When people ask what are my hobbies and I tell them I do martial arts I usually get roughly the same reaction. They ask me to show them some moves or they think I walk around kicking and punching things. But there’s so much more to it then self-defense and fighting
Whether you are male, female, young or old, Martial arts can benefit you in many ways. It doesn’t mean you have to spar and get punched in the face every session. Yes, there are some people that are there for that but if you are just there for the fitness side of things then tell your teacher you only want to get fit and they will understand. They won’t have you sparring or getting hurt. This can also depend on the style you have chosen. If you chose Brazilian Jiujitsu for example then expect to be submitting people or getting submitted every session.
Self-defense
The first reason is obvious. When people think of martial arts they think of self-defense. The world is a scary place. You can’t turn on the TV nowadays or open a newspaper without reading a story about someone getting stabbed, mugged or beat up and that’s just the ones that are reported on. Knowing a bit of martial arts can help and give you the confidence you need to know to be able to protect yourself. Don’t get me wrong this is the last resort if you can get away then do it. But if you are backed into a corner or your family/friends are under threat then you have no choice. If you are primarily in it for self-defense then the style you pick is important, that is a whole separate post which I will go into another time. Learning how to punch and regular sparring for evading punches will go a long way. The rest of the reasons to study martial arts come with the territory of picking a style.
Fitness
Any style you chose will be good for your health and get you, fitter, help you lose weight and tone your muscles. Even a style like Tai Chi which is a very gentle form can help with this. When I go to the gym mainly to lift weights and I see people doing their long boring cardio session on the treadmill or torturous spin classes I can’t help but ask why? Why not do something you’re going to enjoy doing, a hobby that keeps you fit, whether it be playing football, Zumba classes or you guessed it martial arts. Maybe they do enjoy general cardio but doing a hobby is so much more fun than cardio. I used to be the guy doing the HIIT on the tread and you know what. I got bored, dreaded every session so stopped. No other form of fitness training has made me sweat like my Shaolin class, sometimes my entire shirt is soaked through. Styles like Taekwondo, Kickboxing, Karate will increase muscle tone, endurance, flexibility, metabolism and just generally get you fit.
Flexibility and Posture
Toning your muscles gives you better posture. Stances and forms will give you good posture and balance. Most styles involve forms and posture. A good posture can help with your spinal cord and digestive systems. Not slouching and good posture is great for our spinal health in later life. You will be regularly stretching all muscles in your body stopping your muscles becoming tight and seizing up. Not sure about anyone else but in my gym, I’ve not seen any of the gym bros stretch even once hence why they are all slouched forward like hunch backs because their tight muscles are pulling them forward. Regular stretching is great for mobility and strength.
Stress-Relief
There are many ways to relieve stress, some people squeeze a stress ball, others break stuff. Sometimes there’s nothing like a good old go on the punching bag to relief some pent-up stress. But if that not your cup of tea then styles like Tai Chi will teach you calmness and breathing methods. The slow movements with breathing can really relax you, like yoga (Check out Yogawithmarita for more info on Yoga). Sometimes classes have slow peaceful Oriental music playing which really helps. One of the reasons I chose Shaolin was because it covers a lot of bases it has Tai chi and even Qi Gong classes. So, if I want to relieve stress by hitting something, I can attend the Sanda class or something more relaxed with the Tai Chi or Qi Gong class.
So, if you are getting bored with doing cardio all the time, going for runs destroying your knees, give some form of martial arts ago. It’s not just for self-defense and remember, you don’t have to part take straight away, a lot of classes will let you sit and watch one of their classes to see what they are like. Most offer the first lesson free. Most new students at mine don’t last as they can’t keep up with the fitness. I’m not going to lie my first lesson I threw up, 2nd I felt queasy. If I take a long break then return I will usually throw up again first time back but your body adapts and I was soon used to it so don’t lose heart, think of your body and how healthy you are getting. Throwing up is just because your body isn’t used to it yet and with some people a little anxiety. Starting a martial arts can be intimidating, people think they are going to get beat up straight away, of course not. No school or class will ever do that and if they do you are in the wrong class. This isn’t Cobra Kai.
