Empower Yourself through Martial Arts
After working, training, and competing in martial arts for almost ten years now, I have seen all the ways training can improve a person’s life. I have seen a lot of women change their lives completely, but I have also seen a lot of women who were afraid to take the plunge. As a woman myself, I understand the different reasons other women may be turned off by the idea or discouraged. Whether it’s the nature of training the different martial arts, the atmosphere, or the lack of females on the mat, martial arts continues to be a male dominated world.
I have always pushed and encouraged women to join or at least try a class. I have even taught my own womens-only kickboxing class for a period of time. Why do I care? Well, I have personally seen the many ways in which my life has improved since I discovered martial arts and I think it would be a shame for other women to miss out on that opportunity. When you discover something amazing, it’s hard not to want other people to experience that amazing thing.
Ladies, if you are on the fence about trying, take a look at this list I have compiled of 5 of the most important ways martial arts has improved my life. Hopefully, it’ll give you a little insight and maybe the encouragement you need to take that first step towards trying something new.
Fitness: Have Fun Getting in Shape
Let’s start with the most obvious reason martial arts are beneficial – fitness. I began training kickboxing after college when I was looking for a way to get back in shape. Competing in sports was now a thing of my past, and my gym workouts were beginning to plateau. Discovering kickboxing was the perfect solution. Training kickboxing and then brazilian jiu-jitsu gave me the perfect way to push myself. Because you are learning a skill or art, it doesn’t feel like working out at all. I pushed myself far harder doing martial arts than doing my boring workouts at a regular gym. Learning these skills gave my body the perfect blend of cardio and strength training that I was looking for. I had now gotten in the best shape of my life at 28 years old thanks to my discovery and commitment to martial arts.
Training any of the martial arts whether it’s jiu-jitsu, boxing, MMA, Muay Thai, or kickboxing can give you that outlet humans crave.
CONFIDENCE: CARRY YOURSELF DIFFERENTLY
Confidence is key, they say. I thought I was coming into my own after college, but looking back I realized I was lost in life. When I discovered martial arts, I dove into the deep end. Immersing myself into it. I pushed myself to limits physically and mentally that I never have before. I tried things I was afraid to do. I put myself out there. Martial arts is about constant growth and practice. It’s about overcoming obstacles and learning from past mistakes. With this constant effort to overcome and evolve comes confidence. Being comfortable trying new things and putting yourself out there is a practice that you get better at the more you do. The more you try, fail, try again, and overcome, the easier it is to continue trying and failing. These are skills you build that bleed into your everyday life. Being comfortable in high pressure situations on the mat makes life’s everyday obstacles seem easier. You find a composure within yourself that builds your confidence as a person and changes the way in which you carry yourself. Which leads me to my next point…
Self Defense: Learn Skills to Protect Yourself
Self defense is a huge benefit for women due to the nature of the world we live in. Any person would benefit from this knowledge, but an unfortunate fact of life is that women are typically smaller and weaker than men and more often targeted in physical attacks. Learning self defense is a necessary skill to have as a woman.
One of the most important parts of defending yourself is preventing an attack in the first place. Having confidence and self awareness are big steps towards warding off potential attackers. Just carrying yourself with confidence goes a long way, which is why my last point leads to here. The physical skills and knowledge I have learned from training martial arts, specifically Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, have no doubt given me something I can use in a dire situation. There is no 2 hour seminar that will teach you self defense. There is no quick fix. Self defense is a combination of skills and mindset that can only be learned with the prolonged practice that training martial arts provides.
There is no 2 hour seminar that will teach you self defense. There is no quick fix.
Community:
The community you gain is one of my favorite benefits of martial arts. Obviously, children benefit from this as well, but as an adult, we often no longer have activities or places where we can build a community with like-minded individuals. Community is such an important element that is often lost in modern life. Especially, a community centered around a healthy, beneficial, activity. Martial arts is a lifestyle and once you have gotten on the path to living a healthier life, you’ll want to be around more people that are on that same path. Some of my closest friendships and fond memories have come from my time training on the mats.
Passion: Martial Arts Can Bring You Peace, Balance and a Lifetime of Learning
Along with community, passion is something that doesn’t have to be lost as you enter adulthood. The passion martial arts, specifically Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu has sparked within me has molded a lot of my adult life. My husband and I share these interests, as well as, our circle of friends. Learning new techniques, watching fights, training, and teaching, have all become part of my daily life. Having a healthy hobby outside of work and your home life is such a great outlet and way to not get sucked into the daily grind. You need different outlets to have balance. Training any of the martial arts whether it’s jiu-jitsu, boxing, MMA, Muay Thai, or kickboxing can give you that outlet humans crave.
READY TO GET STARTED?
So, now that you know all of the benefits that training martial arts can offer, maybe you are ready to take that next step and give it a shot. If so, we’ve made it extremely easy for you to get started. Just check out our simple beginner guides to finding all of the things you will need to begin this next wonderful chapter in your life!