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Top 10 Reasons to Learn Martial Arts

In the United States, martial arts are more popular than ever. In fact, did you know that it’s a 4 billion dollar industry?

If you’re considering martial arts either for yourself or your child, it’s a great choice! There are so many benefits to both your physical and mental health. But it can be tough to commit to something new.

That’s why we put together this guide with 10 reasons you should learn martial arts. Check it out below.

1. Increased Confidence

Increased confidence is something that martial artists of all ages enjoy. Whether it’s for you or your child, martial arts can help you improve your confidence.

Practicing, improving, and succeeding at a skill improves self-image and gives participants confidence that they can succeed in other areas and ventures.

In fact children who participate in karate or a similar martial art show improved confidence and even better performance in school. So, if you’re looking to improve your child’s self-confidence or yours, martial arts are a great activity to do so.

2. Full Body Workout

Are you looking for a new form of exercise? Martial arts is your answer.

That’s because martial arts truly provide a full body workout. The consistent practice has shown to increase overall mobility, improve your body’s pressure response, and increase muscle.

Because so many martial arts involve repeat muscular actions over time you’ll build strength and burn fat. Who doesn’t want that?

Looking for a way to increase strength and build muscle quickly and intensely? Kempo can do it for you. It’s a full-body martial art that combines the athletic abilities of Karate, Judo, Kung-Fu, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This is an ideal martial arts system to accomplish those goals.

3. Increased Flexibility

Repetitive movements like high kicks, low stances, fancy footwork, and ground maneuvering improve flexibility and mobility which will benefit your overall health.

Did you know that flexibility has many health benefits ? Some of them include:

Improved posture
Better freedom of movement
Reduced muscle soreness and tension
Improved relaxation of mind and body
Reduced risk of injury

The multi-directional movement of Kempo makes it a perfect martial art for those who want to improve flexibility. If flexibility is your goal, try it out!

4. Better Coordination

All martial arts require spacial awareness and coordinating movement with another person. Some martial arts even include the use of props and tools.

All of these factors improve the coordination and awareness of the participant’s body as well as the people and objects around them.

Practices like Kempo encourage the lower part of the body to act as a base from which the upper body can maneuver and operate – this idea has been borrowed by many martial art systems including Krav Maga.

5. Self Defense Skills

One obvious benefit to learning martial arts is an improved ability to perform self-defense maneuvers in situations where there is a real threat.

According to recent data, an aggravated assault occurs every 43 seconds in the United States. Martial arts can prepare practitioners to defend themselves in life-threatening and dangerous situations.

This is great for you but also really great for your children as well.

6. Lower Blood Pressure and Heart Rate

Participants in martial arts have been shown to have lower blood pressure and heart rates. But that’s not all.

Because of its similarity to H.I.I.T. (high intensity interval training), martial arts can improve overall heart health, lower cholesterol, and provide more regulated blood sugar and insulin levels. Say hello to a healthier body happier life!

Martial artists enjoy all the physical benefits of regular exercise without having to run on a treadmill or lift weights. It’s a great option to improve your health.

7. Want to Improve Your Mental Stamina? Learn Martial Arts

Recent research showed that aerobic exercise (like martial arts) actually produced a physical change in the brain that promotes better memory and learning skills .

The same study observed that a new case of dementia is observed every four seconds globally. Those who want to prevent this debilitating condition can fight it by participating in martial arts.

This is a great benefit that many people aren’t aware of when it comes to martial arts.

8. Improved Social Skills

Martial arts can also help you develop social skills. This is because of the team environment. You’re working alongside people with the same goals as you, learning and growing together.

This is especially beneficial for children. In martial arts classes, they’ll be able to learn how to resolve conflicts, make new friends, and show compassion.

Being in a new environment can be scary for kids, but learning how to navigate that situation in a safe controlled environment is a great skill that will benefit them for life.

9. Develop Self Discipline

By attending martial arts classes you’ll become accustomed to direction and structure. In this environment you have to pay attention to the task at hand and rid your mind of distractions.

It’s also crucial to realize that achieving your martial arts goals depends on you. No one else can do it for you. This promotes self-reliance and independence!

You’re the one who needs to put in the work to improve and grow. To be your best, you need to be dedicated and put in the required effort.

As you progress you’ll gain self-discipline that will be beneficial in every other aspect of your life as well.

