Martial arts leads to improvements in a variety of mental skills. One of the mental skills you develop in your martial arts practice is resilience. Resilience is your ability to cope with challenges or obstacles; it’s an indicator of your emotional strength and endurance.
You might assume that resilience is something you either have or you don’t. But just like a martial arts skill, resilience is also a skill you can train. Here are three ways that martial arts cultivates resilience:
1. Physical Training
Martial arts can be a physical challenge. Some days you have the strength to take on anything. Other days, you feel like you’ve taken a step backward. But despite a physical setback, you show up. Your commitment to practice even when you’re feeling tired or defeated, is how you build resilience.
2. Goal-Setting
Some martial arts goals could take years to accomplish. When you have a long-term goal, you must be patient while staying committed to your goal. When working toward a goal that will take a few months or years to achieve, you’ll likely face quite a few challenges as you make progress. Rather than giving up on your goal, resilience is what keeps you moving forward and working hard.
3. Character-Building
Developing physical and mental skills through martial arts builds resilience along with essential character traits. You learn valuable character traits such as patience, self-discipline, self-control, and confidence. This mix of skills and qualities helps you understand that no matter what you face, you have the tools needed to overcome adversity and keep moving forward in training and life.