Martial Arts Training
Ah, the holiday season. Time for caroling, egg nog, family gatherings , and peppermint flavored everything. It’s also a time for long lines, rude drivers, and short tempers. It’s unfortunate that this time of year is associated with so much irritation with our fellow humans, but martial arts training gives you some tools to stay calm and positive the next time someone cuts you off for a parking space or a checkout person has a bad attitude.
Firstly, martial arts teach you not to react to provocation. Example: When you first begin training, getting hit in the face causes an instant flare of anger, but over time and through repetition you learn how to control the emotional response to being hit; eventually you accept it…it’s part of the deal. The lesson for the holidays is simple: Like getting hit while sparring, irritation while out and about this time of year is part of the deal. Expect it and refuse to let it get you upset.
Martial arts also teach you humility. It doesn’t matter which martial art you practice, from BJJ to Muay Thai kickboxing to Kali to Krav Maga, through training you learn to be respectful of others, and learn to put them before yourself. So try to give the person angering you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she’s having a bad day; maybe his dog was run over; maybe her boyfriend is in Afghanistan and she misses him; maybe their kid’s in the hospital. A true martial artist seeks to apply the principles of martial arts at all times, not just in the school.
Perhaps most importantly, martial arts help you see that life is short. At the core, martial arts are about defense of life and way of life, and defending life has always involved death. It’s important to keep this in the back of your mind when you train and learn skills that have the potential for doing great harm. If you can do this, you’ll gain an appreciation for happy days and for the joys that life offers. It’s not worth losing a piece of your life being upset by things that truthfully don’t matter in the scheme of things.
Martial arts help you to be a better person, and part of that involves being the bigger person. So as much as you might want to scream at the traffic and report a bad waiter to his manager, take a step back and decide if it’s really worth it. Keep your calm and your positive attitude and don’t allow outside forces to ruin or even to put a damper on this magical time of year. And when you succeed at keeping your cool, recognize and appreciate just how much martial arts training contributes to your life and mental wellbeing.
Safe and happy holidays!!
~Katie
Elite Training Center
1628 South Pacific Coast Highway,
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 543-1600
www.elitetrainingcenter.net
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Martial Arts Training
