Let’s talk about something really important today- the mental benefits of taekwondo. A lot of people see martial arts as a purely physical sport but it actually requires quite a bit of mental stamina and self-talk. We help hundreds of people in our CMAC Dapo community build confidence and self-respect through the power of martial arts and self-defence. Here’s how:
Confidence is a Huge Advantage of Martial Arts
There’s probably an area of your life that you already feel confident in, like your performance at your job or your ability to be a supportive friend. You might already feel confident in your body and even work out regularly. 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-defence in an emergency and wishing you did! Learning self-defence to keep yourself and the people you love safe is so important.
It’s why our mission is to teach everyone in the Mississauga community 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 positive that you could handle any physical situation that came your way. That knowledge of self-defence would be one more thing for you to hang your hat on. It’s a huge mental benefit of martial arts.
How These Mental Benefits of Taekwondo Change Lives
So we all know confidence is great to have – but why is self-respect important? It’s because once you learn to respect yourself and your body, you start to make better choices. Once you start taking martial arts classes, you may notice you feel more energized.
You may begin 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 for a hike with a friend. Then you become even more confident because you’re doing what’s right for you, have more energy to do things that benefit you, and feel aligned with your best self.
The voice in your head saying “Let’s eat better” or “Go for that run” is finally being heard. Also, and this is huge – when you respect yourself, you start to treat others with more kindness and humility 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. Magic? We think so. And it’s all because of this little old sport we call martial arts.
Confidence & Self Respect- Join Us to Learn More!
Picture this – a new student will come in to start training, and within months, they’ll get promoted at work. 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 aren’t just crazy random happenstances – they happen because martial arts classes build confidence and self-respect. Plain and simple. Again, when you respect yourself, you also start to treat yourself better.
You begin realizing that you deserve better treatment from others, professionally and personally, and you find the bravery within to stand up for what you want. Do you see now how the mental benefits of taekwondo 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 can’t hurt you. When you know you’re awesome because you leave your martial arts class feeling super accomplished, you’re not afraid to confidently create awesomeness in your own life.
You take risks, embark on exciting new adventures, and do the things you never thought you could do. It’s awesome! Okay, one more thing. In terms of textbook mental health, the benefits of taekwondo for kids are countless. Staying active, maintaining a fulfilling social life, and consistently accomplishing new goals each week- are the basic building blocks of mental health that martial arts classes can provide. Your mood and health can improve tremendously right alongside your mindset.