Mental Benefits of Martial Arts
If you or a loved one could benefit from improved mental health please take your first step today by clicking the links below.
CalHHS YOUTH mental health resources.
CDC - Mental health and wellness resources
Mental Health California
Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.
Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors - Medically reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD on October 25, 2021
Martial arts offers an opportunity to not only enhance your physical health but your mental health, too.
Stress relief. Martial arts can help reduce stress and anxiety by encouraging you to practice deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness. It helps train your mind to keep your attention focused while remaining calm and alert. This can be especially helpful when you're trying to do multiple tasks that divide your attention.
Life purpose. People who practice martial arts often feel a sense of calm, confidence, and renewed peace with who they are and their purpose in life.
Physical exercise. Practicing martial arts also offers a nice boost of "feel-good" chemicals like endorphins that lift your mood. And as you master the craft, you'll likely get a boost in confidence, too. It's a great way to channel and direct your energy toward something positive that you can build on over time.
Emotional regulation. By practicing martial arts, you can master your mind and your emotions. That can help you develop greater emotional stability, assertiveness, self-confidence, and lessen aggressive feelings.
Increased self-esteem. Just like exercise strengthens your body, challenges strengthen your mind. Martial arts can help by teaching you how to bounce back from setbacks and the importance of not letting life get you down, no matter how hard things get.
Personal Development. Martial arts encourage you to dig deep, uncover where you're stuck, and move through mental blocks. It helps you identify what you want to improve in your life and gives you the confidence to make positive changes.
Forgiveness and healing. Martial arts can help people establish boundaries by redirecting feelings of powerlessness. It can empower you to find inner strength and heal past trauma.
Limits of Martial Arts as a Mood Booster
Finding the right martial arts practice can feel empowering and validating, but what you get it out of it depends on how much effort you put in. It's important to remember that while martial arts can be a powerful tool for regulating and shifting your emotions, it's not a substitute for mental health treatment. If you have distressing emotional experiences that affect your ability to function, consider talking to a licensed mental health professional.
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Below are a few examples of how and why training specifically at LEVEL 3 Martial Arts Performance benefits your mental well-being:
Positive socialization - being around like-minded individuals who seek self-improvement reminds us that we are not alone and encourages growth. For teens especially, being around peers that demonstrate respect and engage in teamwork can remind us that we offer value to others just as they do for us.
Self-esteem - when we challenge ourselves in a safe and positive way such as martial arts training we begin to believe in our own capabilities and trust ourselves more. We tune out negativity from external sources, most often which comes from our peers on and offline.
Reduced screen time - its scientifically and medically proven that too much screen time is very bad for our mental health. Get up, get out, get going!
Spacious and clean environment - spending time in a place that is bright, open, and fresh is enjoyable, and when you enjoy something you’ll be more consistent which provides more benefit!
Relaxation - every class begins and ends with a moment of breathing and letting go of the day’s challenges so you can focus on your progress.
Attitude - we emphasize health building, learning, and enjoying the process rather than focusing on belt-color.
Culture - our members are welcoming, friendly, respectful, encouraging, and supportive. You’ll feel at home.
Self-Defense - equipping yourself with new skills to protect yourself gives you confidence and a sense of calm unique to martial arts training. When we’re confident in our capabilities we worry less, we’re more observant, and patient with daily challenges that arise.
Exercise - when our endorphins are flowing we feel proud of ourselves, motivated, hopeful, and more clear which helps for better decision making daily, including nutrition choices which affects our physical energy which ultimately affects how we think about ourselves. Motion creates emotion!
Private lessons - we customize your training for your most positive and beneficial experience.
Goal setting - having something to look forward to gets us out of bed in the morning. It helps us build self-discipline which keeps us moving forward even on days we don’t feel like it. Goals remind us why we do what we do. Set your first goal with us today!
Instructor experience and intention - we’ve taught over 64,000 private lessons, 18,000 group classes, and have over 3000 hours of our own time invested into our martial arts training. We are interested, involved, and interactive with every member. We aim to encourage, enthuse, and enlighten each member to help them rise to a new level of personal performance!