I bet there are a few readers out there who have never taken a martial art.  You read my blogs because they are inspirational and motivational or offer some easy guidance on how to make your life better.  That’s my goal and I’m happy to help.

I started thinking, though, that maybe some of you have always wanted to try a martial art, but the regular reasons, like gaining self-confidence or self-discipline, don’t mean anything to you.  You need your own “good reasons” or need to be persuaded because of the overlooked reasons or opportunities. I looked deeper than the usual “self-confidence, self-assurance, self-defense” concepts to find some trendy, current real-world reasons why learning a martial art is so rewarding.  Here’s my list, in no particular order, of the  reasons why everyone should build a relationship with a traditional martial art for whatever reason that fits.

1.Fitness with a Purpose

The gym can get boring.  Believe me, I know.  I go to the gym to work out and while I enjoy many of the classes, they tend to be the same over and over.  Working out at home is not thrilling either. Even when I blast my favorite dance music, I’m not all that motivated.

Boring exercise means burn out means stopping and not going back.

A martial art class offers what no other exercise class does. Fitness with a purpose. You continually learn new skills and techniques and become completely immersed in what you are doing.  You learn about yourself, the world around you, and you are challenged.  It’s cultural, worldly, and intriguing.  It trains your body and your mind. You learn valuable life skills. There is nothing wrong with the gym, but martial arts are not just for fitness; they have a multitude of purposes that can’t be found anywhere else.

2. Overcome Personal Obstacles

Abuse. Recovery from illness. Shyness. Trauma. Setbacks.

Not every person who walks into the dojo is suffering or recovering, but some are.  Some have been in bad situations or are recuperating from a debilitating illness and finally realize that they must do something significant in honor of their vitality and life.

Maybe you do not feel anything as debilitating. Perhaps you just have an inner voice that has always said “you are not good enough” and you wake up one morning and decide to put a stop to it. Maybe  you want more physical strength because you feel weak.  Maybe you have a huge obstacle to face and working through a martial art gives you stamina, mindful thought patterns, and efficiently and diligently points you in the right direction.

Being proficient in a martial art helps in every aspect of life.  A moment for self, a way to grow, and a personal enrichment that other fitness regiments cannot fulfill.  It becomes a real response to difficult situations.

3. Transcendence

Finding time for yourself becomes more difficult over time, doesn’t it?  A martial art is an activity that transcends time and space and even who you are.  You will forget about the kids for an hour.  You will fine tune your own thoughts.  You’ll push aside the studying, the cleaning, and the car repairs for a while.  You will be nothing more than a karate student.  No stigma. No alter-ego.

No longer under the constraints of the daily grind, you are free to experience the fullness of who you are underneath all of the layers. The pursuit of a martial art is exactly what you need to be refreshed and rise above the normal and usual so you can transcend to the real and definitive intricacies of you.

4. Strength and Flexibility

Martial arts are seen as very technical, precise movements for defense or as an art.

They are much more than that.  When learning a martial art, you  define muscle and develop flexibility, too.  Each exercise is an isometric exploration of the muscles and fibers in the body.  Women, as they get older need really need good muscle mass to keep the body healthy.  Men can also define the muscularity in their bodies through a martial art.  Perhaps lifting weights is not an ideal exercise for you, or you would like to incorporate the muscle management that karate offers with your current weight training.

Flexibility is another key to aging gracefully and keeping in shape for men and for women.  My years in karate have kept me fairly flexible.  How many times have you seen an older person, stiff and rigid, unable to bend over to pick something up.  Tell you what, I DON’T want to be there in my later years.  Flexibility now is the key to flexibility later.

5.  Stand Up for Yourself

I pity the bully who takes on the martial art student.

Some people look at me and blink…”you’re a martial artist?”  I don’t particularly look like one, although the confidence they see in me is a direct descendant of learning a martial art.  While I will  always try to use any verbal techniques I have, there may come a time when I get pushed a little too far.  The bully who nudges me or pushes me or tries to overwhelm me with some physical persuasion is going to be a little surprised when I use some leverage or momentum to push him back.

