“Be respectful to others” and “show some respect” are common phrases that people hear and use almost on a daily basis. Respect is due regard for feelings, wishes, or right for other people according to the Oxford Dictionary. With synonyms like politeness and courtesy, it is an essential value that everyone should have. However, there are times when it feels like there is a significant lack of respect in the globe.
Being respectful increases an individual’s happiness. A person who thinks highly of themselves becomes open and honest to themselves something that assists them to create opinions and have unwavering support for what they believe in. It helps individuals to make proper decisions.
Respecting others goes a long way to maintain positive relationships. It is where the principle of treating others the way you will like to be treated comes into play. There are many things that people can use to learn how to be more respectful to make the world a better place. Martial arts is one of the old age methods that helps people of all ages to learn about respect. The classes achieve this in a variety of ways which include:
Holding Training in a Disciplined Environment
Respect is one of the core lessons of martial arts. All the students develop a sense of respectfulness for peers, older & younger people, as well as figures of authority within the first few classes. While attending the training session, the masters typically hold them in formal environments where both teachers and students are required to maintain high levels of discipline at all times.
Before any classes begin, learners must bow down to their classmates and instructors signaling that they are ready to start training. It is a sign that shows respect for the lesson and space. The fact that a person is willing to pause their life to focus on training is a sign that the practitioner recognizes their teacher and the art.
Additionally, learning how to hold back force, engage in controlling movements and going through with classes even when a person is tired shows discipline which necessitates respect. When students get frustrated or mad during class, they still have to be respectful to the other learners and their children. Martial artists can use what they learn in class in their professional as well as personal lives to become successful and a joy to be around.
Humility
If there is one thing that people who practice martial arts know is that they do not celebrate their winnings by rubbing it in the face of their opponents. They are respectful of their achievements and will never make other people feel as though they are inferior even though they are in the same class. It is a crucial lesson in the outside world because it never makes sense to think that you are more superior than others because you might be better at one thing and other people exceptional at other things. It means that people should be respectful towards everyone else regardless of their abilities or weaknesses.
Noteworthy is that everyone in martial arts training makes mistakes or loses matches. There is always a student who has greater skills, but, teachers include humility as part of the lessons. Individuals who have humility because they can see that they still have a long way to go to achieve desired goals normally have a lot of respect for others, particularly the ones who showcase incredible talent. Humbleness is an integral part of an individual being respectful.
Getting Along with Others
Most people do not have what it takes to engage with other people in a social space. Respect is necessary so that there is harmony. During martial arts training students interact freely with other learners and their masters even when they do always see eye to eye. Furthermore, teaching people a new skill can at times be frustrating and if people are not respectful, it can result in ugly outbursts. For this reason and more, teachers must develop discipline when they need to since they never tolerate poor behavior during training.
Being respectful means that students remain calm even when they make mistakes and put more effort to improve skills to move on to the next level. When a person gets knocked down by their opponent who pulls them at the same time, it helps to enhance mutual respect. It applies in day to day life because it has its ups and downs and people must learn to get up and dust themselves when they fail and employ other strategies that will help them become successful in life.
Martial arts classes whether for adults, kids, or teens help to promote positive behavior both in and out of class. Instructors conduct lessons in a respectful manner which has a powerful impact in helping their students to be respectful in various aspects of their lives.
People might wonder whether there are other components to martial arts other than defense. It is difficult to know how every person frames the individual experience of this practice. And even more debatable whether other more abstract concepts should be taught during the lessons. Some people say that respect should be a basic discipline, while others argue that martial arts is only about fighting.
The traditional martial arts that originated from the East incorporated both a psychological perspective, a spiritual component, and a set of offense and defense techniques for fighting. These lessons were deeper than just physical movements. The teacher was viewed as someone who had mastered all the holistic areas of one’s life. This person had mastery in learning to respect one’s body, one’s opponent, and nature. There was a mindfulness that the teacher had to be in the moment and almost at one with everything around. This meant that the teacher modeled deference to the student, and the student respected the philosophy behind martial arts.
Now as martial arts have come to the West, the practice is somewhat subdued. All of the same motions and movements are taught. However, the practitioners might shy away from some of the deeper lessons that the practice of martial arts once held. This may be because spirituality is different for people in different cultures. It is respectful to recognize that people have the right to their own beliefs. However, respect is a universal concept that has been shown to be positive. It is something that would be valuable to reincorporate back into martial arts.
People who know how to teach this skill should be given proper respect. This means that they can also give lessons to others in the class about the tradition of respect in martial arts. There might not be a space for spirituality, but respect is more of a psychological component of martial arts. Parents who have children in martial arts will appreciate this lesson because they know that their children need to be taught respect in order to function well in life. Sometimes it is better to give respect than to fight, and respect to others can often prevent physical fights.
