Twice as Much Fun

What can be better than having fun, reducing stress, staving off old age, and staying fit? How about doing it with a partner? After all, it doesn’t do a lot of good for you to be fit and healthy and then have your partner fall apart as aging takes its toll. But which sport allows you equal footing no matter what your age, gender, size or level of fitness? How about martial arts?

You don’t have to be athletic to participate in martial arts. Everyone is welcome, regardless of age, gender, size, or ability. Because you compete against yourself and at your own pace, your initial ability makes no matter. Unlike dropping the ball in practice, no one is going to make fun of you or get angry if you miss a step of your form. In fact, this is a sport the whole family can participate in together. I haven’t seen too many thirty-somethings invited onto the little league field.

Try stress-free verses stressful. In martial arts, each person proceeds at his or her own pace, learning to master each skill instead of beating the other team. Martial arts teach direction, confidence, discipline, respect, and control. There are no bench warmers, because everyone is working on a skill or helping someone with their skill, and since class members are not competing with one another, they are able to encourage each other to do their best. Everyone can be a winner, because there are no time limits or restrictions on how many students can be promoted.

Martial arts promote concentration in the workplace too. The focus and concentration skills required for martial arts are the same skills you need to learn new skills. To prove that martial arts depends more on brains than brawn, most martial arts schools require their school-age students to show passing report cards to continue training.

The next time friends or partners complain about not having anything to do, tell them about the advantages martial arts offers and have them join you in class. You’ll have twice as much fun!