This is why children need to learn the art.  You can depend on the overall concepts learned to help shove back, if necessary.  A bullied victim, after some martial art training, may very well teach the bully a lesson.  Adult or child, think of a martial art as a bit of a shield.  You may still feel some of the impact from that bully, but you have some push and shove yourself which might take him off guard and put him back where he belongs.  Karate,directly and indirectly, helps you figure out how to stand up for yourself.

6.  Develop a Lifelong Health Habit

Sure, you’re in it for all the cool stuff.  The spinning kicks. The board breaks. The throws. The grappling. The hand strikes. The balance. The grace. The training. In the mix, you drop some pounds.  That’s a great added benefit and a good reason to take a martial art.

If you are a little overweight, the pounds seem to disintegrate quickly when you first start.  You’ll be burning more calories than usual.  You might not be comfortable at first with the constant moving around, all the sweating, and the physical (but energizing) demands.  Calories are burned off but you are too busy to notice. You start to eat better and feel better.  You’ve now created a new life-long habit for better health. 

Now, where else does that ever happen?  The martial arts school is a great place to drop the weight.

7.  Create Lasting Relationships

Sure you can go to a meet and greet, a lunch and learn, a party, or a social function to meet people.  That’s one way to do it.  Why not the dojo?  Martial arts pull people together with similar goals and like minds.  Once you find a place to call home, you will find friends there.  Before or after class you have the opportunity to talk to other students, hang out, grab a bite to eat, or schedule a get-together over the weekend.

People with whom I worked in the dojo more than twenty years ago are still on my list as top people in my life.  They  represent a part of my martial art journey that is so important to me.  They were there when I learned and when I had difficulty learning.  They supported me and treated me with respect.  They had patience and passion and freely shared it with me.  My life today would not be what it is without them.  The bonding of students through any martial art creates awesome, lasting, and worthwhile relationships.

8.  Supplement Other Sports

Karate is a magnificent tool to supplement other sports.  Baseball, soccer, football, hockey…any sport at all can improve with the help of karate or another martial art.  Most sports require a sense of balance, patience, focus, strength, intuitiveness, or agility.

Hmmm…where can you learn that?  I think I’ve just described the very essence of martial arts.

A martial art can make you better at your all of your other physical pursuits because it is a basis for physical improvement in many ways and its techniques prepare you for everything that you will ever need to know to succeed in a physical sport or challenge, both physically and mentally.  Even if getting a black belt is not your thing; if you just want to see what all the talk is about; or, if you want to just try it with no desire to continue forever, a martial art fits the bill when it comes to better training and better skill sets.

9.  Better Moods

I never feel as good as I do when I leave class. I feel empowered, strong, and smart.  My body had a good physical work out with an endorphin lift and my mind had the chance to forget all the bad and only focus on the time at hand.  I am relieved of every frustration through moments of intense composure combined with furious release of energy.  I am completely refreshed and exhilarated because my mind and my body have been trained to be strong and powerful.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, gives you the same feeling.

10.  Just Be Kick-A**

Well, excuse my language, but there is something that is just downright awesome about being a martial artist.  I’m not telling you to demean the very solemnity and importance of martial arts, but how often does an opportunity come your way that is the ultimate in challenge, personal achievement, and commitment, all of which pays off with the award of a black belt?  It is something you can keep and use for the rest of your years, as a reminder of all of your hard work and effort.  Wear it proudly.

You day job doesn’t give you any trophy at the end of the year for really doing a great job.  Your family doesn’t hand you a plaque that says “best child ever” or “most awesome parent.”  You don’t get any gold medal for running the marathon called life.  In a martial art, though, you get the personal journey coupled with the personal award.

There you have it.

A little brainstorming goes a long way.  Not only does a martial art teach the traditional, well-known skills, techniques, and confidence-builders, it also offers some other non-traditional benefits.  People try a martial art for all different reasons, so pick your reason and give it a try. Who knows?  You may find exactly for what you have been looking all your life.

Traditional or non-traditional, whatever invigorates you to want to experience the wonders of a martial art is all that matters.

Winning at Life through martial arts?  Now, that’s what I call a real tradition.

Andrea