Martial arts can better the body and mind of anyone who participates. Perhaps it’s easy to see how martial arts can lead to physical improvements. Students learn self-defense techniques and improve their fitness through martial arts training. But what about the mind?
Martial arts also leads to improvements in a student’s mental skills. And one of the many mental skills you train through martial arts is resilience. Resilience is your ability to cope despite facing setbacks or obstacles. It’s a measure of your emotional strength and endurance.
It may seem like resilience is something that you either have, or you don’t. But just like a technical martial arts skill, resilience is another skill you can train. And martial arts is a great way to build resilience. Training in martial arts isn’t just learning self-defense. Students who practice martial arts always face challenges and obstacles. With practice, they learn to adapt and deal with this and other types of stress.
Here are a few ways that martial arts builds resilience:
1. Physical Training
Sometimes the best way to improve a mental skill is by training your body. Martial arts training can be tough. You’ll challenge your body in new and different directions all the time. Some days you’ll feel like you have the strength to take on the world. Other days, you may feel like you’ve lost your edge. But no matter how you feel physically, you keep showing up, and you do what you can to make the most of your training. Your willingness to continue showing up even when you’re feeling defeated is what builds resilience.
2. Goal-Setting
A lot of martial arts goals are unlike other fitness goals. Rather than potentially achieving your goal within weeks, some martial arts goals can take years to accomplish. When you have a long-term goal, not only do you have to be patient with yourself and your training, but you also have to stay committed to reaching your goal. When a goal takes a few years to achieve, you’ll likely end up facing quite a few obstacles along the way. Rather than giving up on your goal, resilience is what keeps you moving forward and working hard.
3. Character Building
The process of building the physical and mental skills needed in martial arts also builds character. If you’re willing to stick to your training and work toward your goals, then you’ll not only build resilience. You’ll also develop essential character traits like patience, self-discipline, self-control, and confidence. No matter what you face in training or life, you’ll have the tools you need to overcome adversity and keep moving forward.
At Classic Fight Team in Fountain Valley, our mission is to help our students develop resilience, self-discipline, and confidence through martial arts. Are you interested in learning more about our programs and classes? We’d love to chat with you – contact us today to get started.
