Is Martial arts for you: What Makes Martial Arts Hard?

A small adult martial arts class

In my 16 years of martial arts training, I have seen many people come and many people go. I have seen people attend a free trial class but never return, and I have also seen people join for a month and then leave without a trace.

Most people do this due to scheduling conflicts, previous injuries, Lack of enjoyment, and other factors. Most of these reasons can be categorized as "friction". So, what is the friction? How does it manifest itself in training, and what do we do about it?

Friction In Martial Arts

Definition

Friction is defined as "the resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another" (Thanks, Google). A business wants to make the dream outcome (goal) as low-friction as possible. Amazon is a great example of this because they are credited with inventing the "Buy now" button—an almost frictionless system.

Martial arts

In martial arts, there are MANY points of friction. Ego, you lose a lot when you start. It is a workout, tiring. Currently out of shape. Previous injuries are bothering you. You and/or your Child don't want to go to class. It takes at least five years of dedication to get a black belt (Adult), fifteen years for your child. Your kid doesn't participate at the level they should. Belts aside, it takes a long time to get good at it. You don't learn how to fight in 6 weeks; it takes many years. So, MANY things cause friction. Whether you are a parent of a student or a student yourself. Martial arts is hard.

What To Do

Going to the dentist

If you are one of the few people who love training so much that you end up in a net positive. Then great, just keep training. But most people are training because they believe they need to, not because they want to. Maybe you want to lose weight, learn to fight, get your child off the screens, or find a social outlet. Whatever it may be, it is important to remember it. That way, when you don't want to drive to class or your child is crying on the sidelines, you can remember why you are there.

It's like the dentist, adults and kids usually hate the dentist. But we go because we have a why. We want our mouths to be healthy. Martial arts is the same. You might not want to, but you probably need to.

Learn to love it

Ebrace the suck! I know, to some, that will sound weird, but I wholeheartedly believe it. Ebrace the suck. Maybe you won't enjoy it for a while, but you can at least embrace it and then acclimate to the friction. Your kid will acclimate to it, given time. You, as a parent or student, will acclimate to it. And maybe even enjoy it. However, it will take consistency and time.

Conclusion

Martial arts isn't for everyone, and that is ok. Some people are like a duck to water, and some people learn to like it. So, remember your why and embrace the suck, and you might just learn to love martials as I have. If you liked this post, leave a like! Or sign up for a free class HERE.