Martial arts you say? Why on earth would I want to fight some crazy, blood hungry guy, who’s built like a fridge and can chew through metal? You’re crazy! Ive heard it all, and believe me, some ideas around martial arts are simply crazy. The world is full of martial arts misconceptions, and whats more, its these ideas that have a tendency to stop people from trying them out and missing out on the benefits of Martial Arts.
You may be wondering if you have to fight in martial arts? or you are simply not having a go because you think you need to be fit to start? Or maybe you have given up an opportunity to start martial arts because you think you are too old? Well hold on to your sombreros as we take a journey to explore and expose the Top 3 Remarkable Martial Arts Misconceptions.
IN A HURRY? Look out for our yellow boxes in the text below as they contain a summary for quicker reading.
MARTIAL ARTS MISCONCEPTIONS
MISCONCEPTION NUMBER ONE
MARTIAL ARTS ARE ALL ABOUT FIGHTING?
It will come as no surprise that this takes the martial arts misconceptions number one spot. Evidently it’s what most believe when it comes to martial arts.
Picture the scene, It’s Saturday night and you’ve just sat down with a cold one to begin your all to familiar scroll through the TV channels. You pick up your nice refreshing beverage of choice and take a big gulp, your worries instantly start to fade away. Thats until you stop scrolling, you’ve found a channel, its Mixed Martial Arts!
You pause, you can’t believe your eyes, two guys are stuck inside a “cage” trying to pull each others limbs off whilst blood is splattering all over the place. Still paused, completely motionless as you watch on thinking,”Surely there are no benefits of martial arts?”. As you take another refreshing sip and continue on through the channels. Oh, a documentary on the great barrier reef, thats more like it.
But wait, the damage is done. Without you even realising it, you have just had your media influenced dose of Martial Arts. Consequently, your views are set and your ideas of martial arts have no alternative. As a result, to you, Martial Arts Is Fighting!
For most people, martial arts is all about fighting. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
MISCONCEPTION EXPOSED
MARTIAL ARTS IS ABOUT EMOTIONAL CONTROL
There was once a time, many moons ago, when i was but a boy. I didn’t have a challenging upbringing, but it wasn’t exactly all rainbows and kittens.
Furthermore, i used to believe all the martial arts misconceptions and failed to see the benefits of martial arts. In my ego fuelled youthful days, i used to love to fight! Id go out to pubs and clubs and actively search for trouble.
Believe me, its embarrassing for me to even write this, but it will illustrate my point.
Id look for any reason to get into an altercation with someone. I was the typical “What you looking at?” guy, that everyone encounters at some point.
With youth often comes ego, and with ego often comes trouble.
This disgraceful outlook stayed with me, right up until the point i discovered The Benefits Of Martial Arts.
I was around the age of 18 when i first stepped foot into a dojo, and Oh boy, was I in for a shock! What i didn’t realise at the time, was that in order to develop the self defence skills to protect your life if it was in danger, you had to be focused, calm and in control of your emotions. Evidently, all the things i wasn’t.
Martial Arts isn’t about fighting. It’s about being focused, calm, and in control of your emotions.
IN DANGER? OR JUST A DAMAGED EGO?
It’s honestly crazy how this works, but bare with me and il explain. If you have the skill set to defend your life from someone who is posing a true threat, you stop your ego from running the show.
When your ego isn’t in charge anymore, you will reduce your need to fight. In the majority of cases, to zero! I guarantee you, 100%, that every single fight you see in town, and also out on the streets, has began based on someones damaged ego.
Every fight you see on the street, in a pub or club, will have started from someone’s damaged ego.
Evidently, a common martial arts misconception is that martial arts are all about fighting. Obviously, this is wrong. As one of the benefits of martial arts is that it will stop your emotions and ego getting the better of you. Additionally, it teaches you that you only use your skills when someone is putting your life truly and unequivocally in danger. And its like magic! Having these defensive techniques, actually enables you to avoid fighting.
I always describe fighting as coming from a place of anger. Consequently, being something you did when you were not in full control of your mind and body. Of course, martial arts, by its very nature, will teach you incredible techniques to defend yourself. But it’s unquestionably possible to go through your entire martial arts journey never having to fight anyone.
Martial Arts isn’t about fighting, my life before martial arts, now that, that was about fighting.
When you stop acting based on a damaged ego, you will reduce your need to fight, in most cases, to zero.
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MARTIAL ARTS MISCONCEPTIONS
MISCONCEPTION NUMBER TWO
YOU NEED TO BE FIT TO START MARTIAL ARTS.
Just as unsurprising as number one, the number two spot in our top 3 remarkable martial arts misconceptions list, is filled by another widely believed myth.
Picture the scene, a close up on someone’s sweaty face. The camera pans backwards to reveal them lifting giant logs above their own head. The scene cuts. Epic 80’s power ballad blasting in the background as you watch a guy punching a punch bag over, and over, until he can no longer stand. Only to then start the first of a thousand sit-ups. And finally, to rap it all up, a meal consisting of three chickens and some kind of green drink we can only assume must be good for you.
You guessed it. Evidently the most emotional and inspirational scene in any great 80’s movie. The training montage. If you’ve gotten this far and are unsure what a training montage is, honestly, swing by google, type in Martial Arts Training Montage, and enjoy.
It illustrates the pure physical power needed to take part in any martial art, or does it?
