Busting Martial Arts Myths and Stereotypes
Although martial arts practice has been around since ancient times, there are still many myths and stereotypes surrounding this discipline. For those considering taking their first steps into this world, these myths might push them away and discourage them from enrolling in training and experiencing all the benefits that come with it.
So in this article, we will focus on the most popular myths and misconceptions that surround martial arts, and once and for all, unravel the truth behind each one.
Martial Arts Training is Dangerous
The most common myth is definitely the one related to the dangers that come with martial arts training. A lot of people are afraid to join the classes or enroll their kids in training because they believe martial arts schools are places where they will get seriously injured.
The reality is – the overall risk and severity of injuries are based on multiple factors, primarily on the style you choose to train in, and the way you approach it. However, the injury rate is often not higher than in other mainstream sports such as football or soccer.
For instance, the injury rate in soccer ranges from 10 to 35 injuries per 1,000 hours of playtime. Football players, on the other hand, suffer 3.5 concussions per 100 players, which is a lot.
Wrestling and BJJ both have an injury rate of 10 or fewer injuries per 1000 athlete exposures. Striking arts like boxing or Taekwondo have higher rates, around the same as soccer.
The first important factor is the type of martial art you train in. Striking and hybrid combat systems such as MMA, Muay Thai, or boxing tend to have a higher injury rate because trading full-contact punches and kicks in sparring and competition is the most common way people get hurt.
But grappling arts such as jiu-jitsu, wrestling or Judo tend to be much safer as there are no striking or concussions. The safest combat systems are definitely the ones where the learning syllabus doesn’t include any sparring or competition like Tai Chi or Aikido but these are also the least effective.
Next, the injury rate is also determined by the way you approach training. People who always wear protective gear, are carefully choosing sparring partners, and are focused on learning are not as exposed to injuries as egomaniacs who do the opposite.
Overall, martial arts training carries a certain risk of injuries. But if you approach it in the right way, this risk is not bigger than in other sports, as far as training is concerned.
Martial Arts Promote Violence
This has to be the worst stereotype of them all – “Martial arts make people aggressive and more violent so”. How many times have you heard this myth? Would you believe if we tell you that the reality is rather the total opposite of the common belief?
Legitimate martial arts schools do not encourage or tolerate any type of aggressive behavior or bullying in classes. You might get playful banter with fights here and there but toxicity usually isn’t tolerated. Instructors will kick a student out of the gym as soon as they see disrespectful behavior and will do the same if they hear that you caused trouble in the streets as well. Martial arts is all about respect and you are supposed to use your fighting skills only in self-defense situations when your life is in danger. So as far as training is concerned, there is no aggressive behavior.
Next, martial arts training gives people a unique insight into the reality of violence and it certainly destroys their egoistic beliefs. Aggressive students who can’t control their egos do not stick around for too long. Once they get overwhelmed by a more skilled student and feel the other side of bullying on their own skin, they either calm down or leave the gym. That’s why martial arts is good for people with anger issues because it actually helps them realize the consequences of violence and it helps them sublimate their aggressiveness in a productive and healthy way.
Lastly, training allows you to release stress from your mind. Intense exercises and socializing will trigger the mind to release different chemicals that make us feel good such as dopamine and serotonin. No matter how angry you were before the class, you will feel happy and relaxed in the end.
You Need to Be Super Fit to Start
One of the biggest misconceptions is that you need to be fit and strong to start with martial arts training. Many people get discouraged by the fact that they are not strong enough to sustain intense workouts, that they will collapse, gas out, and eventually give up. But this couldn’t be further from the truth and here is why.
Watching videos online or checking the gym reviews, you might see a bunch of martial artists with impressive physiques. But the reality is – just about all beginners sign up for the classes completely out of shape. Think about it logically, you are joining the classes to improve your fitness and get stronger. Beginners training in the fitness gym do not look like Greek Gods, right?
First, no one is expecting beginners to walk into the gym as an athlete, ripped and jacked. No, improving students’ cardio and strength in the first couple of months is actually a part of the learning syllabus in all schools. It doesn’t matter if you are overweight, skinny, weak, or super strong, everybody receives the same treatment where they methodically work on bringing their bodies to a certain fitness level.
Most martial arts disciplines focus on the development of functional strength and finding an ideal balance between slow and fast twitch muscle fibers (aerobic and anaerobic workouts). Yes, you will look athletic. But more importantly, being strong, agile, and flexible enables you to go through workouts without exhaustion and to execute techniques in a proper form. For example, core strength and flexibility play a big role in BJJ and Taekwondo and you won’t be able to perform well without it.
Or, you can stay overweight if that works for you and adapt training to your needs. The instructors might suggest you improve fitness, but they won’t force you to lose weight or build muscles if you don’t want to.
Martial Arts is Only for Men. Do women train in martial arts gyms?
It is true – martial arts classes used to be dominated by men and you could rarely see a woman or two in the gym. But we are no longer living in the 80s or 90s. In modern times, more and more women are joining the classes to either train in separate groups or more commonly, to train alongside men.
In this day and age, women want to be fit, independent, and learn how to protect themselves so being active in the gym or training martial arts has become an integral part of their lifestyle.
Some of the most popular martial arts for women are BJJ, boxing, and Kickboxing. BJJ, in particular, is known as a martial art where women and men receive the same treatment. They train in the same groups, spar against each other, and follow the same program which is why this Brazilian combat system is so popular among women. In striking arts, women train alongside men, but of course, do not engage in full-contact sparring.