Since martial arts is mostly about defense, people should learn how, in any culture, to take measures to avoid violence. This means mannerisms that display that a person does not want to have confrontation, and would like to respect the other’s dignity. Recent studies show that people often engage in violence when they feel disrespected. This is especially true in poor communities where the people have little left materially. These topics should be addressed in any form of self defense because violence should be a last resort. People should not fight with respect, but choose not to fight at all if possible.
In all cultures now, violent clashes might be unavoidable. However, people can try to respect the dignity of human life even when faced with violence. Martial arts teach people how to engage in conflict with the attitude that respect is always important. Even when fighting, learning how to take an opponent out while trying to respect their well being is valuable.
Since I started the martial arts, I have learned so many things. Not only do I have the techniques of the martial arts, but the benefits have spilled over into my personal life. It is difficult to sum up just a few things that I have learned through martial arts about respect and self-confidence. But the following is a comprehensive list of the lessons that I have learned:
Respect the Position of the Other
I have learned that others will disagree with me in life. I know that these conflicts cannot be resolved easily. Unfortunately, I know that others might continue to disagree with me until the day I die. So I’ve learned how to respect that I will have opponents. I am prepared to fight for what I believe in, but first attempt with all my being to resolve issues through a non violent approach. This has taught me how to not view everyone as the enemy; they are people who I can communicate with. However, if necessary, I will protect those I love with force. I know I cannot convince everyone through reason and intellect.
Self-Confidence with Who I am
I have always struggled a bit feeling different. Whether it be because of my race or my economic status, I found it hard not to envy others. Now, after practicing martial arts, I have let go of this toxic comparison. I finally feel that I am in touch with my inner values. These are qualities that are intrinsic to me and that are special. I find myself feeling that my own unique name, voice, and characteristics are enough for me. I do not have to wish that I was any different.
Self-Discipline
I went through a phase where I was completely lost. I had spent my whole life trying to please everyone else and gain acceptance through my achievements. But then when I noticed that those accomplishments were not making me happy, I withdrew. I became overworked and had lost the essential balance in life. When I began martial arts, I was looking for a hobby. But I found more of a philosophy for life. My chi was depleted, and my classes helped me realize this. Through learning to fight, I also learned to battle for the things in life that were important. I did this through maintaining a proper balance and not being too strict with myself. I realized that the reason I tried so hard was because life was important. That sense of being a hard worker and having self-discipline was actually something worth preserving. I just had to maintain the stamina in such a way that I was not depleting my chi.
New Identity
The martial arts made me a new person. I could now say that I practice martial arts. That was an addition to my identity. And with that came a sense from others that I was willing to fight for the things I loved. People could see this passion in me. I had developed a new strength and a new power. But I was still the same person, the self-disciplined and principled person that I always was. There was just a new outlet for me to express this- one that could also preserve these qualities in others.
Determination
I went through the period in life that I had eluded to above where I gave up on myself. I could only see the futility in dreams and feel the way that they depleted the body of strength. I realized that giving up that part of myself gave others power. They came in with their dreams and used me as a way to get to theirs. They used my hopelessness and lack of direction to their advantage; they employed me as their servant in a sense. The worst part is, and then they laughed at me because of my low ambition. That helped me realize that I was depressed. Through work in many areas, I became whole again. And the martial arts helped me preserve my integrity of person. I wouldn’t let someone come and take advantage of me at a low point again.
Martial arts has given me so many benefits. It has grounded me and given me wings at the same time. I am grateful that I have the strength now to defend myself and others, instead of letting my spirit get trampled by the world.
Martial art is a traditional method of training your body, spirit, and mind to act like one. During this training, your trainees learn key principles such as courtesy, confidence, and self-defense. Most importantly, the main principle underlying all other principles in a martial art is the principle of respect. The instructor commands respect through his wisdom, knowledge, and deeds, leads by example and gives guidance and advice. The instructor also shows respect and humility to other people regardless of their ranks and positions, thus making the trainees implement the same and show respect to the elders and their peers. Maya Angelou once said that people die for losing love and self-respect for each other. If you want your kids to lead an upright life, read more on how martial art improves respect and how you should advocate for it.
A disciplined environment
Martial arts dojos are formal environments where discipline is maintained, not only by the students but also by the instructor. The first thing students do after entering the room is to bow to the instructor and their peers. Bowing indicates that they are ready to put their focus on training. This makes them pick up on how to respect their elders and their peers in the society. Additionally, martial arts encourage discipline. Trainees are taught on how to control movement, continue training despite being tired, and to hold back force, all of which require discipline. Showing respect necessitates discipline. Your kids are taught on how to keep calm and behave respectfully towards their elders and peers regardless of frustrations.
