Whether or not we like to admit it, most of us are a bit spoiled. Lose your power, internet, or even just your phone for a day and it feels like life practically stops. Go to a grocery store or restaurant, find out you can’t get what you really wanted, and feel the frustration set in. That is not a criticism or a judgement, just the result of our circumstances. We get comfortable with what we are accustomed to. None of us, including myself, are immune to feeling that way.
So let's just be real. Many of us live relatively easy lives. We have temperature regulated dwellings with comfortable places to sit or lay down. We barely have to walk anywhere. We have easy access to a wide variety of food that isn’t even in season most of the time, or is cooked for us, and we don’t even have to go out and get it. On top of that, we have a breadth of knowledge and entertainment in our hands at all times and rarely need to wait to access any of it. We have essentially removed the adversity that typically came with providing most of our basic needs.
One of the challenges this can cause is that we become way more susceptible to the ebbs and flows of life. Minor challenges cause a disproportionate level of stress and major ones feel paralyzing. That is, unless we have been regularly exposing ourselves to a healthy dose of discomfort. This is where the value of martial arts training can not be overstated.
Martial arts training, taught well, is (or should be) a bit uncomfortable. Sometimes physical, sometimes mental, but often a combination of the two. Never traumatic or injurious, just enough to ask you to dig in a bit. Enough for you to realize that with a little effort, hard work, and perseverance you are capable of a lot more than may have thought possible.
Obviously this does not mean martial arts suddenly makes life free of challenges. It just reminds you that you can be pushed outside your comfort zone and come out the other side just fine. Life’s minor challenges are then taken with more grace and major ones rarely seem insurmountable. You have developed the ability to breathe, stay calm, dig in, and push forward because you have been doing it every week. Always prepared for when life decides to ask what you are made of.
With 25 years of martial arts training under my belt I have found that regular dose of discomfort to be one of the most valuable aspects to the training. During all of the most challenging times in my life martial arts has been both my anchor and my armor. Even all these years in, I am still grateful for all the opportunities it provides me to push myself outside my comfort zone, tap into my warrior spirit, and show myself how resilient and capable I can be. Just knowing I can call upon that strength whenever I need it most is what gives me the confidence to push towards my goals. Because I know I can handle whatever challenges come my way.
Remember that resilience is not something you just have, it is something you must build and maintain. So even if you feel martial arts training isn’t for you, find something, anything, to challenge you and give you your daily dose of discomfort. It will help you keep your mental sword sharp and your physical armor strong. It will gift you with a healthy dose of humility, and empower you to push forward no matter what. Knowing all along that the randomness of life will never catch you unprepared.