If your spirit has gotten you this far, you are one step closer to becoming confident. Martial Arts and confidence go hand in hand. Without confidence, it would be difficult to succeed from belt rank to belt rank or complete a class, let alone defend yourself. Martial Arts can give you the building blocks you need to have a confident foundation on and off the mat. From moving your body, using your voice, positive affirmations, and power stances, you will feel amazing. Dive right in to your guide to confidence.
Let’s start our journey towards confidence with the easiest part, moving your body. Karate is an active sport. From balance drills to calisthenics, you can build up a good workout. When you are in class you are investing time into yourself, which means you doing an act of self-love. Taking care of your body shows that you are working on your self-esteem and confidence. Just like throwing on your favorite outfit, looking good can help you feel good. Exercising with a group of other like-minded individuals towards a common goal is powerful. Karate classes help not only build up the individual, but can develop an entire group.
Another way to boost that confidence is by using your voice during class. When using a karate yell to expel air from the lungs it can raise your intensity. In martial arts class we teach you to use it as a beacon. Your KIYAH (karate yell) shows your intensity level, alerts others that you are ready to attack or defend, and prepares you to use it for when self-defense attacks arise. Most women never use their voice outside of conversation mode and wouldn’t know how to use it any other way. Using your voice in a self- defense situation can be key to making the attacker leave you alone or find you less of a target. The confidence your voice brings can be strong.
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”- Eleanor Roosevelt. Confidence builds from within. Positive reinforcement or positive affirmations can truly change how you view yourself. In the comic above, Floyd’s coach used negative speech to address his clothing choice. Floyd defended his choice to wear a karate uniform to display confidence. While the clothes may give you a sense of confidence, the power of positivity has a more lasting effect. At our dojo we have a student creed that is full of quality statements. It begins, “As a student of the martial arts. I am developing myself in a positive manner, avoiding anything that would reduce my mental growth or my physical health.” Words can hold a lot of power.
Finally, you must remember to stand tall. Looking and feeling physically strong certainly plays a part in confidence. In martial arts we have power stances that make us feel strong and balanced. One of them is our guard position, it used as our starting stance for many punches of kicks. Another stance is our horse stance. This wide stance shows the power in your legs and arms as you do punches. Sparring can be a challenge when you have a direct opponent versus a free-standing target. There is something empowering about standing up in front of someone else directly and challenging them. Standing up tall and eyes forward is important on the mat and off the mat. Showing that you can handle yourself, whether it’s as a parent, supervisor, or in a self-defense situation, says a lot about you as a person. Congratulations! You have completed your guide to becoming more confident. The journey does not end here. Check out our classes at SKC to keep practicing these confidence concepts. Visit goskc.com today!
Brittney Bowie
