If someone asked you to list the benefit of Martial Arts training, the most common replies will likely be self-defense and physical fitness.
From experience, I can tell you that another benefit that’s just as – if not more – important as those, is self-esteem.
A lack of self-esteem can affect every aspect of your life and can hold you back from realizing your true potential. How can Martial Arts help you build self-esteem?
- Confidence. First and foremost, confidence functions as a foundation for self-esteem. Making it through hard training, losing weight, competing against other Martial Artists and attending class regularly are all difficult endeavors that can be accomplished with dedication. Through those types of accomplishments, you will feel more confident in everyday life.
- Physical Fitness. A healthy body looks and feels good, both physically and mentally. Feeling and looking fit will make you feel better about yourself because you’ll know all the hard work you put in to getting there. In addition, you will sleep better at night, adding to your already increased feelings of health and fitness.
- Self Defense. While the mantra of self-defense is to avoid a physical confrontation whenever possible, your Martial Arts training will give you the confidence to know that you can handle yourself should the need arise. Most bullies look for easy targets – your Martial Arts training will ensure that you don’t fall into that category.
- Sense of Accomplishment. Speaking from experience, the sense of accomplishment you will enjoy from Martial Arts training is hard to describe. The training, discipline and endurance required make the milestones of your Martial Arts journey all the more important. The day I received my Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu will forever be at the top of my list of accomplishments.
- Discipline. Discipline is the backbone of any successful endeavor. If you’re not disciplined already, you will become so if you start training Martial Arts and stick with it. Difficult endeavors require sacrifice, and sticking to those sacrifices requires discipline. That discipline will feed back into everything listed above. All of these benefits are interrelated and affect each other. That’s an important fact to remember.
This article is the first of several I hope to share with you on the subject of Martial Arts training and the many ways it can have tremendously positive effects on your life, both in and out of the gym.
See you on the mats.
If you want to learn how to enroll your kid for a free 30 days of MMA training, then visit our website: Kids Martial Arts Poughkeepsie. Or stop in at 1097 Route 55 in LaGrangeville, NY or give us a call at 845-392-8495.