Let’s talk about something really important today – the mental benefit of taekwondo. A lot of people see martial arts as a purely physical sport…. But to be successful at it, you need quite a bit of mental stamina and self-talk. We help hundreds of people in our US Academy of Taekwondo community become confident and proud of who they are through the power of martial arts and self-defense. Here’s how:
Confidence is a Huge Advantage of Taekwondo
It’s likely that you already feel confident in one area of your life – your job, your role as a parent, or your studies, for example. You might already feel confident in your body and even crush it on the treadmill.
But do you feel confident in your ability to protect yourself? If you absolutely had to, would you know how to defend yourself against an attacker? Would you know how to protect the people you love?
Self-Respect: A Little-Known Benefit
These questions are not fun, but you know what’s less fun – not knowing self-defense in an emergency and wishing you did! Learning self-defense to keep yourself and the people you love safe is so important. It’s why we have the goal of teaching EVERYONE in Stafford how to defend themselves against an attacker.
It’s not just because it literally saves lives, either: imagine how much more confident you could be if you were sure you could handle any physical situation that came your way. Knowing how to keep yourself safe would just be one more thing for you to hang your hat on. It’s a huge mental benefit of taekwondo.
How These Mental Benefits of Taekwondo Change Lives
So confidence is important, yes – but why is self-respect important? Well, once you learn to respect yourself and your body, you start to make better choices.
Once you start taking the benefit of taekwondo for kids, you may notice you feel more energized. You may start to want to eat healthier and think, “My body doesn’t feel so great when I eat pizza- maybe I’ll choose a salad tonight instead.” You may also find yourself wanting to bike instead of driving up the street or finally making time to teach your kid how to play soccer.
Then you become even more confident because you’re doing what’s right for you, you have more energy to do things you love, and you feel in alignment with your best self. That little conscience in your head guiding your decisions is finally being heard. Bonus – when you respect yourself, you start to treat others with more kindness and empathy because you see and respect them, too.
This makes OTHERS more confident because they feel understood, and then they pass that feeling on to others… and there’s a compound effect in the community. It’s kind of great, isn’t it? And it’s all because of this little old sport we call martial arts.
Confidence & Self Respect – Join Us to Learn More!
We see it all the time – a new student will come in to start training, and within months, they’ll get a promotion. Or negotiate a higher salary. They may even get the courage to ask someone out on a date. Or speak up for themselves in an unhealthy friendship.
These are not coincidences – they happen because martial arts classes build confidence and self-respect. Plain and simple. When you respect yourself, you also start to respect other aspects of your life as well. You recognize that you can reach new heights in martial arts classes, and you find bravery and confidence within yourself that you never knew you had.
Are you starting to see how the mental benefit of martial arts can really change your life? Just these two benefits – the mix of self-respect and confidence – can help you realize that other people’s judgments and the value you place on other people’s judgments are worth less than how it feels to respect yourself.
When YOU know you’re awesome because you’re kicking major butt in your martial arts classes, you’re not afraid to confidently create awesomeness in your own life. You feel empowered to take risks, embrace new opportunities, and do the things you never thought you could do. It’s awesome!
Okay, one more thing. In the classic mental health sense, the benefit of martial arts is endless. Staying active, engaging in social communities, and consistently accomplishing new goals each week – these are pieces of the mental health checklist that every martial arts class checks off. Your mood and health can improve tremendously right alongside your mindset.