10. Stress Relief

Did you know that practicing martial arts can help relieve stress? Often this is accomplished by focusing on the present and things you can control. Many forms of martial arts also emphasize being in complete control of your breathing and thoughts.

When you do this you’re learning a skill that can be applied throughout all areas of life. When you’re more focused and confident and your thoughts are more clear you’ll relieve yourself of stress in so many other parts of life too.

More than anything, going to martial arts class will help you leave with an increased mental focus and a greater appreciation for the world around you through a fun, safe, and challenging workout in an encouraging environment with like-minded people.

Now What?

Now that you’ve read all about all these reasons why you should learn martial arts it’s time to get started. Make the decision today to push yourself to a new level of personal performance.

In no time, you’ll be reaping all the benefits of learning martial arts. So just do it and get started today.

If you have questions or want help getting started to learn martial arts in Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Santa Rosa Valley, Camarillo, or Oak Park, Ca, contact us today. We’re here to help with anything you need to take your first step.

Self-defense: The Five Most Effective Martial Arts

The first rule taught by any good martial arts teacher is that the best way to win a fight is to run away. Wherever possible, you should try to avoid conflict and stay out of trouble, particularly if you’re only a martial arts newbie. But when things go sideways, it’s a good idea if you know some self-defense techniques to defend yourself against attackers.

1. On a collision course: Krav Maga

This martial art originates from Israel, where it is taught in the army and Mossad (Israel’s national intelligence service), and many believe that it is the most effective way of defending yourself against an attacker. The name “Krav Maga” comes from a Hebrew phrase meaning “contact combat.” And it does what it says on the tin — practitioners engage in hands-on, close-up combat and aren’t afraid of attacking each other in the face or between the legs. What matters most is keeping the upper hand over your attacker. If you find yourself in a scary situation and need to defend yourself, you’ll be at a huge advantage if you know exactly how best to react to your opponent — whether or not your moves are fair.

Krav Maga borrows heavily from other martial arts, such as boxing, wrestling, karate (in particular the kicks) and Jiu-Jitsu (the throws, levers, and ground fighting). It also incorporates natural reflexes and reactions. This means that Israeli martial art is relatively easy to learn. After just six months, you’ll have mastered the basics sufficiently well that you can defend yourself against an attacker. Even if they have a weapon.

Difficulty: the techniques are easy and relatively quick to learn
Suitability: men and women of any age, only a moderate level of fitness required
Mental training: yes
Competitions: no

2. (Almost) nothing is off limits: Mixed Martial Arts

Some pro-level fighters regard Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the toughest of all the martial arts. And if you compare it against the other combat sports, it’s hard to argue with them. MMA draws on a number of different methods including kickboxing, Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The list of rules is short — combatants are not allowed to attack their opponent’s eyes, neck, or groin, strike the spine or the back of the head, bite or pull the nose or ears.

Luckily, trained MMA practitioners have so many other moves and techniques up their sleeves that they don’t mind these restrictions. They learn how to handle armed attackers, how to break free from various holds (including chokeholds), and what to do if you’re facing multiple opponents.

Difficulty: challenging, with a great many different techniques; not suitable for martial arts newbies
Suitability: requires a high level of fitness
Mental training: no
Competitions: yes

3. Raw but effective: Keysi

“Holy moves, Batman!” If you said this to a Keysi fighter, you wouldn’t be far off the mark — because it was techniques borrowed from this martial art which were used by Christian Bale in “Batman Begins.” The film’s makers wanted the fighting scenes to look raw but realistic. That’s why they were choreographed using the principles of the Keysi Fighting Method (KFM). This is a relatively young martial art which has not yet achieved the levels of popularity of some of its competitors. But it delivers the goods, and that’s why it belongs on this list.

Keysi was developed by the Spaniard Justo Dieguez Serrano. Although it’s a martial art, it’s focused solely on self-defense. There are no rules to swot up on, meaning that you can concentrate all your efforts on learning and internalizing the techniques. During training, you’ll practice punches and kicks, learn how to defend yourself against holds, and find out how to deal with armed opponents. Keysi instructors place a great deal of emphasis on achieving harmony between the body, mind, and emotions. You need to be in good enough shape that your body doesn’t hold you back. But you don’t need ripped muscles. Your mind must be open to growth, and you must be able to control your emotions properly so that you don’t freeze if you end up being attacked in real life.

