When you hear about personal development, what crosses your mind is fitness, mindset, and productivity. But they’re other things you can do to grow yourself, like taking a self defense class.
Contrary to the expectations, there are several benefits that you get from learning the art of defense. Here are some of the advantages.
1. Boosts Your Confidence
If you live in a city where they’re thousands of crime cases reported daily, it’s easy to become paranoid and feel scared all the time. Every minute you’re on the streets, you’re afraid something bad is about to happen. Taking up jiu-jitsu training or a self-defense class increases your awareness of your surroundings and teaches you how to defend yourself if you’re attacked.
Knowing you can protect yourself allows you to explore the world, meet new people, and focus on the good things in life instead of being led by fear. Self defense classes can also boost your self-esteem if you live in a rough environment. Now that you can defend yourself against the bully, you can finally shut them down by telling them to bring it on.
Various practices can help you enhance your self defense abilities. This includes classes like martial arts or Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Figure out which type of fight style resonates with you most and then stick with it.
2. Teaches Trust In Others
In the life we live, many people have suffered betrayal from the closest people in their lives, causing them to distrust everyone. This can strain genuine relationships that could’ve otherwise been good for them. Taking defense classes allows you to rebuild your broken trust and give other people a chance.
When taking classes, you’re given a partner to help you practice and implement what you learn. You need to trust that your partner won’t hurt you in the process─ otherwise, you won’t learn. This may seem far-fetched, but it slowly teaches you to let go and give others a chance to prove themselves in your life.
3. Develops a Fighter’s Reflex
When you’re in a fight, movement is everything. If you stand around and wait for your attacker’s move to make your move, then you’re bound to lose the battle. Taking a self defense class empowers you by educating you on all the fighting moves.
By having a fighter’s reflex, you know the right moves to make when you’re attacked. A fighter’s reflex also ensures you move promptly and smartly instead of panicking. You’ll learn things like when to throw your punch and where to stand when doing it.
4. Improves Your Goal-Setting Methodology
Goal setting is a very crucial subject in our lives. It allows us to determine everything we want to accomplish, develop a plan for doing it, and get the desired results. Yet, many people only set goals that never see the light of day. Taking a self defense class can change this and increase your ability to make your goals happen.
When you’re taking defense lessons, you’re required to give reasons why you’re taking the classes and what you want to accomplish. The goals are then broken down into small groups like learning a certain move for a particular time.
By following through with your defense classes with your coach’s help, you’re likely to carry forward the goal-setting tactics in other areas of your life. This alone can be life-changing.
5. Gives You a Positive Outlook in Life
Taking a self defense class allows you to let go of negativity. Fear of being attacked and getting hurt can taunt your mind. It may make you wary of others and cause you to view human beings as inherently dangerous. Knowing you can protect yourself gives you peace of mind and boost your spirits.
6. Enhances Your Defense Conditioning
Our bodies react differently to fight and flight. In most cases, people get scared or try to run when they’re attacked.
Taking defense classes teaches you to improve your physical conditions. This allows you to deal with a threatening situation differently. This normally requires preparation and action within a few seconds.
Without the right physical conditioning, energy is consumed. This reacts against fight and flight, leaving us no energy to defend ourselves. When you’re fighting, it’s essential to be focused both mentally and physically to increase your winning chances.
7. Improves Your Social Skills
If you’re an introvert or your work nature doesn’t allow you any time for socializing, a defense class can change your social life. By attending a defense class, you create new friendships with people you share common interests with.
Some people in the class are from diverse cultural and ethnic groups. This allows you to step out of your comfort zone and learn something new. Interacting with people from other cultural groups can help you start seeing things from a different angle.
8. Increases Self-Discipline
There is little in life you can accomplish without self-discipline. In fact, in many fields, the difference between successful and struggling professionals is self-discipline.
Having self-discipline means showing up and doing what you need to do even when you don’t feel like it. It means following with your plans regardless of the situation. Taking self-defense class calls for self-discipline because you need to attend classes and practice the moves to see results.
Sometimes, it may seem like you’re not grasping the moves even after practicing for hours. Remember to keep going and stick to a daily routine that will help you reach your goals. Using the same attitude when tackling other issues in life can lead to success and progress.
Is Taking a Self Defense Class Necessary?
Whether you need to defend yourself or not, taking a self defense class can significantly improve your life. Sometimes it’s not even about fighting the external enemy but the enemy within us that makes us feel incapable. Taking a self defense class gives you some kind of control, self-discipline, persistence, resilience, and other positive attributes.
What’s stopping you from taking a defense class? For more tips on things that can help to improve your life, check out our blog.