5 Hidden Gems for Busy Parents who do Martial Arts

Hi Guys, you lead busy lives, ferrying kids around, working hard, daily house chores, stress at work and sometimes, even at home.... maybe not enough hours in the day to get things done as it is...

So why in the world would you want to take on a sport that is renowned for its commitment and dedication to become proficient at it?

Put simply, because it gives you so much back in return... Hidden because they are not gems you would normally associate with the sport.

But here are 5 Gems for You busy parents who do Martial Arts. 

Tranquility

Quality time spent participating in a sport with your kids or energy and vitality you get from martial arts can encourage a little more involvement through practice in the sports or activities your children are into outside of Martial Arts. 

But let’s say your kids also participate in martial Arts. It is very rewarding sharing that time with them, watching them go through their trials and tribulations and also for them watching you go through the same.

A lot of parents work long hours and although they are at home with the kids for long periods. It can sometimes be doing individual things without a great deal of interaction.

Family Martial Arts changes that and you find even more common ground and involvement at home, sharing the sport rather than just being their cheer leader.

Flexibility can tend to reduce as we get older, sometimes it’s inactivity and sometimes there can be other causes... But even for Parents who take part in Sports, flexibility can still be reduced if that sport does not contain a program of stretching as part of its curriculum.

Having the Flexibility you get from Martial Arts training is actually directly transferable to other areas of your life and that is both physically and mentally as the mind is directly linked to the body and vice versa. 

You may have seen pictures or watched videos of super flexible Martial artists and thought: ‘Never’. You may be surprised to find that in time, you may be one of those who surprises herself with the level of flexibility attained.

Sense of Achievement. This is an easy one... As you progress up the belts, and to do so you go through a series of grading’s designed to check your level of competence and work on the areas you are lacking

Not just in the dojo, but in your life will mean that you are in a state of constant improvement... which reinforces your sense of achievement across the board.

New Friends and in fact a new social scene if you so desire can be found as you get to know your fellow practicioners and their sphere of contacts... It can be very rewarding indeed.

Stress release.   Stress is definitely the enemy of the busy parent as you try to juggle life and all the things you need to do and the list of to do’s always seems to be mounting. 

Any excercise is a good way to release stress. But more so with Martial Arts. As the nature of this sport is to develop the participant to be mentally and physically ready... The breathing and focus of energy as well as the cardio that you’ll take part in will act as a wonderful elixir for the flushing away of stress.

So, what have we covered? 5 hidden gems for busy parents who take part in martial arts. What you will find is Martial Arts will bring tranquility to your hectic schedule.

Please leave a comment or ask any questions below.

Thanks for your time

Am I too old to do Martial Arts?

Would you love to get involved? But feel you are too old to do Martial Arts? You don’t have to answer that till you’ve read the rest of the post.

Meanwhile, let’s explore some benefit’s of getting involved in Martial Arts. There are several, of which a few are listed below:

•  Better health
•  Fitness

•   Flexibility
•   Better concentration
  
  
•   Positive stress release
•   Confidence
•   Stimulation for the mind, body and soul.
•   Better memory
•   Increased coordination
•   You’ll look and feel great
•   You’ll have fun
•   You’ll meet new people
•   You’ll challenge yourself

Possibility...

As we get older, we tend to shy away from anything deemed to be too strenuous. Be it a sport or hobby.  And with good reason, we want to preserve and keep ourselves injury free.

The most popular expression of martial Arts in the media is based around fighting... This gives the impression that’s all there is.

Well, there is another side to the art which is the softer side of stretching, meditation, Kata (solo demonstration). All to be explored by the practitioner.

Slow and Steady.

Martial Arts is about the development of your potential at your own pace... Even youngsters are taught to learn the techniques slowly and correctly, speed will come later... It is certainly not a race...

In taking your time to learn and adjust, evolution kicks in, and regardless of your age, you’ll find yourself doing more, faster and easier over time. Simply because you have increased your capacity to apply what you have learn't and are now able to do more in less time.

New Friends.

A side benefit of joining a martial arts club is that you will meet new people who help and support you as well as make opportunities for social events. For some people, this is a welcome benefit... To forge new relationships that go beyond your Martial arts training.

It may also happen that you come along with an existing friend and find a new hobby/sport together.

Preparation.

Depending on your age and current level of fitness, you may want to get a health check or ask your Doctor if it is safe to take part. But this is a very individual thing as you could be in your sixties and able to run a marathon or in your forties and unable to walk a mile.

Then there is the best Martial Art for You. And again, your individuality comes into play here. Please take a look at my post “How to pick the Martial Arts that’s right for me”. But essentially, there are various styles of martial arts and you may find yourself more suited to one than the other.

If for example you have a previous injury or condition that you are concerned about, there is Tai Chi which is a soft non contact Martial Art which combines breathing techniques with flowing movements. 

There is also the very popular Karate, which has so many guises... You may not know there are lots of style’s where they focus more on kata than fighting or sparring. .. Again, you get to develop and attain all the benefits of the sport with much less risk of strain or injury.

So, why not give it a try... All ages are welcome.

You can find out more about why you are never too old to do Martial Arts by leaving a comment below...

Thanks for taking the time.