5 Ways Martial Arts Gives You A Great Life

Many of us spend our lives simply passing time from one day to the next, without ever feeling any sense of accomplishment. After awhile, we start to wonder: what is life really all about?

All of us are worthy of living full, exciting lives. As humans, we are built to face challenges, proving our worth through our actions.

For martial artists, living life to the fullest is one of the greatest benefits of practicing martial arts. Not only does it encourage one to embrace any opportunity to unleash their greatness, but it also helps them improve themselves on a continuous basis.

1) It builds character

Training at Westside MMA is not only challenging but it's fun

For martial artists, every training session is truly character building. Choosing to be patient, admitting defeat and doing it all over again isn’t easy, but that’s what training martial arts is like.

Martial artists understand that training without reflecting on what they’ve learned won’t get them anywhere. They’ll be stuck where they are for a very long time, unable to level up.

By adhering to decisions that are in tune with one’s moral compass, you become not only a better person; you’ll also strengthen your positive self-image.

2) It builds confidence

Training from a young age instils amazing characteristics

Nothing builds your confidence more than knowing that you can defend yourself from an attacker or be able to submit someone that is twice your size. Martial arts teaches you techniques that can be applied in real-life self-defense situations.

This confidence one learns from martial arts also translates into personal confidence. Confident people know their worth and what their positive attributes are. The more you embrace your confidence, the easier it will be for everyone to see what a great person you really are.

3) It encourages you to work hard

Martial arts is also about building friendships.

Martial artists understand that hard work is a must, especially if they want to level up. They know that they have to go above and beyond what is required of a student — drilling after class, taking notes, sparring with advanced students in order to become a better martial artist.

This dedication transfers well into one’s daily life. A good work ethic will take anyone places, giving them a stronger sense of self and a deeper belief in their abilities.

4) It helps you embrace the unexpected

Challenges bring out the best in people. Sparring is a great building block.

The moment you bump fists with your sparring partner, you become aware that literally anything can happen. There’s a chance he could submit you, even if he’s at a much lower level than you are. And when he does, you realize how unexpected martial arts can be.

Just like martial arts, life is also full of surprises. One day you could be at the top of the world and the next might be the complete opposite. Martial arts teaches you to be OK with it and just embrace it. Everything is a learning experience that will make you a better person in the end.

5) It encourages you to be healthy

Westside MMA coaches Stuart Grant & Rodolfo Marques training hard in preparation for Rodolfo's recent MMA bout.

While you don’t have to be at the peak of fitness to practice martial arts, it certainly encourages you to take care of yourself. If you eat unhealthily, you know it could take a toll on your training. If you don’t sleep well, you’ll feel lethargic the rest of the day.

Martial arts teaches you to reconsider your priorities by aligning them with your martial arts goals. Every serious martial artist knows you can’t level up if you don’t make the effort to maintain a healthy diet or include strength and conditioning to your workout regimen.

It can be easy to forget the many benefits of martial arts, especially if you’ve practiced it for a long time. However, when you reflect on your life and see how much it’s changed because of martial arts, you’re definitely in for a surprise.

So go on and train, be the best version of yourself – not only in martial arts but also in your daily life. Live your life to the fullest with martial arts and eventually, winning in all aspects of life will come naturally.