If you look at any advertisement or brochure on Karate, you will more than likely see the word confidence listed as one of the advertised benefits. How can a martial arts program develop confidence is the question you should ask? 

To be successful in anything, it requires time and dedication, but who has the time to make such a commitment? With the advancement of technology, we can learn anything with a few keystrokes or the swipe of an app. If we wish to learn about karate, how to punch, how to fight an attacker or become more confident, all we have to do is go to YouTube or Google.

We are all born with the ability to develop confidence, and our environment plays a major role in how confident we are. So what if you do not have confidence – or is it possible to be confident in one area and not others?

What is confidence?

There are many definitions of what confidence is and how to develop it. In the world of martial arts, confidence has many meanings that extend beyond the dojo floor. Karate has many of the same benefits as playing a sport; just like sports can help boost confidence, karate can do the same.

Through sports, individuals practice as a team to develop a strategy great enough to beat their opponent. One of the key benefits of team sports is when a collective number of individuals work together they can become victorious. Another benefit of team sports is when one athlete is not performing at best, the other athletes often times take up the slack.

How does karate compare with team sports?

A karate student, just like an athlete, must perform repetitive drills to become better. The more a karate student or athlete practice, the more they improve. When a new student starts out, they must be evaluated to develop the right approach at helping them be successful. When a student shows little confidence, we have drills that help them become stronger mentally and physically.

This process builds the platform for growth and proves to the student why they are worthy of success. It simply improves their belief in themselves which expands towards success in life.

In a traditional karate program, the student will learn not only physical attributes, but also how to focus on and develop mental drills. Theses drills include breathing, learning to follow instruction on command, commanding their bodies to perform certain tasks upon demand, and learning to block out verbal intimidation or distractions. These are all similar traits of team sports with the key difference being a karate student must learn these skills individually. Through repetitive drills that challenge them to focus beyond their discomfort zone, they develop the physical and mental strength to address such challenges with unwavering confidence, which can be used in the classroom, workplace, dangerous situations, etc.

When younger students have to deal with bullies, they do not have their instructor or peers physically with them. They have to rely on what they’ve learned and be able to execute with confidence. 

When an individual develops the ability to do five pull-ups after they could not even do one, it gives them a boost of confidence and belief. When a person learns skills to protect themselves with proper mental control, this addresses the powerful emotion of FEAR.

The fear of being attacked or picked on and not sure what to do, nor have the confidence to do it is immobilizing. When you develop this skill of defending yourself by using all senses through repetitive drills and training, you become confident you can defend yourself in most situations.

One cannot think that the mission at hand is to prepare students for battle. The goal is to arm students with a strong mental and physical presence that serves to protect them and help them navigate through life’s many challenges. If students are picked on, they should develop the strength to walk away from the situations and only use their training as the absolute last resort.

It takes a lot of confidence and a strong person to master this task, and certainly not an impossible task.

George Whitten can be found at Fighting Tiger Family Karate, located on 6701 Glenwood Ave., Suite 103, Raleigh, NC 27612. For more information, call (919) 787-2250 or visit www.ftfKarate.com.