5 Key Health Benefits to Martial Arts Training

Participating in physical activity is much more beneficial than a sedentary lifestyle. And as we age, it becomes even more important to incorporate some form of fitness into our daily routine. Exercise has been shown to improve your mood, combat chronic diseases, and manage your weight. Regardless of your age, sex, or physical ability, experiencing the outstanding health benefits that martial arts have to offer is a great way to improve your well-being.

Here’s a quick rundown on some of the advantages that martial arts provide in the world of fitness.

Mentally Refreshing

Seeped in ancient traditions, the martial arts have significant mental and spiritual elements that work toward enhancing focus and cultivating better self-control. Filtering energy and cleansing the mind from stress and tension enables martial arts practitioners to feel a sense of balance and tranquility that transcends into their daily lives. If you’re feeling the pressure from work, family, and life, exploring martial arts is an excellent way to release some of the tension.

Sense of Accomplishment

Unlike running on a treadmill or pedaling in a spin class, martial arts involves a series of progressions that define advancement and skill level. Through practice and commitment, martial arts enthusiasts can see themselves advance from novice to expert. Measurement through recognition builds confidence and creates a rewarding environment.

Increase Strength

Pop culture and Hollywood have misled many people into believing that martial arts are strictly about training and fighting. In truth, high-quality martial arts training should include many other attributes such as strength and conditioning. Various techniques are employed that develop strength through calisthenics, which makes martial arts a great way to become stronger without getting bulky.

Overall Stamina

Research shows that the combination of exercise and energy found in martial arts considerably bolsters stamina. Chemicals released in the brain make you feel better, stimulate the immune system and have even demonstrated anti-aging capabilities. 

Flexibility

The soft style routines found in some forms of martial arts dramatically increase flexibility. Training and study of martial arts require an entire range of motion from the body, and that helps with coordination and balance.

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There are many forms of martial arts to choose from. Find one that’s right for you and discover the benefits first hand. 

4 Types of Meditation/Visualization for Martial Artists

As more and more research comes out highlighting the importance of a healthy body AND mind, I’d like to highlight four different types of meditation and visualization that can be used by martial artists.

1. Mindfulness  

This is one of the purest forms of meditation, and one of the best ones to start playing with if you are a meditation newbie. To practice this all you have to do is stop for a few moments at any time during the day and focus on being fully present in that moment. You don’t need to change your breathing, just notice it. You don’t have to say anything, or do anything, or be anywhere. Just stop and pay attention. Be present in the moment, for a few minutes.

2. Focused

For a focused meditation, you will need to set your mind to solving a problem, visualizing a goal, or imagining a scenario play out the way you want it to. Athletes stand to benefit the most from an exercise like this (we all remember the Michael Phelps face from the last summer Olympics, don’t we?). 

Martial artists can use this form of meditation also to visualize performing a specific technique, or the way a fight is going to play out. The brain doesn’t recognize the difference very well between imagining you’ve done something and actually doing it. We can capitalize on that and better prepare ourselves for combat by visualizing different scenarios in a fight so that if we ever find ourselves there, it’s not the first time (at least in our minds). Being a step ahead like that will help us not to freeze, and be better prepared to react correctly and quickly.

3. Movement

A movement meditation is when you perform an activity and you are focused solely on the movement. This type of meditation can be simple or complicated. An example of a simple movement meditation would be to pick some pattern to do with your arms and close your eyes while you repeat that pattern (martial artists, imagine doing Hubud Lubud with a partner with your eyes closed).

A complex movement meditation could be something like a form or rolling in Jiu Jitsu. When you are grappling with a partner, you can’t help but be entirely focused and concentrated on this one activity - or you will get choked out pretty quickly. Doing this a couple of times per week works wonders on mental health, stress relief, and overall happiness.

4. Mantra

For this type of meditation, you will need to find a saying, quote, or scripture that you like and spend a few minutes truly soaking it up and internalizing it. Try to understand it, think of how it applies to your life, and say it multiple times throughout the session. One of our favorites is “To Fall Seven Times, To Rise Eight Times. Life Begins Now.”

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I recommend starting with the first one, and then slowly trying to integrate some of these different forms of meditation into your martial arts practice, and your life, and see the impact it has on you.

5 Reasons Martial Arts Training Is The Best Activity for Your Brain and Memory!

A recent Consumer Reports article presented the latest research on keeping our minds sharp, especially as we age. As I read the article, I couldn’t help but notice that each of the five areas discussed could be addressed by being actively involved in a Martial Arts program!

1.    Reducing Stress

Exercise is well known for its ability to aid in the reduction of stress. Add to that the myriad of stress-reducing benefits of the Martial Arts in particular and you have a true stress buster. 

2.    Staying Connected

By this, the authors meant staying connected socially with others. The social aspects of a training class such as a Martial Arts class cannot be underestimated, not to mention Martial Arts classes are fun and engaging, helping you to commit to the long term benefits. 

3.    Feeding the Brain

Consuming a nutritionally-balanced diet is key to any Martial Arts program and your overall healthy lifestyle. The recommendations for maintaining healthy brain function are much the same as for maintaining overall healthy body function: minimizing trans-fat intake, reducing saturated fat intake, and consuming more fish and other foods that contain healthy fats. 

4.    Staying Fit

Physical activity is the best-known way of protecting your brain against aging. The recommendation here is the same as for general health and well-being: at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days. Martial Arts training incorporates daily exercise into your routine in a fun and exciting way so that you can stick to it. 

5.    Flexing Brain Muscles

Use it or lose it. The mental aspect of Martial Arts training provides this type of mental stimulation along with a great physical workout. This is something I discuss with our adult students on a very regular basis. Adult students often notice that the martial arts we teach are so technique oriented, cerebral, and detailed that they sometimes have difficulty remembering the techniques. That is exactly why it is so beneficial for you. Using the brain to make the mind and body work together performing a complicated Jiu Jitsu technique, or a long Kata in Kenpo is exactly the kind of workout that your brain needs!

Keep in mind that “aging” doesn’t mean you’re heading toward your 90s. Depending on your lifestyle, aging-related changes in your brain such as memory loss can begin as early as your 20s or 30s. So stay committed to your Martial Arts training. Your mind will thank you for it.

Some people plan on doing crossword puzzles and sudoku to keep their minds working as they age. I for one plan on rolling and practicing my forms/techniques when I’m 90!