Between the insane growth in popularity of the UFC and the acceptance of mixed martial arts (MMA) as a relevant sport, MMA fighters can now become superstars. This is very recent. Boxers have been able to become extremely rich and famous for a long time, but MMA fighters can now retire and become media personalities. They can start a podcast, get into entertainment, or stick to fighting commentary, but the notoriety is just part of the fighting. The real benefits come before wealth and fame. Below are five benefits of training in mixed martial arts.
Physical Health
Of course, the standout and most apparent benefit of training in MMA is the improvement in physical health. Not only is the fighting itself good exercise, but the training goes beyond the workout that the fight provides. To be a good fighter, you need to be both strong and lean. So much so that you won’t want to miss a workout even if you are out of town; you might find yourself searching for gyms near me just to keep up your training. When you aren’t training or sparring, you will still feel the need to keep up your physical health. MMA is a great motivator to get in shape and become physically healthier.
Spiritual Fulfillment
Most Asian martial arts were invented as both self-defense mechanisms and used as a spiritual practice. When you learn different martial arts, there is nearly always a philosophy and outlook that goes along with it. If you are lacking spirituality in your life, training in MMA can help provide a perspective on it. It might sound ironic that fighting enhances spirituality, but when you really think about it, peace and violence, hard and soft, as well as agility and strength, all play into spirituality. Spiritual fulfillment might not be what you think of when you think about training in MMA, but maybe it should be.
Anatomical & Biological Knowledge
Another benefit of training in MMA is that you are forced to learn a lot about human biology and the human body. You will learn about diet and nutrition. You’ll learn the right ways to exercise, cut weight, and build muscle. You will begin to understand injuries and how to prevent them better. The impact of drugs and alcohol will be more obvious. The impact of sleep will be on full display. So many things that you haven’t learned in other areas of your life will come to fruition. Whether you are interested in human anatomy or biology or not, training in MMA will inevitably lead to growth in this regard.
Self-Defense
Other than physical health, self-defense is an obvious benefit of training in MMA. Anyone can start training in MMA to protect themselves and their families better. Women can train to protect themselves from threats. Men and women can learn how to protect their children. Whatever you are worried about in this world, self-defense is a huge part of life that everyone should engage with. When you do your best to learn how to defend yourself and the people you love, you can also increase your confidence and self-assurance.
Mental Fortitude
Finally, perhaps the most crucial benefit of training in MMA is the mental fortitude you get from it. MMA takes focus. It takes endurance. You need to learn how to deal with pain. You also need to deal with quick decision-making situations. When you practice and train every week, your mind will begin to change too. You’ll have less stress and anxiety. You will be less depressed. MMA’s mental resilience can be taken into many other parts of your life. If you want to be stronger mentally, becoming stronger physically can really help.
There are more benefits than the five above, but it should be clear that training in MMA is good for you. Of course, there are always risks. It is a sport based on avoiding violence and enacting it when necessary. It’s a sport that relies on knowledge of pain and how to inflict it. It’s a sport that prioritizes your safety over the person you are fighting. However, you feel about all this, training MMA can benefit you in so many ways. Want to give it a shot? Now is the time.