Engaging with others
It is not easy to get along with others without challenges. People must have respect to lead a harmonious life with others. When your kids are in a martial class, they interact with peers and instructors regardless of the differences. Training is at times frustrating, and lack of discipline and respect can lead to outbursts. Given that instructors cannot stand poor behaviors, trainees are forced to develop respect and discipline which is reflected later in their lives. During training, trainees are taught on how to effectively work with others despite making mistakes, in order to improve their skills. Your kids can be knocked down, and the same person who knocked them will help them to rise, and this signifies mutual respect.
Humility
Just like the way mistakes are common in life, trainees make mistakes during martial art training and lose the match, and must accept. People are talented differently, and therefore, humility is crucial during training. Humbleness is part of being respectful, and those kids who are humble to their peers during training respect other people in various aspects of life. In martial art classrooms, trainees are taught on how to be disciplined and humble, which help them to learn more about respect. The level of respect they have determines how successful they become, not only in the dojo but also in life.
How martial art helps you or your kid
Becoming more active
At this time and age, obesity and overweight is a serious health problem. Kids are becoming affected because they spend most of their times indoors playing video games and watching television. Most schools have implemented youth sports, and physical education (PE) programs for the kids, but not every kid would enjoy being part of them. The best solution for keeping your kid active is through martial arts training programs, where they become fit and learn self-respect.
Finding focus and stillness
Bruce Lee, an expert in kung fu once stated that behind the kicks, punches, and knees, a true martial artist would learn how to sit with himself and examine the onset of his own weaknesses. Enrolling your kids in martial art training programs will help in growth and development. Trainees understand that life is not a bed of roses and they will face challenges which they must remain firm to overcome. Martial artists examine where their weaknesses are, and how to overcome them. This makes them remain focused and succeed, not only in the dojos but their entire lives.
Maintenance of balance and posture
Balance and posture is an important skill that every child should learn. Poor posture is associated with unhealthy bodily expressions such as improper breathing and cramped organs. Martial arts help your kid to build strong balance, balanced movement, and healthy postures through the use of appropriate drills and forms.
Martial arts programs are important in today’s life, not only for the kids but also to the teens and adults. The objective of the programs is to promote positive behavior on and off the training mat. The training is conducted in a respectful manner which has an effect on the trainees and teaches them on how to approach different people and situations in life. The students are taught on how to respect their elders, peers, and themselves. Respecting themselves and others during training in martial arts helps the trainees to develop a sense of respect in other areas such as social interaction with peers, at home and school.
Wondering how learning martial artist could help you gain more respect? Turns out, knowing and doing what you love has more benefits than you could think of! Martial arts, for instance, helps build up your confidence levels and make you smarter in your life choices, apart from ensuring that you could protect yourself at all times.
Understanding how martial arts helps build up respect
Martial arts comprise of many different forms of practice. It has been age old in history and is all about keeping the mind and body alert and balanced. It benefits all young and adults in many different ways. It helps develop virtue, strength, confidence awareness of being and surrounding, and it also helps generate respect for existence around most of all for one’s own self.
There are many factors that underlie to unify the whole principle of martial arts. It not only deals with the body but a greater deal with the mind and inner self. It immensely helps in boosting one’s self esteem. It helps rationalize a person’s behavior towards the environment around their living. The earlier a person starts following the intersection of the mind and body the easier it is to learn and develop.
One of the key ideologies of practicing martial arts is develop a sense of respect, for others and mostly for one’s own self. Teaching to respect is the most basic philosophy of martial arts. The first thing that is done in martial arts is bowing down to each other’s opponent. It helps bring about self-discipline which leads to discipline and respect towards life and everything you do in it. It makes you make a conscious effort to give it your best for a better life.
Helping Build Up Your Child’s Personality
Martial arts were developed for self-defense and never to attack on hurtful purpose. And if you could inculpate that belief in children, it could go a long way towards personality development.
It is very helpful for children to start practicing martial arts at an early age. Due to their nimble and flexible body, it is easier and faster for them to adapt to the proper ways of the art’s methods. This also helps stabilize themselves and their urge to fidget for the want of something new. It also does the same for adults as we are too busy and agitated in life to easily lose the calm. For example, when fights break out it is better to be able to be defending the fight without harming or disrespecting the other person.
