One of the biggest misconceptions around the world is that you need to start martial arts at a young age to be successful. However, this is not the case, and age is very rarely a significant handicap. Starting a martial art as an adult might seem more difficult, but with the right coaching, you could make it.
How to go about starting a martial art as an adult? The first thing you will need to do is determine which martial art suits your goals the best. Once you have made the decision, you can simply start practicing. The important thing is that you should always remain consistent, which would enable you to improve and progress through the ranks.
Since it can be daunting to get started, we have created an informative guide that would help you understand the value of performing martial art.
After speaking to a few late bloomers in the MMA world, we can find out what their journey was like when they started, which should give you an idea of how to go about it.
You might also enjoy reading: 6 Different Types of Karate (Which one should you pick!)
Benefits And Drawbacks Of Starting A Martial Art As An Adult
Before we look at some of the things you need to keep in mind, it would be beneficial for you to look at some of the advantages and drawbacks of starting as an adult.
Having spoken to a few people, who were late to start their martial arts journey, I have identified a few of the pros and cons of starting so late on in life:
The table below displays the benefits and drawbacks of starting a martial art as an adult.
| Benefits Of Starting A Martial Art As An Adult | Drawbacks Of Starting A Martial Art As An Adult |
| – Improved Fitness – Improved Discipline – Will get your social – Learn new skills – Numerous health benefits | – Skills might take longer to learn – You need to swallow your pride – It can be a painful journey – It will take plenty of time |
What You Need To Know About Starting A Martial Art As An Adult
To help you get started, we will look at some of the key things you will need to keep in mind when you are starting a martial art as an adult.
We will break down some of the basics and thoughts you might have. However, the guide would help you understand the journey from beginner to pro much better when starting late in your life:
Here’s what you need to start martial art as an adult.
1- Pick Your Preferred Martial Art
Nowadays, there are hundreds of different martial art disciplines or sub-disciplines that choose from. Each of these forms brings something different to the table, but discipline would be the main thing that they all have in common. If you want to do something more aggressive, a martial art like kickboxing would be of the preferred options.
However, Muay Thai and Karate are also great options for late starters and would enable you to learn some basic skills from the ground up.
You should do some research and find out which of the martial arts would suit your goals best. Here are a few options for you to consider:
- Karate: Best for learning discipline and improving your coordination
- Judo: Tournaments with full contact and self-defense
- Jiu Jitsu: Full combat and tournaments
- Tae Kwon Do: Complete training and tournaments
- Krav Maga: Best for self-defense lessons
- Kung Fu: Best For Improving overall balance and fitness
- Tai Chi: Ideal for performing low-impact workouts
2- Plan Your Goals
One of the most important parts of choosing your martial art is the motivation that could drive you. Your driving factors would often be things like whether you want to learn discipline and improve self-confidence or you might be wanting to learn some self-defense. Fitness might be another driving factor.
The important thing is that you determine before starting what your motivation will be, as this would carry you through the process of becoming better at martial arts.
Once you have identified the reason for starting, you could also use this to help choose which martial arts would be the best for you’re your personal goals.
3- You Will Start At The Bottom
While age doesn’t matter, you might have someone far younger than yourself coaching you through the martial art. You should disregard age completely and understand that experience would be the main driving factor behind your performance. No matter your age, you will have to start from the bottom and work yourself up.
One of the first things you would notice is that you will learn new skills as you progress. However, these skills would help you to build on them each time you perform.
For instance, each person would start from the white belt level in karate. However, you will eventually improve and progress to the top, becoming a black belt.
4- The Process Will Be Painful
You might be frustrated if you are not accustomed to dealing with pain. You will need to deal with some pain as martial arts are fighting techniques and skills.
Not only will you get hurt whilst sparring with your fellow practitioners, but you will also be sore from practicing the following day.
The most common place to feel pain is the next morning when you wake up. Unfortunately, all forms of martial arts will force you to work out, and these workouts would get you to work muscles you might not have trained in years. Fortunately, the pain would eventually subside as your muscles become more accustomed.
5- Patience Is Very Important
Many people think that they should become an expert at a particular form of martial arts when they start. However, most people take time to learn new and different skills, which could be frustrating. You might fail a few times, which includes not being able to get the belt you are desiring in a specific timeframe.
One of the important parts of martial arts is patience. Fortunately, this is also one of the many things you are taught throughout your journey.
You need to remain calm and understand that Rome was not built in one day. It is best to see this as a journey that could take a lifetime to achieve through constant practice and repetition.
How To Start Martial Arts As An Adult?
Now that you know what you are signing up for, you might wonder how you start with martial art as an adult.
Fortunately, we have you covered, and the following step-by-step guide would help you find the best way to progress. Now you can effectively start your journey performing your favorite martial art.
1- Find An Instructor
Nowadays, the internet makes it easy for people to find an instructor close by. The first thing you will need to do is to get on the internet and research to find the ideal martial arts you are interested in.
Once you have made the decision and you have spoken to a few instructors, you can choose the one you feel comfortable with and enroll in the class of the individual.
You might even want to convince some of your friends and coworkers to join you on the journey, which should provide some solid motivation.
2- Create A Schedule
Once you have enrolled in your favorite martial art, you should enroll for the right class and make sure that you mentally prepare for the journey. The instructor should give you a schedule of when classes are bound to take place, which could help you plan.
I would stress that to excel at any martial art, you should commit and ensure that you can follow the planned schedule.
Keep in mind that you will also be paying for classes, which means that you are the one who will be losing money if you do not commit to joining classes.
3- Make Friends/ Be Active
Once you get to the first class, things might start a little bit awkward, and this might scare some newcomers. However, you should interact with some of the other people in the class, which would allow you to make new friends. Many of these friends might be advanced and even give you encouragement or advice.
It is much easier for individuals to commit to a schedule when they have something they enjoy driving them to interact.
4- Stick to It
Once you have new friends and you are enjoying the martial art you have chosen, you might eventually encounter times when you do not feel like participating.
However, you should stick to it, and you will eventually become better.
Wrapping Up
The myth that there is an age limit when it comes to martial arts has been debunked hundreds of times. No matter your age, it is often great to get outside and perform your favorite martial art.
Not only will you see incredible health benefits, but you can build your confidence. Let us know in the comment section at what age you started.