Whilst any good training montage has an underlying message of passion. It also, unfortunately, portrays an idea of requiring insane amounts of physical fitness to take part in martial arts.
Most TV shows and films will have us believe you need to be super fit to start Martial Arts. Most TV shows and Films are wrong.
MISCONCEPTION EXPOSED
YOU CAN START MARTIAL ARTS WITH MINIMAL FITNESS CAPACITY
We will expose the number two seed in our list of martial arts misconceptions next. Of course, one of the benefits of martial arts is definitely the noteworthy boost in your physical ability. But it doesn’t need to mirror the attributes of an olympic athlete in order to start. The great news is, if you have the physical capability to get to your class, then you have all thats required to take part.
I hear this everyday when talking to, more commonly, adults about trying out a Kickboxing class at my school in Bristol.
It’s usually disguised in many ways, but the premise is always the same. They don’t feel like they would be fit enough to start martial arts. Ok I get it, believe me. Evidently, for the “average” adult, its the single flight of stairs at work or home that forms the basis of their physical activity for the day. Consequently, the thought of participating in an actual martial arts class sends shivers down their spine.
If you have the physical capability to get to your class, then you have all thats required to take part.
THE BATHROOM SHUFFLE
Stick with me here, because I’m going to hit you with a big truth bomb. After your first martial arts class, the chances are, you will ache the next day. You will wake up in the morning, shuffle yourself into the bathroom, and realise your whole body feels different. This is only natural since you’ve spent the last evening using muscles you didn’t even know you had. But do you want to know a secret? It gets easier!
Another one of the benefits of martial arts, is that after every time you take part in your class, you will notice the aching becomes less. You will notice your body feeling more alive because your muscles are becoming stronger. Humans are incredible and if there’s one thing our bodies are designed for, it’s adapting.
You don’t need to be super fit to start martial arts, being able to turn up will be enough. But give it a few weeks and you will definitely be happy with your new found physical capacity.
You definitely don’t need to be fit start, but give it a few weeks and you will be.
Feeling up to the challenge? Book a free trial and start training Kickboxing in Bristol.
MARTIAL ARTS MISCONCEPTIONS
MISCONCEPTION NUMBER THREE
YOU NEED TO BE YOUNG TO START MARTIAL ARTS
Slotting into number three on our list of remarkable martial arts misconceptions, and for good reason, is the belief that you need to begin young. Im pretty sure you would also agree with me on this. But doesn’t it seem that all sports professionals started training before they could even walk?
You see it everywhere! In sports reviews, interviews, write-ups, literally everywhere. That, said professional, has been training since they were knee high to a grasshopper. If you are reading this and you didn’t start martial arts at the age of 5, you can bet your bottom dollar that you are feeling too old to start now.
Besides, if you didn’t start training martial arts young, there is certainly no way on this earth you will be capable of performing the kicks and tricks involved in martial arts now. Or will you?
It would seem that all sports professionals started young. But that doesn’t mean you have missed the boat if you didn’t.
MISCONCEPTION EXPOSED
YOU CAN START MARTIAL ARTS AT ANY AGE
Hold on tight, as we expose the holder of number three position of our top 3 martial arts misconceptions. Of course, nobody can deny the fact that to start kickboxing as a child, or any other martial art, will have its advantages. But when it comes to starting a sport for the first time anywhere after the age 20 (or 30, 40, 50, 60, or even 70!). You need to recognise that its your mental ability holding you back and not your physical.
What happens for most of us when looking at starting a new sport, is we condemn ourselves before we have even given it a go. What’s more is we shower ourselves with reasons why we wouldn’t be able to take part, but we very seldom just, give it a go.
As we grow older our bodies will obviously differ in needs. But as long you humble yourself and accept who you are, accept your boundaries and realise your potential, then there is simply nothing stopping you from trying out martial arts for the first time in your 70’s!
As we get older our bodies will differ in needs. Stay humble, accept it, and realise your true potential.
4 years old or 74 years old, VORTEX have Martial Arts classes to suit everyone.
THE TOP 3 REMARKABLE MARTIAL ARTS MISCONCEPTIONS EXPOSED
When you hear the words “Martial Arts” it will commonly come with a mental link to one of the top 3 remarkable martial arts misconceptions that we covered above. Be it the fact that martial arts are all about fighting, or the idea that you have to begin young. Evidently it’s becoming increasingly common for people to have the wrong ideas.
With that being said, pop into your local martial arts school and give it a go. Its only then will you be able to form a validated idea of what martial arts actually are. And who knows, maybe you might just fall in love with the beauty of the arts.
To conclude, Martial Arts are definitely not all about fighting, you definitely don’t need to be young to start, and your fitness level, well thats simply not important. The only factor to think about is how martial arts will benefit you.
VORTEX Martial Arts – The Home Of Children’s Kickboxing in Bristol
In my many years of being a martial arts instructor, i have seen thousands of different personalities walk through the dojo doors. I’ve seen students walk in from all different backgrounds, in all different shapes and sizes, and also students ranging from ages 4 – 74. However, the one thing that truly tells them apart is their mindset!
To illustrate the above, another one of the benefits of martial arts, is that with a mindset on simply becoming the best version of you, you eradicate all other variables. Therefor size doesn’t matter anymore, your background means nothing and your age, well as they say, that is simply a number.
Age is simply a number. With a mindset on becoming the best version of yourself, you eradicate all other variables.
Little Ninja’s Classes in Bristol – For Ages 4 – 7