The respect for the master by the student in martial arts does not just go one way. The greeting takes place equally for each other regardless of the level of learning. The whole art form is built around the values of respect. Respect is a huge form of appreciation for all the experiences regardless of its nature that one has been through. The higher sense of respect we have within ourselves the more we will be give it around and receive it.
Learning the true sense of martial arts helps understand and absorb the meaning of respect naturally and willingly without having it forced down, which often results in the opposite behavior. When respect is integrated into a person winning or losing is removed from the selfish radar of the mind.
Respect breaks down barriers between differences that hold people and minds apart in their everyday lives. Common courtesy helps a more congenial environment.
“Be respectful to others” and “show some respect” are common phrases that people hear and use almost on a daily basis. Respect is due regard for feelings, wishes, or right for other people according to the Oxford Dictionary. With synonyms like politeness and courtesy, it is an essential value that everyone should have. However, there are times when it feels like there is a significant lack of respect in the globe.
Being respectful increases an individual’s happiness. A person who thinks highly of themselves becomes open and honest to themselves something that assists them to create opinions and have unwavering support for what they believe in. It helps individuals to make proper decisions.
Respecting others goes a long way to maintain positive relationships. It is where the principle of treating others the way you will like to be treated comes into play. There are many things that people can use to learn how to be more respectful to make the world a better place. Martial arts is one of the old age methods that helps people of all ages to learn about respect. The classes achieve this in a variety of ways which include:
Holding Training in a Disciplined Environment
Respect is one of the core lessons of martial arts. All the students develop a sense of respectfulness for peers, older & younger people, as well as figures of authority within the first few classes. While attending the training session, the masters typically hold them in formal environments where both teachers and students are required to maintain high levels of discipline at all times.
Before any classes begin, learners must bow down to their classmates and instructors signaling that they are ready to start training. It is a sign that shows respect for the lesson and space. The fact that a person is willing to pause their life to focus on training is a sign that the practitioner recognizes their teacher and the art.
Additionally, learning how to hold back force, engage in controlling movements and going through with classes even when a person is tired shows discipline which necessitates respect. When students get frustrated or mad during class, they still have to be respectful to the other learners and their children. Martial artists can use what they learn in class in their professional as well as personal lives to become successful and a joy to be around.
Humility
If there is one thing that people who practice martial arts know is that they do not celebrate their winnings by rubbing it in the face of their opponents. They are respectful of their achievements and will never make other people feel as though they are inferior even though they are in the same class. It is a crucial lesson in the outside world because it never makes sense to think that you are more superior than others because you might be better at one thing and other people exceptional at other things. It means that people should be respectful towards everyone else regardless of their abilities or weaknesses.
Noteworthy is that everyone in martial arts training makes mistakes or loses matches. There is always a student who has greater skills, but, teachers include humility as part of the lessons. Individuals who have humility because they can see that they still have a long way to go to achieve desired goals normally have a lot of respect for others, particularly the ones who showcase incredible talent. Humbleness is an integral part of an individual being respectful.
Getting Along with Others
Most people do not have what it takes to engage with other people in a social space. Respect is necessary so that there is harmony. During martial arts training students interact freely with other learners and their masters even when they do always see eye to eye. Furthermore, teaching people a new skill can at times be frustrating and if people are not respectful, it can result in ugly outbursts. For this reason and more, teachers must develop discipline when they need to since they never tolerate poor behavior during training.
Being respectful means that students remain calm even when they make mistakes and put more effort to improve skills to move on to the next level. When a person gets knocked down by their opponent who pulls them at the same time, it helps to enhance mutual respect. It applies in day to day life because it has its ups and downs and people must learn to get up and dust themselves when they fail and employ other strategies that will help them become successful in life.
Martial arts classes whether for adults, kids, or teens help to promote positive behavior both in and out of class. Instructors conduct lessons in a respectful manner which has a powerful impact in helping their students to be respectful in various aspects of their lives.
Ever heard of this saying “time and tides wait for no man.” Well, if you have, then you already know that time is a precious resource. A single day has 86, 400 seconds. This may sound a lot but actually it’s not. Every single second is precious. If wasted, it will never be recovered. Whether you are a teacher an, entrepreneur, doctor, pilot or federal employee, spending time while doing something meaningful will be rewarding in the future.
This is the same with children. Did you know that you can invest your spare time and learn something new? In this case, what you will learn is martial arts. Not only will you be learning new moves but you will get to meet new people too. You will end up forming new bonds with like-minded individuals. As a result, it will surely impact your personal and professional life positively.
So, how does martial art make the world a better place?
Builds confidence
As you walk from school or work, how many dangers do you think are lurking around you? Even when you are strolling along the beach in a foreign country or drinking quietly in a bar, you need to know that danger is all round you? So, how do you protect yourself? Many people rely on one of the oldest technique – running away. While this may seem a bright idea, what if you are surrounded by your assailants? How do you get out of such a situation?