Level of difficulty: moderate, aimed at gaining mastery over body, mind, and emotions
Suitability: men and women of any age, only a moderate level of fitness required
Mental training: yes
Competitions: no

4. Individual self-defense in the style of Bruce Lee: Jeet Kune Do

Back in the 1960s, the martial arts master Bruce Lee developed Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid fighting system characterized by the fact that it involves constant self-improvement rather than reaching a certain level and then staying there. The aim is to allow practitioners to defend themselves as effectively as possible. “Jeet Kune Do” is generally translated as “the way of the intercepting fist.” It’s a name which sums up this martial arts philosophy in a nutshell — stop the attack before it happens.

Bruce Lee drew on boxing, Wing Chun, and fencing in the early days of Jeet Kune Do. In the intervening years, the martial art has incorporated many other methods from judo, karate, kung-fu, kickboxing, taekwondo, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, to name but a few. The overriding goal is to create a personal style of self-defense. Training provides you with the tools you need to do so.

Level of difficulty: high — the goal is to develop a style of self-defense which is tailored to your needs
Suitability: men and women of any age, a good level of fitness is an advantage
Mental training: yes
Competitions: no

5. Instinct rather than deliberation: Wing Chun

Does your attacker have the upper hand in terms of physical strength? Then you need a technique which puts you on a level playing field. Wing Chun might be the answer, since the principle which underpins this martial art is to end a fight as quickly and as successfully as possible. The first thing you need in order to be able to achieve this goal is the right hitting and kicking moves, but the second thing you need is the ability to read your opponent’s body language — what is he or she planning, and what are his or her weak points?

It’s particularly important for you to be able to land punches as efficiently as possible and to expend as little energy as possible in the process. Your limbs move independently of each other, which is great for coordination. Wing Chun trains you to choose the correct response to a threat instinctively so that you can defend yourself without needing to think about every individual move.

Difficulty: easy, since the movements and techniques are quick to learn and no prior knowledge is required
Suitability: men and women of any age, only a moderate level of fitness required
Mental training: yes
Competitions: no

The information provided through our blog or e-mails is not intended to be and is not a substitute for, professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment that can be provided by your own health care professional. Garmin is not attempting to diagnose, treat or cure any physical ailment, or any mental or emotional issue, disease or condition. Our blogs are intended to help you reach your own health and wellness goals.

Best Martial Arts For Women (Self-Defense, Strength, Spirituality)

When it comes to the best martial arts for women, it depends on the goals you want to achieve. Commonly, women want to try martial arts to train themselves up in self-defense techniques. Others choose martial arts to increase their strength and fitness, while others follow this path for the meditative and spiritual benefits many martial arts offer.

Whether you’re looking for a way to defend yourself in potentially dangerous situations, improve your balance and fitness, find a sport which suits those of us with smaller stature or more advanced years, or reap the meditative benefits of martial arts, we have something for you.

These martial arts will benefit beginners and those already experienced in alternative martial arts. Join us as we delve into the best martial arts for a whole range of women who want to focus on self-defense, increase strength, find a sport suited to shorter and more lightweight people, find a sport with benefits for middle-aged women, or begin a spiritual journey through sport.

We’ll list the pros and cons of these martial arts, helping you decide which is the best option for your personal goals.

Best Martial Arts For Women: Self-Defense

When it comes to the best martial art for women for self-defense purposes, the main attributes to look for are effectiveness, speed and ease of learning, and availability to learn the sport.

Which martial art you choose within this category may depend on the proximity of a club or dojo near you, or how comfortable you are with wrestling-style contact.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)

Jiu-Jitsu is one of the most popular martial arts around currently, having risen to fame incredibly steeply over just a few decades. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu combine Jiu-Jitsu and Judo; it was master-minded at the beginning of the 20 th century when a Brazilian fighter called Carlos Gracie met a Japanese judo champion Mitsuyo Maeda.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is particularly suited to smaller or and lighter people because it focuses on defending against a potentially bigger and heavier attacker. Martial artists hail BJJ as the ultimate grappling, ground fighting combat sport, concentrating on technique and skill over physical strength.

Many BJJ moves are akin with wrestling – this is why it is called a ground fighting sport. As the sport lacks stand-up moves and strikes, there is a great focus on take-downs, leverage, and strong grip. Other key skills that are gained include joints locks, escapes and sweeps, all of which can help greatly against an attacker. When practiced as a sport, it has a relatively low injury rate.

