Karate is not just a martial art. It is a motivator, a fitness tool, a confidence booster, a system of self-defence, and the list goes on! It’s easy enough to enroll yourself or your child in a martial arts program, but it’s not as easy to keep with it. The path is challenging by design, in order to strengthen your mind, body and spirit. If you are thinking about learning a martial art, you should read on. We have listed four reasons why we love martial arts and why you should too!
Physical Fitness
The key to staying physically fit is finding activities you enjoy doing. You are much more likely to stick to something if you enjoy it and if it motivates you to keep moving and improving. A martial arts program that gets you jumping, kicking, punching and increasing your limits will give you and your body everything you need to stay fit and active.
Mental Toughness
In order to get by in your day-to-day life, you need to be able to take a physical or emotional blow from time to time. In other words, you need to be mentally tough. Martial arts give you the tools you need to push through trying events and emotions in order to get through them intact. You will learn how to break down a challenge into smaller goals and to conquer them all individually in order to succeed.
Preparation
The world is an amazing place, but it can be a dangerous one. Learning a martial art like karate will help you stay vigilant and capable of protecting yourself if the need ever arises. This doesn’t mean only physically defending yourself. Karate instills you with tools you can use to live a safe and healthy life.
Family
Dojos become like another family to you and yours. Each martial arts program has its own unique characters, but within each program you will learn to face adversity head on and grow and support each other. Over a short amount of time, everyone begins to feel like a big welcoming and supportive family. All you have to do to be “adopted” into the family is to show up and participate.
The learning never ends
There is an opportunity to better yourself every time you step in a karate dojo. There never comes a point where you’ve learned it all and that you have completed your training. You can start at any time as well. It doesn’t matter if you are six or sixty! You will be able to find a lesson to be learned and a challenge to be conquered.
