Let’s talk about something really important today- mental benefits of martial arts. A lot of people see martial arts as a purely physical sport…. But it actually requires quite a bit of mental stamina and self talk. We help hundreds of people in our AmeriKick Martial Arts community become confident and proud of who they are through the power of martial arts and self defense. Here’s how:
Confidence is a Huge Advantage of Martial Arts
It’s likely that you already feel confident in one area of your life- your job, your role as a parent, or your studies, for example. You might already feel confident in your body and even crush it on the treadmill.
But do you feel confident in your ability to protect yourself? If you absolutely had to, would you know how to defend yourself against an attacker? Would you know how to protect the people you love?
These questions are not fun, but you know what’s less fun- not knowing self defense in an emergency and wishing you did! Learning self defense to keep yourself and the people you love safe from harm is so important. It’s why we have the goal of teaching EVERYONE in the Levittown community how to defend themselves against an attacker.
It’s not just because it literally saves lives, either: imagine how much more confident you could be if you were positive that you could handle any physical situation that came your way. Knowing how to keep yourself safe would just be one more thing for you to hang your hat on. It’s a huge mental benefit of martial arts.
Self-Respect: A Little-Known Benefit
So confidence is important, yes – but why is self respect important? It’s because once you learn to respect yourself and your body, you start to make better choices. Once you start taking martial arts classes, you may notice you feel more energized. You may start to want to eat healthier and think, “I wouldn’t be respecting my body if I ate this… I want to feel amazing so I’ll skip the chips.” You may also find yourself wanting to bike instead of drive up the street or finally making time for a hike with a friend. This just makes you even more confident because you’re doing what’s right for you, you have more energy to do things you love, and you feel in alignment with your best self. That little conscience in your head guiding your decisions is finally being heard.
Bonus – when you respect yourself, you start to treat others with more kindness and patience because you see and respect them, too. This makes OTHERS more confident because they feel understood, and then they pass that feeling on to others… and there’s a compound effect in the community. It’s kind of great, isn’t it? And it’s all because of this little old sport we call martial arts.
How these Mental Benefits Change Lives
We see it all the time – a new student will come in to start training, and within months, they’ll get promoted at work. Or negotiate a higher salary. They may even find the courage to ask someone on a date. Or speak their mind to a disrespectful colleague. These aren’t just crazy random happenstances – they happen because martial arts classes build confidence and self respect. Plain and simple. Again, when you respect yourself, you also start to treat yourself better. You recognize that you can push yourself to new limits in martial arts classes, and you find a bravery and confidence within yourself that you never knew you had.
Are you starting to see how the mental benefits of martial arts can seriously change your life? Just these two benefits- the mix of self respect and confidence- can help you realize that other people’s judgments the value you place on other people’s judgments is worth less than how it feels to respect yourself. When YOU know you’re awesome because you’re kicking major butt in your martial arts classes, you’re not afraid to confidently create awesomeness in your own life. You make bold decisions in your life, embrace new opportunities, and do the things you never thought you could do. It’s awesome!
Okay, one more thing. In terms of textbook mental health, martial arts provides serious benefits. Staying active, maintaining a fulfilling social life, consistently accomplishing new goals each week- these are the basic building blocks of mental health that martial arts classes can provide. Your mood and health can improve tremendously right alongside your mindset.
Confidence & Self Respect- Join Us to Learn More!
So, to conclude- some of the best benefits of martial arts classes are the improvement of your mental health, the boost in your confidence and the surge in your self respect. If these benefits sound pretty good to you, come by our studio. See for yourself how martial arts can change your life. Check out our AmeriKick Martial Arts Adult Martial Arts classes that Levittown is raving about- you’ll love them: Teen & Adult Karate Classes in Levittown
