Martial Arts Lessons, Baseball, Football, or Soccer?
As a boy, my parents took me to try out all the typical sports. As a an adult, I am now able to reflect back on all those activities –and I have an opinion about sports that might help you (parents), if you too are considering something athletic for your own child.
The martial arts lessons I took, hands down, left me with the most powerful memories, usable resources, and the richest experiences of all the sports I participated in. Just this morning for example, 25 years after my martial arts teacher said it to me, I was recalling, “If you can’t, then you must –and if you must, then you will.”
Martial arts lessons will stick with your child. I’m more confident today, more capable, and better when the pressure is on –and I attribute a lot of that to my martial arts training. Parents, invest in lessons. They’re worth it.
If you want to get in better shape, you may be considering going to a gym or taking a martial arts program. No doubt, you want to lose a few pounds, build muscle, and get in better shape so you look and feel better. Wondering which option is going to offer you the most benefits? Here is a look at some of the top reasons that martial arts make the better choice for fitness.
Reason #1 – You Won’t Get Bored
One of the main reasons that martial arts are better than going to a gym is that you won’t get bored when you are learning a new form of martial arts. Many people go to a gym and they end up giving up because they get so bored doing the same old thing all the time. Often it’s more difficult to work out because you’re simply focusing on lifting weights or running on a treadmill instead of focusing on something that is fun and exciting. With martial arts, you’ll be building endurance and increasing muscle but you won’t get bored while you are doing it. Top quality instructors will keep you going and will make every single class exciting for you.
Reason #2 – You’re Less Likely to Overdo It
When people go to the gym and work out without any professional supervision, many end up overdoing it and this can lead to serious injuries. However, when you choose martial arts training, you won’t have to worry about overdoing it. Your classes will be personalized for you, with instructors that will pay close attention to what you are doing. While they will push you during the classes, they will never push you beyond what you should do and they’ll be there to help you avoid overdoing it and injuring yourself.
Reason #3 – Not as Many Fees to Pay
Another big reason to choose martial arts classes instead of going to a gym is that there aren’t as many fees to pay for training in the martial arts. Many gyms charge a variety of different fees. Usually you’ll end up with a gym membership fee, a monthly fee, and a fee for having a locker at the gym. If you want to take special classes or have a trainer work with you, once again you’ll end up having to pay. Some gyms even charge you to park in their parking lot. When you start taking martial arts classes, you won’t have to worry about paying so many fees. While the classes will have a fee, you won’t have a lot of hidden fees to worry about.
Reason #4 – Avoid Down Time While Waiting for Equipment
You won’t have to worry about down time in the middle of your workout while waiting for equipment if you choose martial arts training. At the gym, often many people are in the gym at the same time and you may find yourself wasting time waiting to get on the next machine. This isn’t a problem at a martial arts studio. You’ll be put in classes that are not too big so you get personal instruction and you don’t have to worry about down time waiting on others.
As you can see, while a gym has many benefits, martial arts training definitely has a lot more to offer you. With classes in the martial art of your choice, you won’t get bored and you won’t be allowed to overdo it. You also won’t have to worry about hidden fees or downtime. Instead, you’ll be enjoying and exciting workout that will build confidence and fitness.
When it comes to Martial Arts and self defense skills, relaxing and focusing are not mutually exclusive. It really doesn’t matter if it is Karate, Kung Fu, or Mixed Martial Arts. As a matter of fact, it takes exactly these two qualities in combination to make a master. Bellevue Martial Arts Academy recognizes this age-old truth and teaches accordingly.
The “holistic” approach is nothing new. In the ancient Shaolin Temple, this approach was the cornerstone, indeed, the point, of all teachings. The person as a whole was brought along a carefully-ordered path with patience and broad understanding, to bring out the very essence of their strength of mind, body and spirit.
Bellevue Martial Arts Academy continues this time-honored path. All the many and varied physical techniques necessary to make a good Martial Arts system are patiently taught in one-on-one classes, at a rate tailored to each student. And relaxation, Chinese Yoga and breathing techniques are taught at Bellevue Martial Arts School as well as the physical practices so important to make a good practitioner.