If you are a woman interested in martial arts training, do not hesitate for a second. Do a small research, find a style that suits you the best, a solid gym, and sign up for a trial class. Do not allow the myths to push you away from your goals.
More Experienced Students Will Bully Me
This is wrong. First, martial arts training focuses primarily on personal growth, becoming a better person, adopting strong values and principles, improving fitness, meeting new friends, improving all the areas of your life, and being capable of effectively defending yourself in a self-defense situation. Bullying or any type of disrespectful behavior is strictly forbidden and often results in a ban.
The martial arts community is strong and respectful. People train in a judgment-free environment where any type of bullying, or aggressive or egoistic behavior is strictly forbidden. The emphasis is on socializing in a positive atmosphere where each training group acts like a large family that supports each other toward achieving individual goals. That’s why martial arts friendships are among the strongest and most honest.
More experienced students are actually happy to see a new face in the gym, and often more than ready to help them out. They are well aware of all the fears and anxiety that come with being a beginner and will help you to fit in the group. The majority of them are kind and open-minded so you can always ask them for a piece of advice.
I’m Too Old To Start Training in Martial Arts
The common myth says that martial arts and combat sports, in general, are young men’s game. You can often hear people in their late 20s, 30s, or even 40s saying they would love to enroll in martial arts, but they are too old to start. Wrong. Yes, it’s always better to engage in sports at a young age, but you can also join it much later. Many middle-aged people, even elderlies, are signing up for the classes to experience many of its benefits.
Martial arts dojos are open to people of all ages. It doesn’t matter if you are a kid, teenager, adult, or elderly. The classes are usually split into different groups based on experience and age. So a BJJ school, for example, will have a group for kids, an amateur group where people of all ages train together, and a competition group for athletes. So the doors are open for everyone.
In modern times, different martial arts target different groups. For example, Taekwondo, wrestling, and Karate are known as the most popular options for kids as their first introduction to the world of martial arts.
The elderly, on the other side, prefer safer options such as Tai Chi or Aikido that are not physically too demanding.
Martial Arts is All About Fighting
One of the most common myths is that martial arts training is entirely focused on combat and violence and that you won’t learn anything else apart from how to fight. This is wrong on many levels. Although learning how to fight is important, training also encompasses many other aspects.
In the long run, this improves mental discipline, and emotional stability, and makes you more confident both on and off the mats. You will learn a lot about yourself, and through hard training, develop personal skills that will make your life more productive outside of the gym. Apart from knowing how to fight, you will also be more confident, focused, and tolerant, and have a high dose of self-belief. This will make you more productive at work, help deal with everyday problems in a more efficient way, be more stable when it comes to relationships, and most importantly, be healthy.
Next, the majority of combat systems include hand-to-hand physical contact and intense cardio and strength workouts. Being consistent and dedicated improves your physical fitness, flexibility, and overall health. Training in the majority of martial arts burns a lot of calories (up to 800 per hour) and includes body-weight workouts, HIIT, and other types of workouts that will get you in top shape.
Lastly, martial arts will change your entire life for the better because you will feel stronger, more confident, and have higher mental resilience than ever before.
It Takes Years to See Any Progress
No matter which style you choose to train in, becoming a skilled martial artist takes a lot of time. However, the progression through different stages of learning is much faster than most people think. Especially in martial arts that include belt ranking systems. But how fast will you progress from one stage to the other is based on multiple factors such as style and how dedicated, consistent, and how talented you are.
Overall, you will see initial progression after 2 or 3 months of consistent training. This is more than enough for you to start feeling physically stronger and get an understanding of the basics. Then instead of surviving on the mats, you will dedicate the next couple of months to mastering the basics before moving to harder and more complex stages of learning.
Overall, training is systematically structured so that each level emphasizes different aspects.
How long it takes to become a skilled martial artist or a black belt is based on many factors. In technically simple martial arts such as boxing, you can become a skilled practitioner after 1.5 years of training while talented students need even less. In more complex arts such as Karate, Taekwondo, and Muay Thai, you will need around 4–5 years. The most complex ones like BJJ take up to 10–15 years of training.
They Won’t Let Me Train If I Don’t Spar
Many people believe they won’t be allowed to train in a specific style if they don’t spar when all the other students do. And this is understandable. Some people are not into hand-to-hand combat exchanges.
Although sparring is an important aspect of training, no one can force you to do anything against your will. If you don’t want to spar, the coaches will always give you a new task.
A lot of combat systems emphasize sparring because this is the most effective method to teach a person how to apply martial arts techniques in real life and against a resisting opponent. Students can’t expect to develop feelings for distance, and timing, learn how to stay calm, control their breathing, and apply techniques without sparring on a regular basis. So sparring is recommended, and can actually be safe if you want to develop proper self-defense skills or compete.
Not sparring will come at a certain cost because you won’t be as skilled as other students. But if you are into training to learn the basics, improve fitness, health, and socialize, then no one will argue against your decision.
Conclusion
Martial arts practice is surrounded by many myths that often deter individuals from signing up for the classes and exploring its numerous benefits. But as you have seen in this article, the majority of these myths and stereotypes are nothing more than unproven lies.
If you are interested in at least trying a specific martial art, do not let these common beliefs fool you and push away from what can potentially change your life for the better. Especially if those common beliefs are coming from someone who never trained in martial arts.
