The power within the spirit and the mind. A person who truly studies the Martial Arts has a deeper meaning and philosophy of what they are doing. Its teachings will tell you that a true Martial Artist is one who is strong enough to avoid fighting.
Martial Arts is often associated with combat and self-defence. Though this form of art was introduced for self-defence, this combative craft is not just about flying kicks and flashy punches. Martial Arts is more about developing these skills to defend one’s self and others. It’s philosophy stresses that people should live in peace and harmony. The spiritual benefits of Martial Arts are often overlooked because of the combative and self-defence skills it brings. The real value of Martial Arts is helping individuals harness their natural strength.
So, why are Martial Arts so beneficial spiritually? We delve deeper to find out more!
Patience
It is a well known statement that patience is a virtue, and it is also quite commonly understood that there is a strong relationship between Martial Arts and patience. The practice of Martial Arts helps improve your tolerance for patience but, it also requires plenty of patience to progress in Martial Arts.
Being patient is one of the most important traits to have in any field. We must always understand that good things take time, and an effective process is needed for everything. Martial Arts teaches practitioners the value of patience and it is especially important in our children’s development. By instilling this value of patience early in their lives, they will better understand the impact it will have on the goals they strive to achieve.
Patience is one of the most important tools to have in dealing with frustration. It makes you healthier, both physically and mentally. Patience can aid with making more informed decisions and this leads to confidence, decisiveness, and a specific outlook on what goes on around us. Having more patience means we become more aware of our surroundings and how certain factors affect certain things. Without patience, we lose sight.
The patience to learn to tackle problems systematically
Martial Arts are all about tackling problems and obstacles systematically. Martial Arts involve a certain science that allows the nurturing of great problem-solving skills, especially in children who need to develop this specific ability.
For example, with disciplines such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or Muay Thai, every obstacle is presented with options to tackle. A practitioner can go down many different paths that offer varied outcomes. Martial Artists learn the results of their actions based on calculated techniques. This teaches them patience in determining the best possible course of action to achieve the desired outcome. By learning how each action relates to cause and effect, practitioners develop patience to make quick but well-informed decisions.
The patience to trust the process
One important lesson that Martial Arts teaches is that everything involves a specific process. While the end goal and result are important, practitioners come to realise that they must trust the process. We often strive so hard to achieve the results we want that, we lose sight of the process and end up failing. Martial Arts shows us that the process is just as important as the result and, we have to do what we need to do and trust that we will achieve our goals.
By learning how to trust the process, Martial Artists are empowered and understand that all their hard work, whether at home, in the gym, or in school, does not go to waste. They trust the process and achieve the desired results.
The patience to understand that Martial Arts is a journey
Martial Arts are more about the journey than the destination, and while results are important, it’s also equally important to enjoy the ride. Being a Martial Artist means staying committed to improving yourself. By embarking on this life journey, practitioners become more in tune with their own personalities and thus, discover their capabilities. They discover their strengths and how they can fortify them even more, as well as pinpoint areas of improvement and work on their weaknesses.
While achieving our goals is very important, success cannot be achieved without putting in the right amount of work. This is a reality that Martial Artists will quickly understand in their training.
The patience to understand the value of hard work
Hard work is at the core of success. Through Martial Arts training, practitioners – in particular children – learn that they can achieve anything if they put enough time and effort into it. Martial Arts further enforce the idea that, anything is possible if you put in the necessary effort to be successful.
In fact, the harder you work at certain things, the better the result. Every day in Martial Arts training is a challenge, and you have to work hard to get better. Every inch that you move forward is earned the correct way. There are no shortcuts to learning. This approach for children filters into their personal and educational lives by giving them more patience; thereby allowing them to work harder and at their full capacity.
Respect
Martial Arts are based on core values that dominate the practices and teachings. One cornerstone of most Martial Arts programmes involves teaching and learning respect for yourself and those around you. While Martial Arts is about self defence, it also embodies certain characteristics such as confidence, control, focus and respect. In short, respect is showing positive feelings and attitudes towards yourself and others, and always taking others into consideration. There is a deep sense of this for everyone who studies Martial Arts.
