More moms than ever are taking martial arts classes for women, and it’s easy to see why- these classes are about so much more than what you’ve seen in the movies. Read on to learn more!
Relieve Stress and Tone Up with Women’s Martial Arts
An indisputable fact: Moms are awesome. These women are the superheroes of the world, taking on so much and giving so much in return to everyone in their lives. We want to start by saying that we seriously appreciate all of the work that goes into being a mom in any capacity… and we also understand just how much of that work can weigh on you. If you’re a stay-at-home mom, that is stressful. If you’re a working mom, that is stressful. If you’ve got one kid, stressful. Ten kids, stressful!
Everybody, no matter their parental status or gender, is confronted with stress in the modern world we live in, and we’re all figuring out a way to deal with it. We can say with confidence that karate classes help hundreds of women in this Longwood community melt their stress and become their most confident, most energized selves. How? Two words- kicks and punches.
Stress itself is a self-imposed pressure augmented by mental rumination- we pump ourselves up and stress ourselves out, sometimes for legitimate reasons, oftentimes for future situations that will never actually happen. Again, it’s easy to be stressed out as a mom- you’ve got your life stuff going on, and your kid’s stuff on top of it. Any physical activity you do will get that stress-induced adrenaline moving throughout your body and get you out of your head, but karate is awesome in that you kick and punch your way to that stress-melting feeling. There’s something about getting all that tension, frustration, and anxious energy out through just your arms and legs that feels amazing.
Bonus points – martial arts is a full-body sport. That means you’re working every muscle to coordinate your body and get the moves right. You’re toning everything, not just your arms and legs. A lot of our members enjoy women’s martial arts as a gym alternative because they’re surrounded by their friends, constantly moving, and having fun as they learn a life-saving skill.
Martial arts are great because it’s an individual sport in a group setting, so while you’re working on your self-defense combos, all your other mom friends in class are cheering you on and supporting you every step of the way. That sense of community and women’s empowerment is what helps a lot of our moms in karate classes finally let the stress go and embrace their awesomeness. Moms usually come to martial arts classes to get fit and relieve stress, but they also come to learn a truly life-saving skill – self-defense.
Get Fit Fast Through Self Defense
We live in an unjust world, so a woman is often confronted with more self-defense situations than a man. As we all work to change that fact on a global level, more and more people are realizing that self-defense is one of those things you don’t ever want to “wish you’d learned” sooner. A lot of moms (and all women in general) have found it comforting and confidence-boosting to learn self-defense skills from our classes. Studies (LINK) have shown that women who take self-defense training feel more confident in their bodies and more confident in public.
Also, ever heard of “mom aggression”? It’s this primal feeling mothers get when someone’s threatening the life they gave birth to (or adopted) and have a deep attachment to. Moms protecting their young in the wild, like bears and lions, go completely nuts on (read: maul and destroy) their predators. Moms protecting their young in human society are restricted by these little things called laws, but God forbid someone ever comes after you or your kids, you’ll be grateful to know how to protect your life and theirs through self-defense.
Plus, you’re teaching things to your children all the time, even if you don’t know them – how to cut their steak, write their name, say please and thank you. If we passed down self-defense just as easily to our kids, what would life be like, especially for our little (or big) girls, our future women? You never know how the world could change for the better. Pass down one of the best skills you can- the ability to defend yourself in any situation. Your kids may thank you one day.
Mental Benefits of Women’s Karate- Confidence and Self-respect
This is a biggie for a lot of women taking our martial arts classes, especially moms. Again, we live in an unjust world, so many women criticize their bodies constantly and even “hate” parts of their bodies in ways that men don’t have to deal with. This means a lot of women are way less confident in themselves, their appearance, and their abilities than they deserve to be.
While you’re getting fit, having a blast, and learning self-defense through martial arts classes, you’re also building an inner confidence that no outer appearance can touch. Really! Think about it – if you knew without a shadow of a doubt that you could handle any physical situation or altercation that came your way, wouldn’t you be more confident? If you just crushed your workout and persevered through class, pushing your mind and body in new ways, wouldn’t you hold your head up higher coming out of your karate class?
Our instructors are world-class teachers that know a lot about self-defense and martial arts. But they also know a thing or two about the mindset behind confidence and success, perseverance through adversity, and other important life skills that took them from beginner to teacher. (Remember, a black belt is a white belt that never gave up!) This is where that “I am amazing” confidence comes from – believing in yourself, even when you have every reason not to, and getting stuff done. Reaching new heights. Pushing your limits. When you know you’re amazing because of your own opinion of yourself, you automatically become more confident, and you glow from the inside out.
And, don’t forget, moms are passing things down to their kids all the time, whether they know it or not. Why not pass down that confidence and a healthy dose of self-respect? Why not show them through your actions that their confidence comes from within themselves, not from what anyone else says?
It sounds cheesy, but it’s true: We help create bully-proof kids in our kid’s martial arts classes, and in our adult martial arts classes, we negate whatever our inner bullies say through our incredible actions and our true confidence.
Conclusion
Stress relief, physical fitness, self-defense, and confidence- are four awesome reasons for many to join our martial arts classes as a mom! We have a risk-free (yes, really risk-free!) American Top Team trial at a fraction of the cost to help you dip your toe in and soak up some of these amazing benefits. Try it today and see for yourself how martial arts are changing the lives of moms in our school in Longwood every day!