“The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat but in the perfection of the character of its participants.” – Gichin Funakoshi

School had just started in 1966 when a new show called the Green Hornet came on TV. Back then there weren’t a lot of choices, but I would have watched that show no matter what else would have been on. I wasn’t that interested in the main character, Britt Reid, played by Van Williams, but rather the supporting character Kato, played by Bruce Lee. I was fascinated by what Kato could do with his hands and feet and I knew that I wanted to be like him.

I found out that Bruce Lee practiced the Chinese martial art of Gung Fu and since I wanted to be like him I tried to find somewhere I could study that. But in 1966 there weren’t many martial art classes in Seaside California except for a Judo and Jujitsu and class being taught by Army Sergeant Yamamoto at the local Junior High School. Since there wasn’t anything else to choose from I joined his class. I found it to be really fun and interesting and it began my life long love affair with the martial arts.

Since then I’ve studied Tang Soo Do, Hapkido, Brazilian Jujitsu, Tai Chi, Qigong and a variety of other martial arts. I earned my Master’s belt in Tang Soo Do in 1992 and I still teach and practice Tang Soo Do and Tai Chi in weekly martial arts classes today. The reason I practice is because of the good I observed that it’s done for me and my students over the years.

If you’re looking for a way to get in shape that will keep you interested and motivated why not try martial arts classes? In addition to getting your body in shape it can it can help you reduce your stress levels while improving your outlook on life. In fact, taking martial arts classes can help you in ways you might not have otherwise considered!

I believe that training in the martial arts is one of the world’s greatest health secrets.  Let’s take a look at 5 of the greatest benefits of taking martial arts classes.

1. Improve your body image. You already know that exercise is the quickest way to improve your physical fitness and overall appearance. The problem is that it’s often hard to find something you actually like doing. Martial arts will increase your cardiovascular fitness, physical stamina, and flexibility while giving you the time of your life! You’ll also improve your agility and your punching and kicking ability which will really increase your arm and leg strength.

The great thing about martial arts classes is that, unlike other forms of exercise where you spend the entire workout thinking about how long you have left until it’s completed, an hour long class in martial arts can seem to go by in moments. Although you hardly notice the time passing, you’ll quickly notice your improving body image in the mirror.

If you’re looking to lose weight, a martial arts class is a great way to tone your body and shed a few pounds. You’ll look forward to getting out the door for each class and you’ll enjoy experiencing the active lifestyle your mind and body crave.

2. Learn how to defend yourself. Although this is one I hope you never have to use, one of the best benefits of martial arts classes is that it teaches you how to defend yourself. If you are attacked you’ll know what you need to do to get out of the situation quickly and safely.

Martial arts classes for children are an excellent method to help kids learn how to defend themselves against bullies. Often times, just the confidence they learn in martial arts can help children disarm an attacker without even fighting! This leads to benefit number three…

3. Martial Arts classes are an excellent self esteem booster. Self confidence is about your self image. As your body becomes stronger, so will your self-image. Self confidence is also about feeling competent. As your skill and physical capabilities improve, you’ll begin to feel more confident. As your skill level and body image improve you’ll look forward to looking in the mirror each morning instead of dreading it.

Also, as you learn new skills, you’ll be rewarded with new belts. In the martial arts, belts signify where you are on your martial arts journey. These external rewards, combined with your internal rewards, will help to improve your confidence. I’ve found that in the martial arts classes for children I’ve taught, belts boost an child’s confidence so much that within a short period of time a shy child can almost seem like a completely different person.

Through your experiences in your martial arts classes you’ll find that tasks that you once thought were impossible will seem within reach. This confidence can be carried over to other challenging situations in your life and help you better set goals and achieve them.

4. Develop your mental focus. In nearly every martial arts discipline there is some kind of emphasis on mental focus. No matter what martial arts class you take, in addition to learning physical skills and techniques, you’ll also learn methods to help you clear your mind and focus on the task at hand. I have found this to be especially true in Tai Chi and other “internal” martial arts.  This mental focus will benefit you in every area of your life.

One of the biggest benefits you’ll receive in your everyday life is that instead of being scattered and unable to concentrate, you’ll be able to find internal peace and then put your entire focus on the task at hand. This way you’ll be able to get more done in less time and with less stress, which leads us to benefit number 5…

5. Martial Arts Classes can help you learn to manage your stress. Martial arts provide a tremendous outlet for frustration and stress as all exercises do. Of all the stress management and relaxation techniques available to you, there is none better than exercise. But beyond releasing your pent-up physical stress, focusing on learning new skills and techniques keeps your mind away from stressors like your bills or your workday challenges.

I hope you can tell that I’m prejudice. I’m prejudice about the life changing benefits of martial arts and how it can help anyone who puts the time and efforts to learn them. The heart pumping exercise, sparring matches, and mental distractions provided by martial arts is really one of the world’s greatest health secrets. No matter whether it’s a soft style like Tai Chi or a hard style martial art like Tang Soo So, martial arts classes can make a huge impact on your physical and mental health. So if you’ve tried other forms of exercise without success, give martial arts a try. Take it from someone who’s been doing it for many years, you’ll be glad you did!

Wil Dieck is the founder of Total Mind Therapy author of two e-Courses “Reprogramming Your Subconscious Mind” and “Unlocking the Secret Advantage of Hypnosis” that you can have at no charge . You can sign up here to receive these positive thinking tips delivered by e-mail weekly.