6 Signs That Martial Arts Has Taken Over Your Everyday Life

When we start training in a martial art, for most of us it starts as a hobby. Something we do once or twice a week, probably mixed in with a whole host of other activities.

But if you train long enough, one-day without even realising it becomes more than just a hobby. It starts to become part of almost every event in your life, whether it’s consciously or subconsciously. Here are some of the signs that this might have happened to you.

You Treat Difficult Situations Differently

You might be in a pub or a park, at a party or at school. Then a fight or an argument breaks out, maybe not even involving you. Your martial arts brain kicks in, and you find yourself taking longer to reach a state of anger, you want to avoid a physical conflict at all costs, but your brain is also working out how big the potential opponents are, what to do to who first, and what potential weapons are around that might be of use.

Your Friends Volunteer Your Skills At Parties

We will all be there at some point. We are at a drunken gathering (whether you are drunk or not), and your martial arts training will come up as part of the normal chatter amongst friends and new acquaintances. Instantly you will be asked to “show us something” or “what would you do against this.” You find this difficult to respond to, because know that demonstrating techniques effectively can cause mild discomfort or pain to the person you are demonstrating on. Do this at a party and people get upset, but if you don’t demonstrate effectively people will think badly of your art, and maybe of you for “pretending” to know how to fight.

Our advice here, tell them to come to your class so you can demonstrate properly there. Not only can you then do a proper demonstration in safe conditions, your club might even gain a new student.

Mundane Events Can Be a Chance To Train

Training can be done anywhere at any time. Check out our “Secret Martial Artist” blog for some great tips for training at work, in meetings, your office, and the photocopier room.

Other situations can also be a chance to train. Stand at a bus stop in a wider stance, strengthening your stance, is a class example of this.

Job Interviews Become Easier

If you haven’t yet put your training on your CV, we strongly recommend that you do. It gives you a great talking point during an interview (your interviewer will probably bring it up), shows you have self confidence as you know to defend yourself, and in our experience often prompts the interviewer to say something like “I had best offer you the job in case you hurt me.”

Watching Movies Brings a New Level of Understanding

After training for a while, any action film will never be the same again. You will start to realise which fighting moves are tough, which are easy, and which are actually impossible in real life. Films will also give you ideas of things to try in class.

Recommendation here – watch The Raid, and then try and do those moves in class. You will have a lot of fun!

Your Patience Increases In All Situations

Spending hours a week hitting things, learning defence techniques, and getting out all that aggression seems to calm most people, and makes us all a little more patient in every day life.

Work will be less stressful, home will be less stressful. Part of this is the exercise, and part of this is the new respect for the world that training in martial arts teaches you.