The Art of Full Combat

By: Michael Minutillo

www.fullcombat.com

our greatest enemy is often yourself. In martial arts, as in life, one thing will cripple you in the midst of combat and be your biggest downfall: fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the enemy. Fear of weakness. Fear of failure. And what causes fear? A lack of knowledge. Therefore, knowledge is power.

     We must identify our strengths and weakness before we can acquire knowledge. We can only do this through serious training that pushes us to our limitations. Only then will the path to self-understanding and confidence become available. We will no longer fear what we can or cannot achieve. Continued training will allow us to conquer our own fears and weaknesses and benefit from the various elements we get out of training.

     But the martial arts go beyond the physical. In fact, studies show that the mental and emotional side of training is as important – if not more important – than physical training alone. While physical training can only go so far, the mental, emotional and psychological benefits of martial arts have a unique, long-term influence on our psyche. Martial arts teach self-confidence, respect, accomplishment, philosophy and ethics, tradition, strength through focus, and relaxation through meditation.

     Martial arts also approach training much differently than other sports. For example, both the martial arts and Western sports share commonality in physical fitness, discipline and social skills. But where sports emphasize competition, aggression and winning, true martial arts have traditionally stressed the importance of the “self”: self-knowledge, self-defense, self-confidence, self-improvement, and self-control.

There are other short-term, as well as long-term, benefits of the martial arts:

      Mental Benefits. Confidence. Self-esteem. Patience. These fundamentals make up the responsibility, leadership and success learned through the martial arts. Mental focus is developed through simple meditation, concentration and awareness. Once an individual masters these, they can use them to work on other basic, everyday skills. The mental side of training creates discipline to develop and improve skills, gives us a sense of control over our environment and ourselves, and helps us take risks. With these in place, individuals can take life a step at a time to achieve many small successes.

      Emotional Benefits. Exercise not only improves your general health, but your emotional health as well. The psychological benefits of martial arts include increased self-esteem and self-confidence as well as decreased tension, stress, anxiety and depression. In fact, studies show that exercise has been used to treat depression and other mental disorders. The meditation involved also allows participant to reflect upon themselves and their actions and goals to help them realize their full potential.

      Physical Benefits. Martial arts movements utilize parts of the body that are not normally used in daily activities or exercises. The movements are natural enough that they do not put shock or strain on your body. In fact, many people with pre-existing injuries found martial arts helped more than physical therapy. That’s because the benefits from exercise are immeasurable. Not only is it proven to reduce the risk of many health risks like cardiovascular disease, it can also help with weight control and enhance functioning of the metabolic, endocrine and immune systems. More direct benefits include reduced tension, depression and increased self-esteem.

      Willpower. Self-defeating behavior is one of the greatest destroyers of personal goals. How many times have you quit before accomplishing a goal? How many times have you told yourself that you couldn’t do it? One of the greatest benefits to martial arts training is the relationship between the student and instructor. The instructor is there to help you reach your goals. Through the challenges of training, students build determination and self-actualization that can be applied to all aspects of their daily lives.

      The true art of combat is a delicate balance of all these components, mastery perfected and a deep understanding, knowledge and respect for the martial arts.  Individuals will learn to improve focus, energy, discipline and communication skills along with their overall mental and physical health.