Why Train Martial Arts?

Every single practitioner will have a different answer when faced with this question. Health and fitness, self-defence, confidence - all valid reasons that rank high on the list when asked.

But there are easier ways to gain these qualities, and certainly methods that carry lower risks of bodily harm.

So: Why train in martial arts?

The longer you train, in any non-competitive sense, the main quality you look for in the people you train with is perseverance. Over time, it begins to matter less about how good or bad any one particular student is, and more about how consistently they try to find their way forwards. Of course, every student has bad days, where nothing sticks, and your body and mind seem to fight you through every little part of every technique.

But perseverance is what brings you back through the door, back on the mats, and brings you to your next opportunity to excel.

And that, to me, is one of the greatest reasons to train martial arts. It is one of the greatest and most impactful methods to confront failure and frustration and self-doubt -- and still be gifted with another opportunity to succeed.

People quite enjoy saying 'practice makes perfect'. Slightly more smug people might say, 'Perfect practice makes perfect'. And while they're not wrong, they're not right enough.

Perseverance makes practice perfect.

As long as you are deliberate and considered in your training, it doesn't matter if it takes you a week or a year to come to grips with a technique. But it's always evident to your instructors and your peers how earnest you are in your attempts to progress. Whatever goal you set yourself in terms of your journey as a martial artist, whatever yardstick you measure your progress by - the ability to endure and persevere is how each of those are achieved.

Keep training.