When we talk about martial arts, it almost always involves the core values of discipline, confidence, patience, integrity, goal-orientedness, and most especially - respect. Respect is one of the key virtues in martial arts that all students must learn and practice both on and off the mat.
To respect people, you must first understand what it means and why it is important. And today’s generation needs to learn about respect.
Here are five ways how martial arts teaches respect to its students:
Admiration for Leaders
When you begin training, you are taught about the different rankings in martial arts and the color of belts which signifies their expertise or level. But whatever color of the belt is, a student is taught to respect the person wearing it.
Just like at the beginning and end of class, students are instructed to bow to their teachers as a sign of respect for their leadership and ability. Martial arts teaches respect since learning it in the classroom leads to valuing others and yourself in the real world.
Patience and Control
In a sparring match or competition, students are taught to keep everything professional. Martial arts teaches sportsmanship, patience, and control to a student as he displays his techniques and skills to the opponent.
Gestures
In this sport, simple gestures like bowing or shaking hands after a match are how you can show respect to someone.
Despite the ranking system used in martial arts training to distinguish between practitioners' competence and experience, each one is encouraged to respect others regardless of their rank. Everyone is treated with respect, whether they are just beginning their martial arts adventure or are further along than the others.
Humility
Respect is incomplete without humility. In martial arts, losing and failing is just as significant as succeeding. Experiencing failure will teach you lessons and allow you to explore your weaknesses during a match.
Regardless of whether you win or lose, it is important to maintain humility and respect for your opponent.
Overall Discipline
Martial arts provides so much more in terms of strength and development. It's more than just a sport, self-defense, or hobby.
It teaches us values that we cannot learn from other sports and we are continuously challenged to step outside our bubble to learn something new and grow. From developing confidence and a sense of determination to learning respect to our masters, applying martial arts to our lifestyles helps us become better citizens, leaders, and individuals in general.