At some point in most people’s lives, they have thought about doing martial arts. Some are inspired by action movie stars, like Bruce Lee. Others may be intrigued by a social media plug or have been in a scary situation where they wonder if martial arts training would have helped them. Whatever the reason, martial arts are something that everyone can do, and you don’t have to be an action hero. There are endless benefits from martial arts training beyond an incredibly well-rounded workout. In 2024, it is harder to find reasons NOT to start martial arts training!
Being Inspired by Action Heros
If you are inspired to begin martial arts training because of a movie, commercial, or television show, then run with it! There is nothing wrong with being inspired by an on-screen hero like Bruce Lee or Mister Miyagi. A specific interest in a style based on these inspiring characters allows an individual to find a studio that focuses explicitly on the style they want to learn. Often, when a person is just starting out for the first time, it is a good idea to work at a martial arts studio with classes that incorporate several different styles. Studios like SwiftKick Martial Arts incorporates a variety of styles, like Jiu Jitsu, Krav Maga, Karate, Kickboxing, and more. The diversity of styles allows people to find what they are passionate about and move to a more specialized studio when appropriate.
The point is – get started no matter what your inspiration!
An Incredible Full Body Workout
Martial arts are one of the few workouts that engage the entire body, including the mind. Contrary to what some think, martial arts can be a rigorous cardio workout that can be developed over time so that anyone can begin training and work at their own pace to build stamina and endurance. Martial arts training will start with the core, mind, and body working together as maneuvers are learned slowly at first to learn correct movement and technique. Then, with additional training, these techniques become quicker and more precise with experience and expert instructor guidance. Martial arts students become stronger, faster, and more focused on the energy they exert in a strike or kick and build endurance. It would be hard to rival martial arts training with any other sport when it comes to a full-body workout.
Building Relationships and Friendships
Martial arts training classes create a supportive sense of community among peers. As martial arts students become more skilled, they will participate in sparring. Sparring is when students, for lack of a better term, play fight with protective gear. As one can imagine, when sparring with a peer, you get up close and personal! Practicing martial arts moves on a peer naturally builds trust and leads to friendships and respectful relationships.
Martial Arts Is a Confidence Booster
Confidence naturally occurs if an individual knows they can take care of themselves and those they care for. Small children and adults build confidence through martial arts training. The mere fact that those in martial arts training have a greater fitness level and better mind/body balance speaks volumes. If students get an opportunity to break boards, there are few things as invigorating as this experience! Martial arts continually build up leaders, turning shy people into confident individuals with self-worth.
Self-Defense
One of the most common reasons people consider martial arts training is the self-defense element. There is much value in self-defense and learning how to protect oneself. Any martial art style will train in self-defense with some variation between styles. A martial arts studio incorporating multiple styles in its program design will teach younger students how to avoid dangerous situations, break away, bring attention to their need for help, and use their size as an advantage. Any martial artist will have an advantage over an attacker!
Learning and Growing in Self-Discipline
Whether students begin training at three years old or in their senior years, training in self-discipline through martial arts training benefits individuals of all ages. It is easier to see the progression in younger students as they develop respect and self-discipline. Often, younger students have more energy to burn off, but over time, they become calmer and show more self-control. However, adults and seniors also benefit from growing in discipline through martial arts training.
Although there are many more than six reasons to begin martial arts training in 2024, these should be enough to motivate you to get started. Reputable martial arts studios offer free training classes so individuals can get a sense of the studio environment. Studios should be conveniently located with multiple class times, clean and professional, and have excellent and encouraging instructors. If you live in North San Diego County, contact SwiftKick Martial Arts today for a free trial class and start 2024 with purpose!