martial arts as an enlightenment

[Scotsman]

I´ve heard people say martial arts has changed their lives... if so in what way?

 

[skribs]

Martial arts give you structure, community, and exercise. The nature of training also helps build discipline and humility.

For example, my most recent martial arts chapter is starting BJJ after moving to a new town.

I have something that I do every evening (structure). This is great when I've had a bad day at work, that I know I'll have time on the mat where I can focus on what we're doing in BJJ, instead of on the frustrations with my job.

I've made plenty of friends at my BJJ school. One of them is a gamer, so he and I play video games together after class. Others have parties together. It's not just about what you do in the school, it's the people you meet. Often, we'll sit around after class in the dojo and just chat for a while. Sometimes about BJJ, sometimes martial arts in general, sometimes about work.

One of the biggest cures for depression, and biggest preventive measures you can take for both your physical and mental health is exercise. I struggle to find motivation at the gym. That struggle is gone in martial arts. It's much more fun to learn technique than it is to do reps on the bench press.

Martial arts is a never-ending journey. You will constantly be trying to improve. One thing you improve throughout your career as a martial artist is simply how good you are at making those improvements. A beginner is typically just picking random techniques or going through the core curriculum. When I want to improve something, I have a process of breaking it down into individual components and then combining it together, where I can make my techniques better, faster, because I've worked on that process. That discipline applies to other areas of life as well.

A martial artist learns humility very fast. For example, I am a 3rd degree black belt in Taekwondo and a black belt in Hapkido, but now I am a white belt in BJJ. That took humility. Tapping out over and over again in BJJ takes a lot of humility, too. That humility, properly applied in the real world, can avoid a lot of uneccessary confrontation.

 

[Xue Sheng]

early days, as a kid, it gave me more confidence. Later, late teens early 20s, I'm pretty sure it kept me out of prison. Gave me something else to focus on, another path to follow. Someplace else to focus my energy.

 

[Argus]

A martial artist learns humility very fast.

This is probably one of the most profound things MA practice teaches.
That, and habits of self-motivated study / practice / hardwork.

 

[Scotsman]

I want to really get my mind distracted from every day distractions.
Focus on my mind martial art connection...way of Budo.

 

[Gyakuto]

It expanded my interest into other areas associated with (Japanese) martial arts which, I believe has made me a more rounded person all starting at the tender age of 12 yrs (most most other kids were obsessed with new training shoes, the infancy of video games and ‘Thriller’!) Karate, Kendo and Iai have introduced me to the ideas of Zen and the regular practise of zazen, the tea ceremony and myriad Japanese arts, their verbal and beautiful written language. These peripheral aspects of Budo have allowed me to forge great friendships through being relatively ‘interesting’ and open to new ideas. I can sincerely say that Budo has been the biggest moulding influence upon my life, beyond any other factor and I would be a greyer person if it wasn’t for Budo.

 

[_Simon_]

Yeah... this site probably doesn't have the storage capacity for my lengthy response, so I'll keep it brief

Yeah it's changed my life, and have a strong feeling it's saved it too. Not in the self defence sense, but in everything it's given me. It's helped me keep grounded, centered and calm, imbued me with life lessons, taught me perseverance in which, whilst I can't conclusively prove it, I believe has been one of the sole reasons I haven't given up yet, as I almost have many, many... MANY times.

It's helped me connect to myself, a truth of my being that not much else has allowed... been a vehicle for deep self inquiry and connecting with life as a whole. Still struggle deeply with my mental health at times, but karate has always been there for me, and has helped me engage with life in a whole new context and perspective. It's offered me so much, as long as I am earnest, sincere, honest and diligent in my practice.

It continues to enrich me, and I feel like I've only just begun exploring it...

 

[Scotsman]

Still struggle deeply with my mental health at times

great that it helps you. There´s so many people who just take lots of Meds for mental health issues, I have a friend who sadly is a hopeless case. sounds harsh but he just dosen´t want to help himself.
Play station or X-Box at home every day & pops vallium like smarties ! no sympathy.
you are out helping yourself .

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I´ve heard people say martial arts has changed their lives... if so in what way?

Twice a week, I put on white pajamas and hang out in a small room in a strip mall with a bunch of similarly-clad weirdos and try to bash each other's brains out, for one thing. Did not do that before.

I have a family now, outside of blood relatives.

Teaching kids for long enough to see some of them grow up and become young adults has given me great joy for the most part. If I was able to be a positive influence in some way - even if not by being the best karate sensei, but by being a good example of a decent adult role model, then I've done more than I could have imagined in my life.

 

[Buka]

How it's changed my life? How much time do you have?

 

[Gyakuto]

How it's changed my life? How much time do you have?

5 minutes…GO!

 

[Buka]

5 minutes…GO!

Start the timer....!

Through Martial Arts training....

Met my wife.
Met some of my best friends of fifty years.
Landed every single good job I've ever had.
Made me patient with a-holes.
Allowed me to travel.
Allowed me to change other people's lives.
And their children, taught them too.
Saved my butt against a lot of bad people.
And I look really good in gi pants.

Stop timer!

 

[Gyakuto]

Start the timer....!

Through Martial Arts training....

Met my wife.
Met some of my best friends of fifty years.
Landed every single good job I've ever had.
Made me patient with a-holes.
Allowed me to travel.
Allowed me to change other people's lives.
And their children, taught them too.
Saved my butt against a lot of bad people.
And I look really good in gi pants.

Stop timer!

That is impressive…I have a pizza in the oven and thanks to your brief post, it is unlikely to be a smouldering heap of carbon!

 

[dunc]

As others have said I think the combination of exercise, community, mindfulness (you have to be in the moment when training) and a strong sense of making progress at a difficult thing has a profound & positive impact on one’s mental and physical health
I have seen it literally save lives for folk struggling with their mental health (in combination with other factors)

I feel I have family, friends, work and martial arts. When things are really tough outside the dojo, I always have martial arts

great that it helps you. There´s so many people who just take lots of Meds for mental health issues, I have a friend who sadly is a hopeless case. sounds harsh but he just dosen´t want to help himself.
Play station or X-Box at home every day & pops vallium like smarties ! no sympathy.
you are out helping yourself .

@Scotsman It sounds like your friend is really struggling

 

[Blindside]

Enlightenment, no.

Personal challenge, it has given me something to get better at throughout my life.

Friendships; the easiest way I know of to make a friend as an adult is to punch them in the face or hit them with a stick. It creates an immediate shared experience that we can start to build a relationship off of. And most of my close friends come from years of punching them in the face or hitting them with a stick or them sitting on me while punching me in the face or hitting me with a stick.