There’s a reason that martial arts are considered a discipline: because it takes focus, perseverance and drive to achieve proficiency in them. And while this may be daunting to many people, the rewards reaped when learning a martial art are unsurpassed, even when proficiency is attained. Learning a martial art is as much about growing your character as it is learning to fight and defend yourself.
Because martial arts are so complex and involve so many more facets than just learning a skill, it becomes paramount for teachers and local martial arts schools in York, PA to teach more than just fundamental styles—it becomes important to also teach people the ideas, virtues and morals behind the discipline itself. Together, the skills and the ideas taught by a true martial arts professional will yield growth in students that’s unrivaled in pure skill or technique alone.
Core character traits
At its core, a martial art should reinforce one fundamental idea: belief in oneself and one’s character. The journey to proficiency within a martial art should be guided by a person’s belief in themselves, which reinforces self-confidence and a healthy character. Martial arts teach self-defense, both physically and emotionally—being able to defend oneself against an attacker, whether that attacker is using fists or words against you. A person who is taught the basic values of karate, Jiu-Jitsu, Krav Maga or another martial art will be able to defend themselves against both and have confidence in doing so.
In keeping with the idea of being confident, martial arts schools in York, PA also teach the idea that anger and frustration aren’t tools for self defense—a sound mind is. A person who has confidence and a sound mind will be a person who can better defend themselves when they need to and not participate in confrontation when another option is possible. Someone who is confident feels no need to fight, but rather who will take the high road whenever they can.
A lesson earned
It’s easy for a person to brag about achieving a black belt or other martial arts designation, but for the person who has earned their title, the right to be proud comes from the journey to achieving it. A belt says nothing without the hard work and experience that it takes to earn one and a person who simply dedicates the lowest amount of effort and time to earning one will not have the confidence of another person who has dedicated themselves to mastering their art.
The true lessons of martial arts come from the teachings that the disciplines are founded on and it’s these lessons that show true experience. Much like a person who spends the time and effort to earn a college degree, staying the course and earning each new mastery of a martial art creates a fundamental stepladder of growth and experience.
Are you ready to test your character, grow your confidence and learn to appreciate the journey, rather than just the destination? If you are, it could be time to enroll in a local martial arts school in York, PA.