Martial Arts to Teach Three Essential Life Lessons
Written By Spencer Paige
1. How to handle fear.
“The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero uses his fear, and projects it onto his opponent, while the coward runs. It’s the same thing, fear, but it’s what you do with it that matters.”
Being afraid of something is not necessarily a bad thing. Fear is a survival mechanism. It makes sense to be afraid of things like traveling at high speeds or climbing to dangerous heights. In these risky situations, being afraid is a sign of intelligence.
When it comes to other, non-life-threatening situations, having fear or anxiety is also common. It is not abnormal to feel nervous before going into a job interview or prior to taking a test. Nor is it strange for someone to feel anxious before their first day of school, work or Jiu Jitsu practice.
Everyone feels fear at various times throughout their day. However, not everyone allows it to affect them in the same way. So, what’s the difference? How should we handle this uncomfortable feeling?
In a non-life-threatening situation, the only way to overcome your fears is to face them!
Jiu Jitsu provides an opportunity for you to practice and develop the habit of consistently overcoming your “fears” simply by coming to train 2-3 times per week!
2. Consistency is the Key to Growth
Repetition is the mother of skill.
We all learned this the first time we attempted to ride a bicycle. At first, it was difficult. As time passed and we rode more and more, suddenly we find ourselves ready to shed the training wheels. Without the training wheels, the process started over again. Eventually, with consistent practice, we reach a point where riding a bike becomes so ingrained into our central nervous systems that we can’t imagine not being able to do it.
Learning Jiu Jitsu is like learning how to ride a bike…. Except it takes years to learn Jiu Jitsu.
3. From the Mat to Reality
“The true science of martial arts means practicing them in such a way that they will be useful at any time, and to teach them in such a way that they will be useful in all things.”
-Musashi
The final and most challenging step is taking the lessons learned from the mat and applying them in everyday life. We can learn how to overcome our fears and be more consistent in Jiu Jitsu but it may have no tangible value if we can’t apply these lessons in our daily life.
This is where preparing for a tournament or competition provides the extra motivation that can make a significant difference in helping individuals achieve their goals! Being part of a group of like-minded individuals, all who are working towards the same or similar goals as you, is another benefit of being a member of the academy.