Mental strength is important for a healthy life. But it is more difficult to train than physical strength.
One of the best ways to get a strong mind is to practice karate regularly. Karate helps you hone your mental power by forcing you to be attentive, patient, and disciplined. In addition, karate training improves your concentration and self-control, which is essential for a "strong" mind.
Karate is often seen as a rather physical art form, but there is much more to it than meets the eye. Kyokushin karate's primary intention is the development of a strong and unwavering spirit. This style seeks to cultivate the mind of the practitioner and create a powerful force that can be harnessed to follow the way of the heart and the path of excellence.
With a strong mind comes a healthy body, which makes this practice essential to achieving one's goals in any aspect of life. A karateka without a strong mind is like a car without an engine: it may look good on the outside, but it will not move forward or reach its destination.
"The power of the mind is the foundation of all things. Strengthen your mind and you will get the strength to conquer any obstacle.
Our mind can be one of the most powerful tools we have in our lives, and harnessing the power of our mind is a crucial way to open up opportunities for personal development and success.
We all wish we had valuable qualities such as determination, perseverance, passion, calmness, dedication, and patience. But do we really know how to take the necessary steps to obtain them? The answer is yes: by improving the strength of your mind!
Karatekas know this advantage well and practice it in all their classes during intense training like:
chair exercises,
holding a low position for long minutes,
performing push-ups in slow motion (e.g. doing one push-up in 3-5 minutes or 5 push-ups of 2 minutes each),
taking powerful blows,
do 10 full contact fights in a row,
perform 1000 kicks, 1000 punches, 1000 push-ups, and 1000 sit-ups in the same training session, etc.
With better psychic power, we can more easily face trying conditions not only in the various forms of karate trials but also against illness, work stress, problem-solving, etc.
Martial arts, especially Kyokushin karate (excuse my bias), can have a powerful effect on a person's mental health. A karateka who has developed mental strength is better equipped to deal with difficult situations, both inside and outside the dojo.
The benefits of a strong mind for a karateka are undeniable and numerous. For example:
it allows them to keep a cool head when faced with illness or a difficult work environment.
Rather than being overwhelmed by stress and worry, they will breathe deeply and focus on the task at hand.
A strong mind also helps to face challenges rather than avoid them altogether.
Karatekas will be less likely to give up when things get tough because they know why they do what they do and how it brings them closer to their goals.
In conclusion, practicing karate helps to develop personal power and resilience that can effortlessly be transferred to everyday situations. Not only does it give them the confidence to face and overcome difficult circumstances, but it also helps them to guard against the stress that can interfere with their daily lives. With regular practice, every karateka can improve their mental health and gain better control over their emotions and reactions. It is truly inspiring to see how far one can go when one commits to having an indomitable spirit! And as the Dojo Kun says: "We will train to develop a strong and unshakable mind".
Having a strong and unshakable body-mind is one of the qualities of the Generative Warrior.
Gaëtan Sauvé
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