Martial arts can be used to improve body control and ease of movement as well as sharpening mental focus.
People practice martial arts for a variety of different reasons. The website goldmedalbodies.com states that people practice martial arts for an ease of movement and body control. Through repeated movements you slowly learn how to perform the correct moves at the right time and there is a point where they become second nature, where you can analyze each and every piece. But there also is a mental component to practicing a martial art.
On his blog, kenshi 24/7, George McCall talks about practicing with people who are only focused on winning, attack randomly and without good technique or who are disrespectful, boring and hard to work with. It is hard to work with people who have more experience than you, or are simply focused on winning, but everyone has their own set of goals and reasons for coming to practice.
I cannot claim to be an expert or have much experience with martial arts. I began practicing kendo at the end of high school and am the equivalent of a preschooler. I started practicing kendo, or Japanese fencing, because I thought it looked like a fun way to meet new people and to stay in shape without having to compete every weekend. I loved being able to be loud and aggressive in a controlled environment and through kendo I have made many new friends who I wouldn’t have met otherwise. There should be a strong physical component
involved in daily practice. Some of my favorite practices are ones where I feel I can barely stand at the end, but the hardest practices by far are sometimes not nearly as physically demanding but require me to overcome a mental barrier.
Even at my low level of experience I have noticed that kendo has helped me become a better person. I have had to face feelings of complete failure and decide whether to throw in the towel or face those feelings head on. Kendo, like any martial art, is hard. It takes years to become Dan, or black belt, level and from there the journey has just begun. You can practice a technique for years and later find out that you are doing it wrong. There is a physical component of having the body break down and see what technique shines through, but the mental component is what translates into everyday life. Kendo begins and ends with a bow. Sometimes you don’t like the person you’re working with but you bow in with them and give them the same level of respect you give everyone else.
Kendo has helped me fight my need to be the best or to win. It is humbling to be knocked to the ground or have someone cut through your technique. Thanks to kendo I have a better understanding of the times where I should fight for a friendship or grade and when I should just let it go and move on. People practice martial arts for a wide variety of reasons, but at the heart of each and every practice the goal should be to become a better person.
