30/07/2026
Why Train?
Unfortunately, the world is not a nice place. Life can be great, time spent can be fantastic, but realistically there are people that can change this in an instant.
You don't want to feel soft and vulnerable; you want to be in a position where if things really came down to it, you feel capable of looking after yourself and your loved ones.
Strength – you need functional strength. This isn’t about just looking good in the mirror, it is about having strength through a full range of motion. Building a structure that gives you more confidence in the way you feel and the way you hold yourself. This creates the environment where you are less likely to fall into the victim mindset.
Conditioning - it doesn’t matter how tough you think you are or what fighting skills you have, if you gas out in 20 seconds you’ll be in survival mode which will quickly change to panic mode. When you are so exhausted you don’t think clearly and everything falls apart. You need to build up your lungs and heart strength. You might need to throw strikes, take a hit, push and pull someone, have weight on top of you…you need to have the confidence that your body is going to keep going through it.
Mindset – getting things done if when you don’t feel like it. To improve the first 2 points it has nothing to do with motivation. Anyone can do anything when they are motivated enough. It is all down to discipline, this is where the real growth comes. Being disciplined enough to train even when all the excuses start creeping in. Having this strong mindset will roll into all other parts of your life. A strong mindset is also required if you do get into a fight and need to handle business. If you find yourself getting attacked it is easy to fall in the trap of asking yourself questions – “why's this happening?”, “Why me?” “What’s happening”. By the time these have gone through your head, it’s too late. Protect yourself, deal with it and ask questions later.
Awareness – the best way of protecting yourself and loved ones is to have situational awareness. Being able to read the room and peoples body language, pick up subtle changes in atmosphere and then remove yourself from the situation. There are no rewards in playing the ‘big I am’, just a lot of risks. Do your best at avoiding potentially bad situations.
Being strong, having a good engine, a strong mindset and the awareness of your surroundings are all things that will come from training with a good martial arts class.
Hopefully you will never have to be put to the test but as the old Chinese proverb says “It is better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war”.
