Diminishing Nightmares - Another Benefit of Martial Arts.

Sketch by the author (copyright), 'The Big Game'.

There are benefits to training in traditional martial arts besides just learning to defend oneself. Some  benefits include self-control, self-defense, dexterity, increased strength, dramatic reflex increase, flexibility, improved body and brain health, weight loss, favorable body mass index, calming confidence, focus, and self-confidence.

Periodically new benefits are discovered. For example Perfect Mind describes 10 benefits of martial arts training as does Health Fitness Revolution. Some bloggers report traditional martial arts training is beneficial to all people and emphasize benefits to women. Another site describes 10 best martial arts, while another blogger mentions 7 benefits of martial arts training. Then there are other reports described at Easy Health Options which focuses on brain health and martial arts. In a recent pilot study, Batcheller (2019) reports benefits to those inflicted with Parkinson’s disease including depression and anxiety.

Some additional benefits were recently described by one of my students last week, that I more or less forgot about, simply because these have been part of my life for decades. One is hand-eye coordination described in some of the above links. My student, Jorge, mentioned he dropped something, but quickly snapped it out of the air before it hit the ground, surprising both himself and others at his gym - Jorge is a senior citizen, and his reflexes dramatically improved due to his weekly Shorin-Ryu karate, kobudo, self-defense and samurai arts training at the Hombu dojo in Mesa, Arizona. 

Sketch by the Soke, 'Tameshiwari'

I notice this same benefit years ago. In one instant, my wife and I stopped at a International Pancake House on the edge of Grand Junction, Colorado. After we sat down, we were attacked by a pack of rogue flies. We should have just left because of the poor environment, but I was hungry, and besides, I periodically enjoy sparring bouts with flies.

So, as we sat and waited for our breakfast, a group of young adults in the next booth and I had a challenge to see who could take the most flies out of the air. Before breakfast was served, I killed 6 or 7 in mid-flight, and our challengers only got one between the five of them.

 "Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breathe in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don't forget to breathe, very important." 

Mr. Miyagi walks away, still making circular motions with hands

"Wax on, wax off. Wax on, wax off."

Sketch by Soke, 'Optimism'.

Then there were those old high school and college days playing football, where is used hands and elbows to sneak a blow to the ribs, hands, etc, completely unseen by others, during plays, and easily knocked footballs out of hands.

Jorge also mentioned another benefit that he recently discovered which I completely forgot about. He no longer has nightmares!

Prior to signing up for karate in 1964, I had nightmares of being attacked or bullied by others. The normal stuff we went through as teenagers. After I trained in karate, nightmares were all replaced by successful self-defense against all attackers. I suspect this benefit likely falls under the category of self-confidence.

But this is only the beginning. The more health and kinesiology researchers develop interest in martial arts, the more research studies will be done in the lab or on various groups. I would bet future studies will find tremendous benefit to people training in traditional martial arts from kids to seniors. I would also bet that research on Veterans taking martial arts will prove to be greatly beneficial in more than one way and could potentially help those Vets and Law Enforcement officers with bouts of PTSD.
 

Traditional karate Sketch by Soke