Why We Practice Martial Arts

One of our primary motivations here is the development of what we call practical strength.  Strength beyond the superficial goals of the heaviest weight lifted or biggest rock hurled overhead.  Our definition of strength involves being able to engage in our chosen daily and recreational activities with power and graceful skill.  In our workouts we are always reaching for improved body control and ease of movement, which is why we all train in a variety of different martial arts.

Just like our priority of practical strength, our goals for practicing martial arts are deeper than just learning how to fight, though of course that comes with the territory! No, martial arts as a whole is one of our vehicles toward self improvement.  The development of power and skill in punching, kicking, throwing, and grappling can be a frustrating process.  Any time we learn a new technique, it can be a humbling experience!  But we keep pressing on, gaining a little bit more insight each time, until it finally clicks.  And even in practicing “old” maneuvers, nuances of performance seem to turn up when you least expect it, and what’s old is new again!  Persistence and discipline translate into an optimistic mindset and the ability to keep working hard and training smart has benefits beyond the physical performance of the day.  We soon realize that this attitude helps us in our work and family life.

In addition to this “never give up” attitude, progressive martial arts training as we practice it, also opens your eyes up to reality.  Our practice involves a lot of sparring and drilling with realistic resistance.  After the initial learning of the mechanics of a technique, we don’t practice with a partner who just stands there and lets you walk all over them.  The true test of a certain technique is how it works against someone who is, well… working against you!  The competitive nature of the martial arts we practice doesn’t mean our partner is always trying to kill us.  It means that the realistic resistance provided by our colleague is helping the both of us to learn and truly understand how to perform our techniques.  We are provided immediate feedback on whether our form is correct, or perhaps if that technique itself is worthwhile.   Over time, training like this allows us to analyze any new technique we see, and determine how well it will work even on first glance.  Our practice helps us to deeply understand competitive movement patterns.  The martial arts world can harbor a lot of charlatans, people teaching techniques that are just plain worthless, and even harmful!  With proper practice we are able to recognize this and not fall prey to the hype.

Martial arts are a key part of our training because the practice develops more than just skill in fighting, it improves aspects of our daily lives, and gives us strength of both body and mind.  This is what Gold Medal Body training strives for everyday.