Confidence – We strongly believe that there is nothing in the world that can give a person more confidence than the martial arts. Many sports may boost a persons confidence, but they often do so at the detriment of others, in the form of winning and losing. Martial arts don’t work in this way (with the exception of optional competition fixtures) so, during training time you are focussed on developing yourself and exceeding your own potential. Gradings prove how much you have achieved and how much further you have grown with each belt you earn, which boosts confidence enormously. Additional to this, knowing that you can protect yourself should a self-defence situation ever arise, boosts your sense of ‘self’, which has subtle ripple effects into your posture, the way you speak, and can even tackle fears such as public speaking. Confidence is something that is boosted over time with dedicated commitment, but it is arguably the best benefit of practising martial arts.
Discipline – It takes discipline to study hard at something for a long period of time. Even the best of us look out at the dark, cold winter’s night and don’t want to go training. But the discipline that is developed when you choose this commitment is something that expands into the rest of your life – it can remind you not to eat that third cream cake, give you the control to not snap at your colleague or, with children, it can teach them the discipline to not lash out at siblings and classmates. The self-control that is honed during class practice swims into other areas of your life, seemingly without awareness. And this, is what develops success over failure, the determination and discipline to persevere and keep going, even when things gets hard. These lifelong habits that are nurtured within the system of martial arts are what promotes the biggest successes and achievements in life, and what encourages the biggest rewards.
Fitness – It may seem obvious, but yes, one of the top benefits of kick-boxing is fitness. The difference you may find with our classes compared to a standard fitness class however, is that we can keep you motivated. Unlike gym membership, we are always there to keep coaching you to push yourself. And unlike some fitness classes, kick-boxing has the added benefit of system rotation so that classes never get boring. Without system rotation, bodies adapt to the workout and stop producing the same results as when you first start. But with an effective system rotation like with kick-boxing, you will find that some days you work on core, some days legs, other days arms. Some days will have a heavy CV basis, and others will focus on strength, so your body isn’t allowed the opportunity to become accustomed, and you keep benefiting from great results!
Delayed gratification – Things that come easy in life are no challenge, and therefore, unrewarding. It is the challenge and the chase that stretches us to reach beyond our potential. In a world where we are encouraged to have everything now, to have the latest cars on loan, the latest gadgets, to get into debt, we have forgotten that the benefits of delaying gratification can be immensely rewarding. For children, just like saving up for something special helps grant them with a bigger sense of achievement and joy, training for their belt grades is no different. When you have struggled and pushed yourself, been patient, worked hard and put your sweat and tears into your training, the achievement of earning a prestigious black belt is second to none.
Good physical and mental health – Exercise is scientifically proven to encourage good mental health. It picks you up after a difficult day in the office, it boosts endorphins and serotonin levels, and it can have a profound impact upon anxiety, depression and stress. It really does just make you feel GREAT! Like with every new form of exercise, the hardest part is the first few classes, as it takes a while to adjust to this new strain that you are putting onto your body, but we encourage you to push past this and you will find that soon enough you are keeping up with the regular students and reaching your personal goals. Above all, we recommend stepping outside the comfort zone, as the greatest achievements are on the other side of fear, and that is where we have to go to grow and develop good mental and physical health.