Martial arts, like everything in life, have pros and cons. But before we explore them, what are martial arts?
Martial arts are similar to sports, since they are very physical activities and often have rules and competitions, like sports do. However, martial arts contain tradition and culture, and are an art form, as their name says. The most fundamental part of martial arts is also in the name: martial arts are martial. Martial means warlike, relating to fighting and combat. Summing it up, martial arts are traditional, defined, physical, artistic ways to fight.
Examples of martial arts include Karate, Kung Fu, Taekwondo, Jujutsu, Krav Maga, Judo, Aikido, and many, many more. What many people don't realize is that martial arts aren't native to only Asia, but in fact come from all over the world! However, the most popular martial arts in America are Asian martial arts, which is why martial arts are stereotyped as Asian.
As you can already see, it is very easy to be nerdy about martial arts! #nerdsarethebest
Now that we know what martial arts are, let's get into the pros and cons.
PROS:
Martial arts, like sports, are a great way to get in shape and be healthy. Martial arts build coordination, strength, and flexibility, and truly improve you physically.
Martial arts also improve you mentally, working on memorizing things and learning how to think like a fighter. They also help mentally with life skills, which is the next point.
An important part of many martial arts programs is life skills such as discipline, respect, confidence, focus, honesty, self-esteem, etc.
Martial arts can become a career, either as a professional competitor, or as an instructor. Even if you don't stick with martial arts forever, it is a great experience to teach people of all ages both the physical martial arts moves and the life skills. Competing in martial arts, whether in UFC, the Olympics, or some other form, is very fun and makes you a better martial artist both when you win and even more when you lose.
Finally, martial arts are great because you can start at practically any age and continue for as long as you want. There is always more to learn, and you can never be perfect. Because people of all ages can learn martial arts, it can be a great family activity!
CONS
The only con I can think of is that martial arts do involve contact, and it's very possible to get hurt while doing martial arts. Most people suffer at least one minor injury while doing martial arts, but major injuries (concussions, broken bones, etc.) are rare, especially compared to football or cheerleading. I personally think that occasional bits of pain are good for people, especially since the pain in martial arts is often a result of a mistake. I believe that the pain in martial arts often teaches you to move faster, duck lower, jump higher, put your hands in a different position, do a different type of kick, etc., so the pain might be bad, but without it, martial arts just wouldn't be the same. Besides, the amount and frequency of pain depends on what style of martial art you do, who you are partnered with or who you are fighting, and what the situation is. If you are doing a more practical, violent martial art such as Krav Maga, or if you are at a martial arts competition, then pain and injury are more likely. In conclusion, martial arts are a contact sport, which may be a pro or may be a con.
If martial arts interest you, or if you want to get in shape or be more active, then I highly recommend finding a school or dojo near you and trying a few classes. I trained in martial arts for 4 years with ATA, the American Taekwondo Association, which has locations throughout the US and is now international as well. If you are in the Atlanta, Georgia area, I suggest training at Elevate Martial Arts & Fitness, which is my current school and offers several different styles of martial arts. Here is a link to their website: Elevate Martial Arts & Fitness | Sugar Hill Martial Arts & Fitness (elevatemartialartsandfitness.com)
Thanks for reading this post! Stay nerdy!
Martial arts are awesome!!!