Did you know that there are mental benefits of martial arts aside from feeling amazing after a workout? Most people see martial arts as a purely physical sport…. But to be successful at it, you need quite a bit of mental stamina and self talk. We help hundreds of people in our AKF Lexington Martial Arts community build confidence and self-respect 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 hit the gym every day.
But how confident do you feel 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 how to protect yourself and the people you love is so important. It’s why we have the goal of teaching EVERYONE in Lexington & Neighbors how to defend themselves against an attacker. It’s not just because it saves lives, either: imagine how much more confident you could be if you were 100% certain in your ability to handle any physical situation that came your way. That knowledge of self defense 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? Well, once you learn to respect yourself and your body, you begin making better choices. When you decide to take 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 take a walk in the afternoon or finally making time to teach your kid how to play soccer. Then you become 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. The voice in your head saying “Let’s eat better” or “Go for that run” is finally being heard.
Another thing – when you respect yourself, you start to treat others with more kindness and humility because you see and respect them, too. This makes OTHERS more confident because they feel your kindness, and then they pass that feeling on to others… and there’s a compound effect in the community. Magic? We think so. And it’s all because of this ancient practice 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 a promotion. Or negotiate a better salary. They may even get the courage to ask someone out 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 start to realize that you deserve better treatment from others, professionally and personally, and you find the bravery within to stand up for what you want.
Do you see now 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 can only get to you if you let them.
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 take risks, embark on exciting new adventures, 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 biggest advantages of martial arts classes are the improvement of your mental health, the boost in your confidence and the surge in your self respect. If taking your workout to the next level, learning a life-saving skill and transforming into a more confident person sounds good to you, come by the studio and see these benefits in action. Check out our AKF Lexington Martial Arts Adult Martial Arts classes that Lexington & Neighbors is raving about- you’ll love them.
