As a martial arts enthusiast, practitioner, and former instructor — the hobby has played an integral role in my life. My roots derived from wrestling back in 2009, as time progressed I also gravitated towards Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. Listed below are 5 reasons why you should train martial arts through my personal experiences.

1. Social Outlet.
With the recent pandemic, some of us have found it hard to socialize amongst each other. With corporate jobs now offering remote work-from-home options, the lack of in-person interactions poses a challenge to some people who are working remotely. It’s no surprise that martial arts can be a great way to build these social connections, and develop meaningful relationships through a healthy lifestyle.

2. Character development.
It is common amongst the majority that martial arts can teach you to respect your peers and persevere through difficult situations. A trait that martial arts can develop among peers is accountability for your actions by keeping you honest during events such as competitions and live training sessions. In return, this gives you feedback on what you may need to work on to improve in the area.

3. Mental and Physical Health.
Although I am not a certified health expert, physical activities such as martial arts have been shown to provide a healthy lifestyle, by actively moving your body to get blood flowing, which can potentially reduce issues related to mental health. For people that hate the traditional workout of going to the gym to lift weights, this activity forces you to exercise in a creative way.

4. Career opportunities and Networking.
Aside from a social outlet, martial arts can also provide career opportunities. The path to becoming a successful high-paid athlete isn’t as common but could be a possibility. The career opportunities that I’m generally referring to are:

• Coaching: Teaching classes to different age groups ranging from kids, teens, and adults. This could even extend to providing private lessons for students that want to excel at the sport.
• Tournaments: You can become a referee or work a table to keep score and time during matches at the local tournaments if you satisfy the qualifications that the promotion is looking for.
• Administrative: Martial arts academies thrive by building an inclusive culture where members feel safe and valued. In order to build this culture successfully, they need an administrative team to make sales and manage student relationships.

5. Community.
Oftentimes, the local academies that you attend will most likely consist of the locals around the area. Some academies and gyms give back to the community, such as toy drives to the children’s hospital, to packing meals for the homeless. This is a great environment to ask for recommendations on the best restaurants and areas to explore around town if you are new to the community.

This is just a small collection of how martial arts could make a positive impact in your life, but don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself to experience your personal benefits.