Why Train in Martial Arts?

I have been training i martial arts almost all of my life, starting from Tae Kwon Do, to Jeet Kune Do to Kali and now to BJJ and MMA.  Why do I spend so much time training where I hardly use my skills every day against someone who is trying to attack and hurt me?

This story is my story and I am not representing anyone. I only hope that you find some benefits in hearing my story.

I see my martial arts training now as a life performance tool to help and better me in many areas of my life both spiritually and physically.
I started martial art training because i was always bullied as a kid. So my Dad, enrolled me in a martial art and  I continue from that point on. I always see this training is for self defense purpose only.
Watching Bruce Lee movies made me fall in love with martial arts. For a long time, i was always worried about losing and always strive to have the edge on the latest techniques.

By sparring with many people and competed in few tournaments I started to learn a lot about myself. During training, preparation and practice, i got to know what I was good at, what I was bad at, what I was afraid of,etc. Therefore, the focus of my training switched from how to look good from the outside to more of how to better myself every day such as facing my fears, how to have courage, how to improve on daily basis, how to questions things, learning how to think, not what to think, etc.

These habits then spread to other areas of my life, not just martial arts. I started to be more interested about finding truths than that of protecting my ego. It started to make me question my self limiting beliefs, question about purpose and more willingness to others’ success than trying to be self serving all the time. In a nut shell, it makes me better.

Its a funny thing to experience where combative physical activities could actually have been transformimg me physically and mentally.
The last part that I realize is that i am more concern about helping others get what I have achieved with myself.

I love teaching, coaching and helping others in martial arts and transforming them in their own way. I love to see people that I help succeed.  That’s why I do martial arts now, its addictive and fulfilling my life and others.