The combination of the physical and the mental creates a spiritual whole. Bellevue martial arts instruction has a goal of enhancing each student’s ability to draw on their most basic energy–their Chi–to drive their every thought and action. Ultimately, that’s what the true Way of the Warrior, and real Martial Arts, are all about.
In the special martial arts academy at Bellevue martial arts school, students study the ancient martial arts system, combining the five animals, the Dragon, Tiger, Snake, Crane and Leopard. The curriculum is described as a blend of northern and southern Chinese Martial Arts styles. The same well-established program is taught in several Martial Arts classes across the United States and in Canada, as part of a well-developed, interlocking system.
Training methods and philosophy in the Martial Arts academies belonging to this system all follow the ancient traditions developed by the famous and revered Shaolin Temple. And energy and balance in all things are the goals.
Two of the main issues facing both adults and children alike today are obesity and personal safety. Watch any news program, and these two subjects appear fairly frequently as lead stories. Figures are shown that the average child is officially overweight, which continues into adulthood, and street crime is one the increase. Thankfully, help is at hand for both these problems, and in one easy solution, thanks to martial arts. And the good thing is, it can be enjoyed by all ages.
Mention martial arts, and most people will automatically think of Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan, who have both helped to make it more popular in the West. There’s a romantic idea that by knowing one of the various martial arts disciplines, it will turn you into a super warrior ready to deal with any given situation. While this is true to a certain degree, there are far more benefits than simply being able to handle yourself in a confrontation.
Indeed, true martial arts students will always try to avoid conflict at all costs, and only use their training to resolve a situation as a last resort. By recognising how a certain argument or disagreement is progressing, through knowledge of how to spot specific signs, someone trained in martial arts will usually be able to prevent any violent escalation, and if this fails, will have the self-defense knowledge to deal with it.
Another benefit, especially for children, is that martial arts instill a sense of discipline into you. With the years of training and study that being successful in your chosen form (karate, kung fu, tae kwon do, tai chi, etc) entails, you have to be dedicated to see it through. There may be times you’re tired, or just simply don’t want to train, and cajoling yourself to still give 100% is just part of the overall discipline skills that can be transferred into your private life. Children will learn more patience, and adults will be more tolerant.
It’s also a great way to both getting and staying fit. With it often being convenient to simply laze around in front of the television, or stick your kids in the bedroom with a video games console to keep them occupied, the average person now weighs approximately 20lbs than someone as recent as ten years ago. Heart disease is on the increase, and children are taking part in less sports activities than ever before. Since martial arts are such an enjoyable way of exercising, you fitness levels will be boosted and your health will improve as a result.
With fitness in mind, another reason to enjoy martial arts is that you don’t have to worry about being self-conscious about yourself, as you would normally do when you join a gym for the first time. Whereas you may look at the members of a gym class or training session and feel out of place amongst super-fit and toned bodies, with martial arts this isn’t the case. Even the highest ranked Master can look like an everyday Joe. Another thing worth remembering is that in a martial arts class, it’s not about how you look, but more about how you feel. Since no two classes are ever the same, there’s far less chance of you becoming bored with training the same way you might at a gym.
Self-confidence is also another major factor as to why practising martial arts is so popular a pastime, in both adults and children. By learning more about yourself as a person, and that you have the ‘tools’ to deal with most situations in life, your self-esteem and belief in yourself will grow. With the extra belief in yourself, you’ll find yourself trying things you wouldn’t normally: you’ll have the confidence to ask that person out you’ve admired for a while, or you’ll apply for that job you always let pass you by. With self-belief comes positivity, and this will carry over into your personal life.
Perhaps one of the most beneficial areas of learning martial arts is the feeling of inner peace and serenity it can help you achieve. With meditation an integral part of various martial art disciplines helping to combat everyday stress, there really is no reason not to enjoy this popular pastime yourself, no matter what age you are.
Walk into most martial arts schools and you’ll be likely to see classes full of kids. You might even see classes mixed with kids and adults. Sights like these turn many adults away from the possibility of actually training themselves and even reinforce common misconceptions about martial arts. There are so many great reasons that disprove these misconceptions, however, that you owe it to yourself and your body to read these articles and to open your mind to at least the possibility of training martial arts.
