This year will be the year you learn to defend yourself. It’s about time you stand up against the bullies at school, the perverts throwing inappropriate gazes and remarks at you, or the thugs trying to steal your prized possessions. Turn over a new leaf this year by including martial arts training on your list of New Year’s resolutions.
As you begin this journey, you must first understand that it is not an easy one. The likes of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Chuck Norris weren’t born with nunchucks in their hands though some of you may argue that nunchucks used to be called nuns until Chuck picked them up. Seriously though, these well-known badasses trained hard to learn what they became famous for and to become legends in their own right.
They’re not the only celebrities to take up martial arts training. Jennifer Aniston is trained in Budokon (a mix of yoga, martial arts and animal movements). The late King of Pop Michael Jackson was a black belt in Kung Fu while Madonna knows karate. Vampire ass-kicking Sarah Michelle Gellar has a black belt in Taekwondo while former US President Barack Obama has a green belt in the same discipline.
Perhaps the celebrity with the most impressive resume is Keanu Reeves, who, just for the movie The Matrix, reportedly learned more than 200 martial arts moves from a variety of disciplines including krav maga, wushu, and boxing. For the John Wick films, Reeves trained in a new hybrid style involving judo, jujitsu and the handling of guns.
Watching these celebrities showcase their skills in the big screen makes it seem pretty easy. In real life, however, you need to train hard and have the discipline to learn martial arts. It’s a good thing then that undergoing martial arts training provides ore benefits than you ever thought making it a must in your New Year’s resolutions.
Lose Weight
Martial arts training go well with other New Year’s resolutions, particularly your desire to lose weight. Aside from having the skills to thwart attackers and to fight back when necessary, you’re also giving your body a great chance of looking fit. In other words, you’ll be in the best shape of your life. To put it even simpler, the more you train, the more fat you will burn.
Healthier Lifestyle
Martial arts training and losing weight coincides with living a healthier lifestyle. Once you get serious with you training, you’ll find yourself eating healthier and exercising more to get in shape. Aside from your classes, exercise regularly. Go for a jog in the morning, walk or bike instead of commuting to school or work, and take the stairs instead of the elevator. There are different ways you can squeeze in some exercise.
If you smoke and drink (a lot), you’ll be encouraged to quit once you get into martial arts. You don’t want to be huffing and puffing in class or to train with a hangover, do you?
Try Something New
Most of you have this on your list of New Year’s resolutions: to learn a new skill or to simply try something new. Martial arts training is something you definitely should give a try because of the many benefits it gives you.
New Year, New You
Something about learning martial arts makes you feel that you’re a different person from before you started. For one, martial arts training makes you more confident about yourself. If you feel strong, you somewhat feel invincible or capable of doing anything. This is a good thing when it comes to tackling challenges in life.
Be More Adventurous
Are you tired of being the most boring person in the room? Are you looking to be more adventurous this new year? There are lots of ways to get some excitement into your dull life. You can go backpacking in other countries or take up skydiving. While such adventures teach you a thing or two, they don’t compare to what you learn while undergoing martial arts training.
Expand Your Circle
Another common fixture in most New Year’s resolutions is to go out more and meet new people. By enrolling in a martial arts class, you get to make new friends. You will meet other people who have the same goal as you, which is a good starting point for any new relationship. The bonds formed within the martial arts community is said to be some of the strongest you’ll have in your life.
One way to get to know everyone in class is to choose a different sparring partner every time out. It’s good to form a bond with one classmate but its better if you give yourself a chance to know everyone.
Having different sparring partners also helps you improve your skills. Make sure you choose someone who’s the same level as you and another who’s better than you. Of course, you can also spar with a beginner so you get to practice some new techniques you like to try out.
Defend the Weak
Perhaps your New Year’s resolution is more about having the means to defend yourself. You must understand, however, that martial arts is not for showboating or for taking revenge on the people who wronged you. Use it for good by helping out other people in trouble.
Be A Jack of All Trades
It’s good to be great at one thing but you shouldn’t limit yourself to that. One of your New Year’s resolutions, as mentioned earlier, is to try something new. Don’t just limit yourself to trying. When it comes to martial arts, you can learn more than just one discipline. There are lots to choose from. There’s karate, kung fu, judo, jiu jitsu, aikido, taekwondo, jeet kune do, krav maga, capoeira, kendo, arnis or eskrima, and Chuck Norris’ very own chun kuk do. Have you ever dreamed of being a ninja? You can learn their secrets by training in ninjutsu.
If Keanu can do it, so can you.
Martial arts training is just one thing you can do to keep yourself in tiptop shape and ready if you have to defend yourself or a loved one. Visit The Gentleman Pirate to read more about self defense.
You can also learn a thing or two about self defense from Russell Stutely, well-known martial artist and most recognized Pressure Points coach.
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