| According to the FBI, four women die everyday as a | | | | Focus and Awareness. While training martial arts, you |
| result of domestic violence and about 130,000 | | | | need to focus and concentrate on what you are |
| women report that they've been victims of rape or | | | | doing so that you don't injure yourself or those |
| attempted rape annually. Because of statistics like | | | | around you. This focus and concentration carries over |
| this, many women enroll in self-defense classes to | | | | into other aspects of your life as well. Soon, you'll |
| learn the skills they need to defend themselves. | | | | find yourself better able to concentrate on work, |
| The thing is, a short-term self-defense class may not | | | | school and home. You'll even find yourself being more |
| address all of the areas you need to be able to fully | | | | aware of your surroundings which can help you avoid |
| defend yourself. While martial arts classes won't | | | | potentially harmful or violent situations. |
| specifically train you for combat and fighting, they will | | | | Peace. Training martial arts will also give you an inner |
| give you the ability to defend yourself if you ever | | | | peace that can change your life. First of all, to |
| find yourself in a situation where you need to | | | | effectively train martial arts, your workout will always |
| practice self-defense. The best part is that this | | | | be changing. You'll never get bored with your |
| self-defense isn't always physical. What most people | | | | workout because it will always be challenging to your |
| don't know is that in a good martial arts class you'll | | | | abilities (both physical and mental). In addition to that, |
| learn a variety of skills to help you gain the | | | | training martial arts is a great stress reducer. You |
| awareness, peace and physical conditioning you need | | | | probably already know that regular physical exercise |
| to be a stronger person, in all aspects of your life. | | | | can reduce physical stress, but what you don't know |
| Confidence. All the physical defense skills in the world | | | | is that martial arts go one step further to reduce |
| won't help if you don't have the confidence needed | | | | emotional stress as well. Activities such as martial arts |
| to use them. That's the beauty of martial arts | | | | that require you concentrate on your movements |
| training. In order to successfully train a martial art, | | | | and your core strength can give you full stress relief |
| you need to have your mind and body in tune with | | | | in one activity. |
| one another. This self-awareness gives you the | | | | Strength and Conditioning. When you train martial |
| confidence your need to control and defend yourself | | | | arts, you use your entire body. You cannot use just |
| if needed. You'll be able to handle everyday and | | | | one muscle set at a time. The exercises are always |
| extraordinary situations without losing your temper. | | | | changing and evolving to give you the maximum out |
| You'll be able to stand your ground. You'll appear to | | | | of each training session. Martial arts also increase your |
| be (and will be) more confident - and people who | | | | flexibility which is great because people who are |
| appear to be confident are less likely to be the | | | | flexible suffer fewer injuries, have better posture and |
| victims of violence because they don't look like "easy | | | | are better able to relax their muscles. |
| targets". | | | | |