Excellent for real life self-defense that requires combat
Suits smaller and lighter people
Focuses on technique and skill
Builds confidence and fitness
Low injury rate

Close contact is required for wrestling and grappling which some people may not be comfortable with (especially since many BJJ trainers are men)
Lacks stand-up fighting moves and strikes

Muay Thai (Thai Boxing, Kickboxing)

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At first Muay Thai (also known as Thai boxing and Kickboxing) can look a little intimidating, or outright brutal when you see matches on TV. However, Muay Thai gyms are some of the most modernised and welcoming martial arts gyms to train in, and are welcoming more and more women to the sport.

In a dangerous street situation, learning how to meet and deal out strong, brutal attacks is a great advantage. The extreme and rough reputation of this sport puts many off, but this is exactly what makes it so effective as a form of self-defense. When done right it can be a formidable weapon against larger and heavier opponents while minimising injury to yourself.

Muay Thai combines a whole range of moves, effectively using the elbows, knees, head, punches, kicks, and so much more. Essentially it focuses on a) distanced fighting by employing kicks and punches, and b) close range fighting using elbows, knees and head. This sport will help you inflict damage using powerful moves, as well as receive impacts more effectively.

Due to the high physicality of the sport, it is usually recommended for younger and fitter people, but it can be accessible to anyone and help you to gain fitness and lose weight.

Excellent for real life self-defense that requires combat
Highly effective, powerful technique
Large range of moves for close and distanced fighting
Builds confidence and fitness

Highly physical and challenging on the body
May better suit those who are younger and already fit
Close contact is required for clinches which some may not be comfortable with

Best Martial Arts For Women: Strength

Both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai are also incredibly good martial arts for building physical strength and fitness. But here we’ll, take a look at a couple of others which are magnificent strength builders.

Judo

One of the oldest and most widely practised martial arts, Judo has an extensive following and is accessible to many around the world. It focuses primarily on grappling and throws and close range which also happens to make it ideal for self-defense.

In Judo, you learn to destabilize and stop opponents using momentum and leverage. Even when pinned to the floor, Judo practitioners have an arsenal of moves to re-gain the upper hand and swipe the advantage. Throws, submissions, joint locks, pins, and how to achieve a strong grip are all elements you will learn when practising Judo.

Judo will help you build real core strength rather than bulging muscles. It will quickly increase your fitness when practised regularly and correctly.

Excellent for core strength
Quickly increases fitness
Wide range of take-downs which suit close range combat situations
Widely accessible around the world

Will not build bulging muscles
Lacks strikes

Karate

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Perhaps the most famous of all, Karate is often the first sport that comes to mind when thinking about martial arts. There are a great range of karate forms with emphasis on different sets of moves which are widely practised all over the world.

The “classic” martial arts moves are combined here; you will learn punches, kicks, blocks and quick footwork. It is mainly focused on distanced combat with ranged strikes and defensive manoeuvres. This makes it perfect for those who would prefer not to have the close physical contact in training that some other sports on this list involve. The speed and strength of karate may also be a great benefit in self-defense situations.

Karate has a strong focus on discipline, and this is one reason why it is a great sport for strength-building; strict discipline can increase your dedication to the sport, making it more likely you will continue and keep it up regularly, building strength and fitness quickly. For this reason, many argue it is a highly spiritual sport.

Of the many karate forms (such as Shotokan, Goju-Ryu, Kyokushin), Shotokan may be the best form for women. The focus on continuous movement, quick-fire attacks, accurate striking mean that technique and core strength rather than brute physical power are required.

Excellent for all-round fitness and strength
Whole range of strikes
Different forms to choose from
Less physical contact with opponents and trainers while practising
Widely accessible all over the world

Strict discipline involved (could be a pro for some)
Not quite like it appears on TV!

Best Martial Arts For Women: Spiritual

Martial artists from all areas of combat sport may argue that every martial art has some kind of spiritual aspect, and if not spiritual then meditative or cultural aspect. This can depend on the way you train, how deep you delve, and the type of gym, dojo or club you practise at.

Pretty much everyone has heard of Tai Chi and Qi Gong, and while these are amazing martial arts to pursue, it may be more interesting to take a closer look at two lesser known martial arts which have a strong spiritual angle…