Building Confidence through Martial Arts
Ollie was a shy child. When I met him, he was about five. He didn’t talk much, and he couldn’t meet the eye of any adult speaking with him.
You could see he felt awkward around other child and didn’t interact with them well.
He wouldn’t leave his dad’s side as his dad asked me about martial arts lessons for him.
For the first month he even wouldn’t step on the mat with out his Dad being there. But he was a good learner, seemed to really enjoy the classes, and was a fantastic kicker.
Slowly but surely, he started to open up—first with the other kids, and then later with the adults around him.
The transformation was incredible and Ollies confidence wasn’t only confined to the Academy.
His dad told me Ollie had made new friends at school, and the teachers had noticed a positive change in his attitude at school.
He credited his son’s martial arts training as the cause of this new-found confidence.
This is something I’ve heard from countless parents, and something that I’ve witnessed in our students many times. Martial arts can have a dramatic effect in developing self confidence, and self esteem.
I believe this is for a number of reasons; any or all of these could be true for a single individual, and apply equally to children and adults.
Martial Arts help you get in shape.
One of the major reasons people start training martial arts is to get in shape. However, many of these people fall in love with martial arts and continue to practice long after their fitness has improved and the initial buzz has worn off.
Importantly, the increased levels of activity release endorphins, and sparring releases adrenaline—both of these chemicals act as mood-boosters.
Being active just makes you feel better.
When we’re sedentary, our brains and bodies are relatively inactive. This means that without some kind of drug, there is no real way to get an endorphin or adrenaline rush sitting on the couch.
When you do martial arts, however, you get a rush of endorphins and adrenaline, making you overall much happier.
Exercise should be addictive; you’ll definitely grow to love the feeling it gives your body and your brain.
If you’re interested in learning more about how exercise can improve your mood and even cure depression there’s a fantastic book called Spark!
There are visible, measurable achievements.
Almost every Martial Art style has a grading structure will provide a visible and measurable mark of achievement.
Seeing yourself progress through the grades of your chosen martial art will give you a well-deserved feeling of accomplishment and allow you to set new goals for continued achievement.
There is a system of competition.
One reason that diets and workout routines tend to not work for people is because they become mundane; it is hard to run without a goal in mind, and it is difficult to lift if you don’t care about improving your numbers.
Martial arts give people a place to compete well pass the ideal age for competition. Competition is what makes it all real whether you’re sparring with friends in the academy or fighting for a world title.
Builds awareness of the body and mind.
Many people we see in the gym are people who tell me, over and over again, that they were never good athletes.
Learning martial arts often changes this in them. I see many of these former “not-athletes” redefining themselves as “athletes,” something they never could have done without martial arts.
These people now understood their bodies and how to control them; they were no longer gawky or awkward, and this change often brings about improved confidence.
Martial arts are not a cure-all for confidence problems, but I have seen it many times: martial arts do build confidence in many people.
Children can benefit extensively as well; I have seen many children like Ollie, but I have also seen children who have been bullied learn to stand up to their bullies. martial arts are excellent for confidence-building in people of all ages.
Building Happy, Healthy Confident Kids
I’ve been professionally teaching children just like yours for years and spent countless hours developing our martial arts classes to focus on the three most important things that parents want for their children.
To be Happy. To be Healthy. And to have Confidence.
We know for a fact that your child will WANT to develop these vital life skills. That’s because our classes are high energy, and engaging and our professional instructors use a Simple 3 Step Success System that will set your child up for success.
It’s REALLY simple, and REALLY effective.
To learn more about how we can help your child or our 3 step success system visit https://martialartsplymouth.co.uk/start/junior-martial-arts/ or call 01752 262233