Last night, I attended Fight Night in Kelowna. It was my first real outing after moving here about 2 months ago. I was offered free tickets to the event by one of the ladies at my Toastmasters club, who helps run the Kelowna Community Theatre (the facility where Fight Night was held). The auditorium was massive, complete with a cage front and center.
I sat directly behind a group of young guys. During intermission, I began chatting them up. A few of them were also combat sport practitioners. So, we connected. And we started going over our reasons to train martial arts.
Unexpected Truth About Training Martial Arts
As our conversation continued, the guys told me their reasons for training in martial arts. One of them said he loved the self-discipline aspect of a consistent training regime. Another mentioned community, being surrounded by like-minded people. I completely agreed because I train for the same reasons. And then it hit me…
Very few people who train combat sports do it solely for self-defense. Now, of course, self-defence is a big reason for many people (myself included). But it’s not the only one—or even the main one, in many instances.
7 Reasons To Train Martial Arts That Don’t Include Self-Defence
As of this writing, I’ve been training in martial arts for almost 5 years. And that half a decade of training experience has taken me around the world. I’ve trained at academies in Singapore, Thailand, the Maldives, Malaysia, the UAE. As a result, I’ve had many conversations with countless combat sports practitioners.
And almost every time, the conversation leads to the same question: What got you into martial arts? The answers to that question, combined with my own personal experience, have given me these 15 reasons to train martial arts (that don’t include self-defence).
1. Expand Your Potential
In 2021, I ran my first half-marathon. Ran the entire race non-stop. Clocked in at 1 hour 56 minutes. The truth? I had no idea I was capable of that kind of performance. It was a shock. As a result, I began asking myself, “What else am I capable of?” That line of questioning is what led me to take up martial arts. I wanted to expand my potential.
And it’s not just me… This is a common theme I noticed across the board from many people who commit to a combat sport. They want to test themselves. Martial arts tests you mentally, physically, emotionally. It tests your resolve, self-discipline, and commitment. So, expanding your potential in life is one of the best reasons to train martial arts.
2. Get Entrenched In Community
I touched on this one a bit earlier. The community aspect of learning a martial art is unparalleled. And I believe that regardless of the combat sport you’re choosing, you’ll find a variety of people. People from all walks of life with various backgrounds, religious beliefs, societal upbringings, etc. It’s wild the kinds of people you can meet through training.
And you form deep bonds with these people. You see each other every week; you share stories about each other’s lives; you learn about them, and they learn about you. As a result, you become entrenched in the community of your academy or gym.
3. Become Comfortable Being A Beginner
One of the best reasons to train martial arts is that it makes you comfortable with being a beginner. Let me explain… I got hired as a copywriter for Dan Martell a few months ago. If you’re unfamiliar with Dan, he’s the fastest-growing personal brand in the business space. However, his background is in software, making him a big proponent of AI.
As a result, he recently decided to run a 2-Day AI Hackathon at the company. The rub? I know NOTHING about how to code. Don’t have a single software bone in my body. I felt like a complete idiot as all the jargon went flying over my head. The cool part, though? I’m familiar with the feeling of being a beginner, as I’m constantly experiencing it on the mats.
So I was able to calm myself, realize this was part of the learning process, and actually enjoy it more because I KNEW I could learn and get better at it. And that belief stems from my martial arts background.
It’s never a pleasant feeling starting at the bottom. You make rookie mistakes, say stupid things, and feel like a complete fool in front of everyone in the room who all know more than you. It sucks. But that’s how you learn, grow, and become more. Martial arts gives you the humility and understanding to know that it’s all part of the process.
4. Grow And Develop As A Person
Martial arts is a vehicle for self-improvement. I have always believed that. And the reasoning is quite obvious when you see how training can help you become more. You learn humility, how to remain calm under pressure, the skill of resilience, and so much more. In short, one of the best reasons to train martial arts is for your own personal growth.
You become a better, stronger, more capable, more emotionally centered and balanced. Why does any of this matter? Life becomes a lot more streamlined when you operate from a place of poise and self-assuredness. Martial arts can help develop those qualities.
5. Experience Better Mental Health
The mental health benefits of training are enormous. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a stressful day (work pressure, relationship issues, etc.), and then forgotten about all of it after an hour on the mats. Nothing can compare. It’s like relieving the tension from the pressure release valve. Powerful stuff that you just have to experience to understand.
You walk into the academy with angst, stress, and worry from the obligations of daily life… And you walk out with calm, peace, and assurance that things will work themselves out.
6. Sculpt Your Body And Physique
About a month after starting my BJJ journey, something interesting happened… I hopped out of the shower one day. Dried off. Put some shorts on. And as I walked out of my bathroom, I saw it in my peripheral vision in the mirror. Are those abs? Yes! I saw my abs for the FIRST time. It was surreal if I’m being honest…
All my life, I had always been on the chubby side. So, to actually see physical abs was a bit of a shock. Granted, at the time, I had been training daily for about 6 months (running, weights, etc.). However, the abs didn’t fully come in until I added BJJ into the equation.
7. Gain A New Level Of Self-Confidence
Whether it’s Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Judo, BJJ, Karate, or anything in between, training in martial arts will give you new levels of self-confidence. When you combine all the benefits, your self-perception changes. You see yourself as a new person. The ability to overcome challenges, solve problems, handle discomfort, etc., all become part of your identity.
The result? You step into a more confident version of yourself. Nothing can compare to the feeling of self-assuredness that washes over you from martial arts. This is real confidence that is earned through blood, sweat, tears, sacrifice, self-denial, and continual discipline.
Final Thoughts
With all the reasons to train martial arts, it’s obvious that combat sports are one of the most powerful drivers of self-improvement. It doesn’t matter which discipline you choose—just choose one. And commit to it for a lifetime. It is my belief that everyone should learn a martial art. Not just for self-defence purposes, but for quality of life purposes.
That’s where the real transformation comes from… The quality of life that you build from a consistent training regime. That’s the gold that you want to mine for. And when you do that? You’ll be an entirely new person. Better. Stronger. More confident. That’s your future.
