5 BENEFITS OF KRAV MAGA AND DUTCH MUAY THAI TRAINING

YOUR SOCIAL CIRCLE INSTANTLY EXPANDS AND YOU MEET LIFELONG FRIENDS (AND MORE!)
You probably did not expect this to be the number one benefit of training but it deserves to be top of this list. The second you join Martial Arts training, you meet a new group of people with the same common interests as you. Most people tend to go to classes at the same time each week. By doing so, you get to know the same students and teachers who attend at your chosen time.

Elite is a school that takes this one step further and throws school socials every couple of months so we can celebrate our accomplishments in training and get together off the Mats. I have seen many students become friends, relationships form, marriages, and just recently, our Black belts Josh and Gwen welcomed the first “Elite Baby” baby Liam 🙂 Some of my best friends in life are from my Martial Arts training. The same will happen to you immediately after you join. If you are someone who is introverted, and shy and tends to keep to yourself, this a great way to meet new people and break out of your comfort zone. All the while, you will be learning some excellent self-defense and getting yourself in great shape.

YOU WILL GET IN THE BEST SHAPE OF YOUR LIFE AND ENJOY THE MANY BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH TRAINING

I have been in Martial Arts my entire life. I have no real memories of not training. That said, I like all people have had my peeks and valleys in how often I can train and my balance of personal life and training. No matter your schedule, if you have a good school with a well-balanced schedule, you can always manage your time and find a way to attend classes. In doing so, you get in the best shape of your life.

My advice is to start slow. Work at your own pace and be happy with your small victories when you are new to training. If you can only do 30 push-ups in week one, maybe you are doing 50 by the end of your first month. If you get tired after 2 minutes of skipping, you will increase that to a full 5 minutes within the first month. As time goes on those 50 push-ups change to 70 and the 5 minutes of skipping turns to 10! All the while, your body is reaping a HUGE variety of benefits from your sleep, overall bodily functions, stamina (in many regards), and of course the big one, weight loss/maintenance and cardio health! Not to mention the mental health benefits one gets from physical activity. The two go hand in hand!

I have a stockier build. I am naturally a heavy-set person with a bigger frame. Because I am training up to 5 days a week along with my teaching, I am maintaining a healthy weight, muscle mass, and strong cardio into my mid-40s. The health benefits from Martial Arts training could be a blog entry of its own. These are just a few of the many health benefits you will notice immediately after you start training.

SLOWS THE AGING PROCESS AND IMPROVES HEALTH AND IMMUNE SYSTEM

I KNOW you don’t want to hear about illness and the immune system after 2+ years of COVID but this is true. The Krav Maga and Muay Thai training we provide makes your body stronger, makes your heart and lungs function better, and thus, your whole body and YES the immune system all work better. Many people in my profession, including myself got COVID and were able to recover within days. This would have been a much harder battle if our bodies were not functioning at a high level.

In addition to the health and immunity benefits, I can say wholeheartedly that Martial Arts training slows the aging process. To be clear, I do NOT proclaim myself a Doctor or healthcare professional but I can see this with my own eyes and experience this as I age. Again, I started my Martial Arts journey at a very young age. My body is perfectly adapted to this. By maintaining my passion for training and making it part of my lifestyle, I STILL have the same stamina I had in my 20s. I was able to take my last competitive Muay Thai bout at age 38! (and I still think about fighting again in my 40’s)

There is nothing special about me. My parents are not pro athletes and I do not feel I have superior genetics. I have simply been consistent in my training for many years. Much of our training is designed to prevent injuries and strengthen the body. This benefit goes tenfold in other aspects of your life and overall aging is part of that. If you keep your body active and moving, you will experience the breakdown of the aging process at a much slower rate. You will maintain your strength and stamina into your older years. Many of the people I grew up with, who live a sedative lifestyle look about 10-15 years older than myself and have a hard time doing simple tasks like going up a few stairs. In my opinion, that is no way to live your daily life. If not Martial Arts training, choose something, ANYTHING to keep yourself active and strong as you grow older. Your future self will thank you for it 🙂

4 SAFETY AND PEACE OF MIND

The founder of Krav Maga, Imi Lichtenfeld had an expression pertaining to Krav Maga “So one may walk in peace” I completely understand what he means. It means this (As I choose to interpret).

I do not walk around with my chest puffed out waiting to see how good my Krav and Muay Thai will work in real life (I already know it works from my years as a Correctional Officer). I do not walk around mean mugging strangers at bars or causing problems from someone accidentally bumping into me in a crowded room. I don’t go looking for any nonsense or confrontations. However, I do walk with a certain level of calm and peace because I am well aware that if anything were to happen, I am equipped with a skill set that enables me to address and hopefully eliminate any threat that comes to me and my loved ones. I sleep well at night knowing if anyone tries to break into my home, they get greeted by me (and two little dogs haha). I have an 8-year-old little girl who I am committed to protecting ALWAYS. I feel like I am a better dad knowing I am better equipped to keep her safe. Training in Martial Arts really does give you peace of mind. This doesn’t mean you have to “WIN” a fight, just defend yourself and run away and that would be a victory in a real-world confrontation. Going home IS the victory in real life. Krav Maga specifically, teaches how to verbally de-escalate a confrontation so maybe you can avoid a fight altogether! These are very useful tools in your kit and it does allow “one to walk in peace”.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE THE TRAINING WILL TAKE YOU

You really do not. When I first started Martial Arts, I never would have dreamed it would turn into my life and my full-time job. It IS my life and has given me so much life experience. I have traveled the world for training, fighting, and teaching. I have met thousands of wonderful people who I never would have come across if not for Martial Arts. We all go on this Martial Arts journey. We all have our own journey to take. The journey is different for all of us but one thing is shared for all, you really never know what will happen in this life and in YOUR martial arts journey. All you can do is take the first step and see where the road takes you, one step at a time.

Source: https://emakravmaga.ca/5-benefits-of-krav-maga-and-muay-thai-training/