are a massive part of debilitating health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, ulcers, and more.  People are forgetting how to let go of stress, children’s attention spans are smaller than ever because they have access to so much knowledge and technology.  Martial arts and self-defense course can provide you with a place of zen.  A place of peace where you can forget the world for a little bit and enjoy something you are passionate about.  There is also science to this; your brain works differently when it is learning something and when you take martial arts classes you are learning something completely new every day.

2. A Social Circle/Friends

We live in a world where people have less social interaction than ever.  We live in digital times and adults and kids rely on their phones for socialization.  We flock to social media to find acceptance, friends, conversations, and socialization.  This is not proper socialization, we are lacking in physical communication.  A study was recently done that estimated 80% of relationships in 2025 would be started via dating app or website.  This is not necessarily a bad thing but it shows us how drastically our physical communication has gone down.  In the end of the day we are still human and we still long for that physical presence of friends, family, and peers.  Martial arts can provide us with a myriad of benefits and one of the biggest is having friends and some would even say a family.  You can meet lifelong friends that you become closer with then you ever imagined.

3. Networking

This is definitely an unspoked benefit of martial arts and self-defense course.  For the businessmen and entrepreneurs out there you would be surprised to find out how many like-minded individuals are in a martial arts class with you.  There are countless stories of people who meet in a simple self-defense course and start businesses together, partnerships, and more.  Now this isn’t a reason one should go looking for a self-defense academy but it is an unspoken benefit.

4. Healthy Diet

This is one of the best benefits of starting martial arts.  Your entire lifestyle will change if you allow yourself to be fully immersed and committed to the martial arts way.  You will start to eat cleaner, and incorporate a healthy diet.  It is hard not to because your peers and training partners will give you the encouragement to do so.  Nobody walks into a self-defense course with the thought of changing their diet but they do get reap this benefit after realizing that the people who are generally attracted to martial arts are healthy individuals.

5. Motivation

Martial arts courses can give you motivation and discipline.  This is because with many of the belt systems in place you will realize that through hard work and dedication you can achieve your goals.  Before you know it you can become a black belt.    This mindset will quickly be adapted into every aspect of your life and you will find yourself performing better on a daily basis.

6. Confidence

Last but certainly not least, you will develop confidence.  Confidence is one of the most important characteristics to have in your life.  Every day we encounter fear and as Franklin Roosevelt says “the only thing to fear is fear itself.”   Overcoming fear through confidence is so important.  Martial arts will not only allow you to develop confidence but this confidence will allow you to have comfort in every situation.

These are not the only benefits of martial arts and self-defense; there are plenty of physical benefits as well  We all know that you will learn how to defend yourself, get in shape, and become more physically fit.  There are so many benefits though and we definitely encourage you to go and try some classes.  If you don’t have the time because of scheduling conflicts check out some of our DVD’s, below we attached one of our best sellers “Beyond Krav Maga” by self-defense expert Aaron Jannetti.