6 Ways Martial Art Training Improves Emotional Health

December 9, 2015

Our Taekwondo training sessions boost physical and mental fitness, and that is vitally important. Humans are not only physical creatures. We are essentially emotional ones. In order to live full and happy lives we need to know how to live emotionally healthy lives. Of course, a martial art school in Brisbane isn’t the obvious place people look to when thinking about emotional health – but maybe it should be! Learning a martial art, like Taekwondo at Pacific International, is a proven way to improve and strengthen emotional health.

How? Here are six ways.

Creating Self Worth After Failure

The worst thing about life is that we often feel worthless when we fail. Training in a martial art teaches us that failure isn’t the end. In fact, it is a gateway to better things! For example, being unsuccessful at a grading is not a personal loss, it’s a time to stop and reflect on where we can improve.

Combating Loneliness

Even in a world where we’re surrounded by people, we aren’t necessarily connected to them. The Taekwondo community at Pacific International is like no other, warm and welcoming while still pushing each class member to improve themselves. Shared growth and trial through physical effort is what creates a network of people who are really connected.

Growing Self Esteem

Learning a martial art like Taekwondo is a great way to improve self-esteem and self-worth. Mastering a pattern in our training makes us feel great! Getting over our fear to learn to defend ourselves and to feel in control is an essential part of martial arts training, and it’s something that grows the self-esteem of everyone. And again, remember that the martial arts community is a supportive one, allowing each member to feel good about their ability to do great things.

Halting Negative Thinking

Over thinking and agonising over the negative things in our lives happens to even the best of us. Martial arts break that cycle. It does this by shaking us out of our comfort zone, and by the body/mind integration it encourages. The physical aspect of a martial art like Taekwondo is a wonderful way to alter the mental state we’re in.

Finding Meaning in Struggle

Struggle is something we all must face. Martial art training fosters the ability to overcome challenges and to find meaning in them. We do learn lessons and grow because of difficult times, but it can be very hard to see that when those challenges seem to be insurmountable, but in the training hall we’re able to fight small battles and to see our growth from them, which then translates to the ability to see the meaning in life struggles.

Gaining Control

As martial artists, we learn not only that we have the ability to gain control over our lives, but we also learn how little control we really have. Something else we learn, is to be at peace with that lack of control. The truth is that in life, as in martial arts, we don’t have the ability to determine everything. What we do have the ability to do is to control how we react to the things in our life. That’s the true meaning of being a martial artist – mastery over self. It’s the key to emotional health, and one of the many benefits of training in Taekwondo at Pacific International Taekwondo, Brisbane.

Need high-quality martial arts gear at reasonable prices?

Pacific Sports (a subsidiary of Pacific International Taekwondo) offers a range of high-quality, functional and affordable Taekwondo and Karate uniforms, as well as Martial Art and Kickboxing equipment, Kick Boxing Shorts, MMA Rash Guards, MMA Gloves, TKD paddles, Shin Guards, Kick Shield, Instep Pad Guards, Focus Pads, Focus Mitts, TKD shoes and Gel Hand Wraps, anywhere in Australia.