Teaching respect is one of the core tenets all students must learn and perform both on and off the mat. For example, bowing to instructors and opponents at competitions, as well as treating every person with decency and kindness. In this sense, respect and Martial Arts are synonymous with each other.
Students are taught to bow to their instructors at the beginning and end of class as a sign of acknowledging their leadership and skill. This is important because students learn to recognise that people in higher positions deserve deference for their work to reach that position. Just as one would respect an elder, Martial Arts students do the same to their teachers.
There is also a strong sense of respect towards other students and opponents. No matter how intense a competition or training session may be, valuing the people around you is key to a safe and healthy environment. This is shown through obeying the rules, not performing any illegal strikes and bowing or shaking hands. Through these actions, students learn that no matter their skill level or situation, people and themselves deserve to be treated justly.
The reasons why Martial Arts teaches respect vary but, the core of it is that students learn how to respect others and themselves. Respect and Martial Arts are tied together so tightly that it is difficult to separate the two. You will be able to apply the teachings you learned in your Martial Arts class to your everyday life and, be a better person because of it.
Integrity
Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. How does this directly relate to Martial Arts, you may ask? Instructors are honest with their students and each other to continue relationships. The stronger your moral principles, the more important the need to communicate that to set an example.
For example, some Martial Artists bow as they enter the dojo as a sign of respect to the club, the instructors and each other. Then, practitioners must have the integrity to mean what they indicated with the bow, and show the respect they have promised. This is a moral principal that Martial Artists do not overlook otherwise it is viewed as disrespectful.
Humility
Humility is a very important human trait that all people should exercise in their lives. Being humble means you aren’t too big for any lesson that may come your way. In fact, some say humility is even more important than confidence.
The core significance of being humble is that humility keeps you constantly receptive to opportunities for improvement. Exhibiting humility empowers us with self-control, knowing our limits, being externally aware of our surroundings, and being receptive to constructive criticism.
One of the biggest human traits that Martial Arts develops in practitioners is humility. Through constant training, we learn to be humble because we understand its importance in our learning journey. In order to achieve our full potential, practicing humility during training is paramount to success. Humility teaches us to be grateful for what we have and the experiences we go through. This is amplified especially during training, where being humble provides a clear path to mastery.
Perseverance
It has, unfortunately, become more and more common for people to quit when things become difficult or challenging. The ability to persevere and push through hard times and events seems to almost have been lost among many today. Fortunately, Martial Arts offers an environment in which practitioners will not only learn what it means to have perseverance but, also have opportunities to practice and apply the concept of perseverance.
Whether practitioners already have some understanding of how to persevere or not, they will certainly develop and hone in on this trait as they explore the world of Martial Arts. Regardless of their chosen style to practice, Martial Arts has a unique way of offering a variety of experiences for learning perseverance.
From physical perseverance when things are hard on your body, to mental perseverance when Martial Artists struggle to do the things they are trying to do, practitioners will be supported, encouraged, and helped along the way as they develop this necessary character trait for life.
Furthermore, the opportunities that Martial Arts offers to experience loss and failure are unparalleled in any other discipline. Practitioners will learn that their wins and losses don’t define them, and they will begin to see that they can persevere and keep going through the losses of sports, life, and beyond.
Is Martial Arts For You?
Now that you’ve read all about the spiritual benefits of Martial Arts, it’s time to get started. Make the decision today to push yourself to a new level of personal performance. In no time, you’ll be reaping all the benefits of learning Martial Arts!
If you enjoyed this read, check out our first two blogs of the three-part ‘Benefits of Martial Arts’ series where, we looked further into how Martial Arts benefits our mind and how Martial Arts benefits our body! Or, read our handy tips and guides on choosing a Martial Arts club and the benefits of Martial Arts for children.
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