Martial art training imparts a wide array of techniques in the student. Not only will you learn how to make an excellent kick but you will learn how to tackle an opponent using judo moves or tae kwon do. As a result, you will reduce the chances of getting beaten or injured by your assailants. Thanks to the knowledge acquired from martial arts, you will be more confident when walking home from school, work or other events. Why? You have the skills to protect yourself against assailants.
This will boost your self confidence. As a result, it will impact positively in all areas of your life. From work, school and home, you will be able to make tough decisions much easier.
Teaches you that failure is part of life
Yes, failure is part of life. In everything you attempt, from learning to starting a business, there are occasions when you have to endure failure. Problem is how do you handle yourself afterwards? Do you quit and start blaming life or other people for your failure or do you pick yourself up, dust yourself, take a break, try to learn where you went wrong, come up with new strategies and implement them? If your situation is the former (quit and blame life), you will never be successful but if your situation is the latter, success is close at hand more than you thought.
This is what martial art teaches everyone – failure is part of life and it’s not the end. Assume you are in the dojo, the master asks you to spar with an opponent. There are two ways this situation will play out. One, you will triumph over your opponent or your opponent will triumph over you. If you are taller, more successful than your opponent in business or much older, you will surely take defeat from the younger opponent in a bad way. But what will you learn at the end of the lesson? Life is not perfect. It’s full of ups and downs. Today, you are a winner, tomorrow someone else is the winner. To ensure you are successful, continuous self improvement is the answer.
Improves your focus
At school, students are required to learn. They are required to study a wide array of subjects. In turn, they are give home work which is supposed to help them practice what they learned during the day. This is a burden that most students are unable to handle. When you add the stress at home, life becomes unbearable. As a result, fatigue kicks in which results in insomnia. This leads to students losing focus in class during the day. As an employer, you probably have experienced the same with your employees. So, what is the best remedy?
Imagine this, every single student or employee is enrolled for an hour session of martial arts. During the session, one gets to learn new techniques. Apart from that, the different moves improve your mental health allowing you to be focused, committed and decisive.
As a result, students and employees will be focused at work finally meeting their objectives. At the end of the day or month, success will be experienced everywhere. This will in turn improve the economy and make the world a better place.
Connects people from all walks of life
When you enroll in a martial arts dojo, you will meet people from different parts of the world. Unlike in other places where you will find people congregating according to race, color or language, in a dojo everyone is equal. People will converse and spar as brothers and sisters not enemies. No one will request for special treatment and receive it. The master will not favor a few students over others.
So, how does this have a positive impact on the world? Thanks to the acceptance of everyone despite their background, people become one community. They are able to interact with each other while keeping stereotypes at bay.
Furthermore, the connection does not end in the dojo. It extends to the neighborhood, workplace and school. As a result, negative feelings like hate are easily forgotten. In its place, love, kindness, trust and sharing are cultivated.
Peace prevails
It is a common misconception that when children are taught martial arts skills and techniques, they will become violent. Well, this is not true. Martial art teaches everyone how to respect others regardless of their age, social standing, language or background. Furthermore, it cultivates self discipline and self control among the participants. As a result of these qualities, peace is able to prevail.
Unlike bullies who use force and intimidation in order to show their might, martial arts students use techniques like talking to deescalate a situation. It is quite difficult to find a martial arts student engaging in fights whether at school, home or at the workplace. Instead, they are known to promote peace wherever they go.
If the world learned martial arts, peace would prevail.
Final Thoughts
Martial art has been found to awaken the warrior spirit in each student. While you may think that martial art students will engage in violence thanks to their new skills, well the opposite will happen. Peace will be promoted in areas where they reside, learn and work. Thanks to the use of non violent methods to settle disputes, no injuries or deaths will occur.
That is not all. Martial art helps you to focus. Focus is a mental ability that is very important at work and school. As a result, the student or employee will improve productivity finally attaining their objectives and goals. In turn, the benefits will spread to others in form of knowledge and economic boom.
Lastly, you will get to learn how to prevent negative stuff from affecting your life. If you fail, you can pick yourself up and face all problems head on with new strategies. This will place control in your hands allowing you to become a master of your own destiny.
“Be respectful to others” and “show some respect” are common phrases that people hear and use almost on a daily basis. Respect is due regard for feelings, wishes, or right for other people according to the Oxford Dictionary. With synonyms like politeness and courtesy, it is an essential value that everyone should have. However, there are times when it feels like there is a significant lack of respect in the globe.
