Ask nearly any successful person and they will tell you that your hobbies should either help you learn a new skill, promote a healthier lifestyle, or make you money. Hobbies such as football, running, reading, and drawing are what make up the bulk of hobbies among most Americans. However, arguably the greatest hobby a person can start would be learning a form of martial arts. Martial arts such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, Muay Thai, and wrestling can make you healthier and promote learning new skills that can benefit you in the long run.
First, martial arts can give you some of the best workouts that you will ever get. Martial arts, such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling, often rely on very short and explosive movements to be performed. These are the same kind of explosive movements that sprinters will do to build explosiveness and create a lean build. According to an article on bjjpassion.com, depending on the intensity, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling classes can burn around 700 calories in a single hour. For context, an article by mayoclinic.org states that running for an hour can burn roughly 600 calories in an hour. Martial arts such as boxing and Muay Thai can burn calories at an even higher amount, reaching around 800 calories per hour according to an article by legendsboxing.com. Martial arts, regardless of the type, are a great way to have some fun while working out.
Martial arts are also a great form of self-defense. A common phrase used in fighting, whether it be in the UFC or on the streets, is “every fight hits the ground.” While that may not be true in all instances, a majority of fist fights hit the ground at some point. In that case, martial arts such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling are all about ground control and grappling. In the case of a self-defense scenario, learning how to control somebody on the ground can literally be the difference between life and death. Another common phrase used in fighting is “all fights start standing.” Learning Muay Thai or boxing can build your ability to defend yourself in case somebody decides to try and attack you. If you get some sort of combination of those four you will be able to effectively defend yourself in almost any self-defense scenario, as long as guns and knives aren’t involved in the fight.
The third, and probably most important, part of learning a martial art is the discipline and patience you will build. Take Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as the perfect example. It can take up to 10 years to get your black belt. The patience and discipline it requires to get better at fighting can easily be used in the real world. Martial arts teaches you that things don’t come easy and that you will need to wait and keep trying in order to achieve the things you want. The discipline that is needed in martial arts can improve your maturity and intelligence, which can improve your ability to do other things, such as work and build relationships. Martial arts are the perfect way to learn to have a better perspective on the world, and its humbling beginnings can easily mature a person to become a better person by the end of their journey.
While hobbies such as running and reading are also great hobbies to build and definitely shouldn't be ignored, martial arts can give similar benefits and more. Martial arts can keep you in shape, help in self-defense situations, and can promote a more mature and respectable mind. Unless you’re incapable of performing martial arts, there is almost no reason somebody should pass up on learning a martial art. It is the perfect hobby to have, as it can make you a better person than you were before.