Martial arts has been a huge part of my life since I was I started at ten years old and I fully credit it as saving my life through all I’ve been through. I’ve been asked probably 100 times what I go out of the martial arts, aside from the obvious self-defense, so I thought that perhaps I should write something on the topic.
Before I get into what I’ve gotten from martial arts study and practice, I want to first talk about what I’d lost from it;
- Fear
- Ego
- Intolerance
- Ignorance
- Weight
- Anger
- Laziness
- Bad attitude
Now I can better focus on writing down just some of the things I’ve gotten from martial arts, which are;
- Respect – for myself and others
- Self-confidence
- Self-awareness
- Better health
- A positive attitude and outlook
- Friends who I’ve known for decades
- Honor
- Dignity
- Understanding
- Compassion
- Inward strength
- Humility
- Patience
You see, when you begin learning the martial arts, you think the money you’re paying is to teach you kicking, punching, grappling etcetera…but you get so much more than that in a good dojo. If you think in terms of paying only for the outward physical aspects of the martial arts, you’re getting a whole lot of free stuff available nowhere else. If you see what you’re getting as a whole in the martial arts, what you might be paying is generally very nominal, even when paying hundreds per month.
There is nothing on earth quite like the martial arts and what it instills and takes from a student, who puts the mindfulness, care, and time into it.