Everyone wants to know the key to success in life. In an effort to find it, we hire coaches and consultants, read an endless supply of self-help books, and listen to podcasts from the latest gurus. The problem with our search efforts is that we’re hardwired to avoid the one thing that will genuinely guarantee our success. And when we’re faced with that one thing, we undertake heroic efforts to avoid it. What are we talking about? Adversity, and the resilience built by facing it.
Behavioral researchers and scientists know that resilience, gained by overcoming adversity in life, is the best predictor of success. Resilience is what keeps you going when the times are tough. It’s also what helps you get back up when life knocks you down.
Resiliency is a muscle we build over time. Challenges, both big and small, help us become more resilient people. Of course, we’d all like to avoid the big life-challenges, like a serious illness, a job loss, or the loss of a loved one. The good news is that we don’t need to wait for massive adversity to hit us to build resiliency. There are much more enjoyable things you can do in life to build it, and that leads us to the topic of martial arts.
Martial Arts Help Us Overcome Adversity and Build Resiliency
Studies show that athletes are more resilient than non-athletes because they push through adversity each time they practice, train, or play their sport. But martial arts takes resilience to a whole new level because martial arts are more than a sport or workout.
When practicing martial arts, students learn to avoid conflict, which means they practice facing adversity and handling it in a productive way. Martial arts also require students master emotions and impulse control, therefore managing self-imposed hurdles. Finally, students of martial arts build self-confidence, which helps them overcome self-doubt and insecurity. All of these things help martial arts students become more resilient.
Resilience and Adversity for Children and Teenagers
The term helicopter-parent has been around for a while, and it’s just a catchy name for parents who shield the adversity from their children’s’ lives. Many people, including the teachers we know, believe the problem of parents removing adversity from their children’s’ lives has only gotten worse. Add technology to this equation, and the issue is very concerning.
Sure, protective parenting comes from the best of intentions. We all want our children to have a better life than we had. The problem with continually running interference for children is that it removes healthy opportunities for facing and managing adversity, therefore reducing the skills associated with resilience.
Fortunately, martial arts provide the solution for children who are unaccustomed or unable to handle adversity. As we outlined above, the practice of martial arts gives students an opportunity to overcome challenges in a fun and non-threatening way. Since we are the most established and longest serving karate school in the Columbus area, we’ve seen multiple generations of children train in martial arts. The life transformations we’ve seen, generation after generation, are incredible.
Would You or Your Child Really Become More Resilient with Martial Arts?
Yes! That and so much more.
If you are a parent who deeply loves your child and wants to give them the best opportunities for success in life, martial arts are the way to do it.
If you are a parent of a child who has been having trouble with bullies, martial arts are the way to give them the tools to handle the situation better.
If you find you’re easily overwhelmed with life’s challenges and want to invest in your health and well-being, martial arts are the way to do it.
If you are looking for a fun way to connect and grow as a family, martial arts are the way to do it.
Without a doubt, martial arts change us for the better, and building resilience is just one of the ways that happens.
If you are interested in seeing what our classes are like, we invite you to join us for a free trial class. We care deeply for our students and provide a welcoming, friendly environment where students of all levels and abilities feel at home.
Until next time,
Shihan Rodger Pyle