There are many different types of people who do martial arts out there. Young kids, older adults, girls, guys, the list goes on.
There are lots of skills that can help a person with a martial art. The need to be agile, flexible and fit will get a person far in martial arts. That being said, there are many traits that are not physical that will help a person go fars. In fact, a person can be as fit and fast as they want, if they don't have the right attitude, they won't get very far, not only in martial arts, but in life as well.
Here is a list of remarkable attributes for all great martial artists on and off the mat.
8. Perseverance
The need to be able to push through a challenge is required. When on the mat, if you are caught in a hold down or getting hit constantly, you have to work through it and fight back, there is no giving up until the timer goes off. Perseverance is needed to be able to work through the ranks from a beginner to advanced and then beyond. There is always another goal to work towards.
7. Creative
Creativity can take a person very far in life. I know a lot of martial artists who are very abstract thinkers and are great at thinking outside the box. Creativity is needed to come up with new combinations or different submissions. Creativity isn't always something that comes really easily to me, but I do have my own ways of being creative, it just requires a bit more thinking. Creativity does not always apply to being artistic, although in the past, the Samurai warrior would have to do tasks such as flower arranging and poetry.
6. Quick Thinking
When fighting, the need to be able to think on your feet is crucial for survival. Not only being able to think quickly, but to keep the thought process going the whole fight is important as well. I find that this is something I have to actively work on while I am fighting. Being able to react and examine your current situation is needed to make good decisions not only when fighting but in life as well.
5. Flexible
This does not apply to the physical aspect of being flexible, but being able to adjust and adapt. Martial arts are always changing and people should be open to change and adapting to new styles and using what is useful to them. Trying different fighting styles and techniques is important because if you are faced with a person who fights differently than another, you should be able to adapt and keep up with them. Having versatility in martial arts is great because you can learn certain things from one and different techniques from another. It pays to be flexible.
4. Confidence
We all know that martial arts helps with self esteem. When you work hard to achieve something and you accomplish your goals, it is a great self esteem booster. Confidence to know that you can do what you set your mind to can help a person go very far. If you have worked hard to get success, you should be confident that you did work hard and deserve to be where you are at.
3. Humility
This is the flip side to confidence. Martial arts requires a certain balance of confidence and humility. You can get too far to one side and become arrogant and full of yourself. Even if you are accomplished in your sport, you should still be open to suggestion and listen to others. Martial arts is like building a sky scraper, if you don't have a good foundation and keep firmly to the ground, then you won't get a very sturdy and tall building. In other words, it will crash down upon itself.
2. Discipline
This goes with out saying. When people think of any martial art, they usually think of discipline along with it. Discipline is the cornerstone to every great martial artist there ever was. If you do not have the will to train, learn and get better; then none of the other attributes will fall into place either.
1. Honor
Above all these traits, honor is the most important. Being a good, moral person far outweighs any skill I have ever seen. I remember for our Shodan (black belt) test, we were given a written exam by our Sensei to take home to write. He explained that he trusted us to do it at home without cheating because if we were proper, honorable martial artists, we wouldn't cheat. It really meant something to me when he said that and of course I wrote the test on my parents kitchen table by myself, no cheating. Honesty and good moral is what really matters in the end.
And of course I have to include some Bruce Lee Quotes!
There are lots of skills that can help a person with a martial art. The need to be agile, flexible and fit will get a person far in martial arts. That being said, there are many traits that are not physical that will help a person go fars. In fact, a person can be as fit and fast as they want, if they don't have the right attitude, they won't get very far, not only in martial arts, but in life as well.
Here is a list of remarkable attributes for all great martial artists on and off the mat.
8. Perseverance
The need to be able to push through a challenge is required. When on the mat, if you are caught in a hold down or getting hit constantly, you have to work through it and fight back, there is no giving up until the timer goes off. Perseverance is needed to be able to work through the ranks from a beginner to advanced and then beyond. There is always another goal to work towards.
7. Creative
Creativity can take a person very far in life. I know a lot of martial artists who are very abstract thinkers and are great at thinking outside the box. Creativity is needed to come up with new combinations or different submissions. Creativity isn't always something that comes really easily to me, but I do have my own ways of being creative, it just requires a bit more thinking. Creativity does not always apply to being artistic, although in the past, the Samurai warrior would have to do tasks such as flower arranging and poetry.
6. Quick Thinking
When fighting, the need to be able to think on your feet is crucial for survival. Not only being able to think quickly, but to keep the thought process going the whole fight is important as well. I find that this is something I have to actively work on while I am fighting. Being able to react and examine your current situation is needed to make good decisions not only when fighting but in life as well.
5. Flexible
This does not apply to the physical aspect of being flexible, but being able to adjust and adapt. Martial arts are always changing and people should be open to change and adapting to new styles and using what is useful to them. Trying different fighting styles and techniques is important because if you are faced with a person who fights differently than another, you should be able to adapt and keep up with them. Having versatility in martial arts is great because you can learn certain things from one and different techniques from another. It pays to be flexible.
4. Confidence
We all know that martial arts helps with self esteem. When you work hard to achieve something and you accomplish your goals, it is a great self esteem booster. Confidence to know that you can do what you set your mind to can help a person go very far. If you have worked hard to get success, you should be confident that you did work hard and deserve to be where you are at.
3. Humility
This is the flip side to confidence. Martial arts requires a certain balance of confidence and humility. You can get too far to one side and become arrogant and full of yourself. Even if you are accomplished in your sport, you should still be open to suggestion and listen to others. Martial arts is like building a sky scraper, if you don't have a good foundation and keep firmly to the ground, then you won't get a very sturdy and tall building. In other words, it will crash down upon itself.
2. Discipline
This goes with out saying. When people think of any martial art, they usually think of discipline along with it. Discipline is the cornerstone to every great martial artist there ever was. If you do not have the will to train, learn and get better; then none of the other attributes will fall into place either.
1. Honor
Above all these traits, honor is the most important. Being a good, moral person far outweighs any skill I have ever seen. I remember for our Shodan (black belt) test, we were given a written exam by our Sensei to take home to write. He explained that he trusted us to do it at home without cheating because if we were proper, honorable martial artists, we wouldn't cheat. It really meant something to me when he said that and of course I wrote the test on my parents kitchen table by myself, no cheating. Honesty and good moral is what really matters in the end.
And of course I have to include some Bruce Lee Quotes!
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