When people talk about the benefits of martial arts, most mention respect, community, discipline and physical activity. Although a new sense of self-respect, healthy habits and a supportive community of friends are all wonderful, none of those things were in my head when I was looking for a school. At 23 years old, I hadn’t grown up playing sports like many of my friends. I hadn’t taken the time to foster my athleticism and thus believed that I had no athletic skill. I had never been in a physical altercation and truly didn’t know how to defend myself. Just admitting that to myself was a hard truth. I felt alone, embarrassed about my lack of physical prowess and scared to seek the hard truths that my soul was screaming for. Of course after years of practicing martial arts I’ve learned that most men have a tough time coming to terms with the reality of just how little they could really do against a violent attacker. At the time, I felt like I was less than other men, like I was lacking something inside that made others stand proud.
I was also an avid fan of mixed martial arts. I was inspired by these men and women performing physical tasks that I couldn’t imagine myself doing. I remember watching in awe as Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald traded blows, staring at one another as blood leaked from their faces, bravely stepping forward to meet in the center of the octagon. I remember the feeling of joy when Michael Bisping won the middleweight title; almost as if we had both achieved victory together. As my obsession with unarmed combat grew, so did my desire to learn the skills displayed by my gloved heroes.
After doing some research, I found a school that I loved. Finding the right school is an important step, and I found myself getting more and more comfortable with my coaches, training partners and the culture with each passing month. I started off coming to class two or three times a week, and I was absolutely exhausted after training every night. Naturally, the longer I stuck with it the more my body could take. I was working on a farm at the time, which required very long days of hard manual labor. I found that my training was making my work feel much easier. Although I may have been sore from the evening prior, I noticed myself being able to lift things more easily and keep up a good work pace without getting too tired. Even when I did get tired, my recovery time was much shorter than it used to be. When I would take my shirt off at the beach, people would comment on how much stronger I look. I was always a skinny guy but I was starting to develop real muscle tone. For someone who has been working out forever, this may sound like nothing. However to me, it was everything. Not only was I looking better and feeling better, I was developing functional strength. This was the end of me counting myself out and telling myself that I’m not good enough. This was the most essential maturation that I had experienced in my young life.
I wanted to know how to protect myself in every situation, so I was training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai and western boxing. Although I enjoyed all disciplines that I was exposed to, I immediately gravitated towards boxing and found myself constantly thinking about striking. I would walk around the house shadow-boxing, I would open up cupboards and roll under as they would swing open over my head. I would walk up to objects and try to position myself at the perfect distance for my jab. Once I started sparring, I fell in love with the thrill of real-time combat, but was also frequently reminded of the harsh consequences that come along with the sport. Through time and dedication, I learned to become evasive on my feet, to keep my hands up in an active guard and to move my head after every few punches. I noticed myself having competitive rounds with guys who had been showing me techniques and helping me learn. Although we were throwing punches at one another, it was a bond unlike anything that I had previously experienced. These guys been generous enough with their time and knowledge to help me gain the skills that I so badly desired. It felt incredible to realize that I had become a valuable sparring partner to the same people who I looked up to when I first arrived. Although I was (and sometimes still feel) relatively new to the sport, I finally felt like one of the guys.
The longer I stuck with training, the more my life continued to improve. I was taking advantage of opportunities that I may have talked myself out of in the past. Instead of staying up partying with friends I was getting to bed as early as possible so that I could stretch and workout before work. I began to cook more to ensure that my nutrition was everything that I wanted it to be. I became more confident in social interactions, and felt like I had become a kinder person. I was proud of my behaviors and I felt like my life was in my own hands for the first time.
As my life changed for the better, my reasons for training began to change as well. My obsession with combat and self-defense was more alive than ever, but my fears had been replaced by thoughts of tactical solutions. I used to drive to the gym thinking about how much tougher this will make me, or worry that if I miss a session maybe I’ll get jumped and not know what to do. Now I think about how I can solve the piece of the puzzle that was missing in my last session. How can I land that right hand on the guy with the slick head movement? How can I set up my body shots better? How can I trap the hands so that my partner can’t escape my back mount like he did last time? It became somewhat of a game in my head; how can I implement my best weapons and remove their best weapons?
Deciding to pursue martial arts was without a doubt the most important decision that I’ve made. Training brought a new sense of purpose to my life, a new sense of self worth. After a few short months I began caring about what I ate, about how much sleep I got and about doing extra workouts to enhance my performance in class. Martial arts allowed me to realize my full potential and strive for both mental and physical excellence. It brought a new community of people into my life, many of whom helped me to improve my life and guide me to become the person that I am today. Perhaps the most valuable tool that martial arts has given me is self belief. To be able to approach any challenge with confidence, knowing that I can apply the same mentality that I have on the mats to every facet of my life.
Want to improve your life through martial arts? Come check out Precision Boxing and MMA, the premiere academy for mixed martial arts in Poughkeepsie. Give us a call at (845)392-8495 or click HERE!
About the Author:
Oliver Swanson is a practitioner of Brazilian Jiu Jistu, Muay Thai and boxing at Poughkeepsie’s largest mixed martial arts academy; Precision Boxing and MMA. A lifelong fan of combat sports, he began classes in 2016. When he’s not training he enjoys writing about mixed martial arts news, techniques and the journey that comes along with being a dedicated martial artist.
