Every Woman Needs to Know Martial Arts
by Chloe N. De Peña (12 years old)
“Women should not be fighting. That is a man’s job.” Although this is a common thought, primarily in older generations, it is outdated and impractical in today’s world. Martial arts is especially recommended for young females learning to live safely and protect themselves without depending upon someone else. Every woman needs to know martial arts because it provides fitness, self-defense, and confidence.
Besides learning to fight, fitness carries it all from the beginning. So before all the fancy kicks and self-defense, staying active and building muscle will always be the top priority. Women often doubt how strong they are and do not reach their full potential, but in martial arts, females break boundaries to see how powerful they truly stand. Some may disagree that martial arts is the most effective way to gain fitness and regard other sports to provide faster results. However, martial arts delivers not only outstanding fitness but also benefits hand-eye coordination, flexibility, and cardio (taekwondo nation), which is challenging to find in any average sport. Experienced from the first martial arts class, students consistently walk out sore from head to toe by the entire body workout provided every class. Staying fit and unleashing the power within is the most crucial part of a woman’s martial arts journey.
After learning to take care of the body and understanding basic moves, self-defense comes effortlessly. “Training will teach you how to control emotions like fear and adrenaline and keep your mind calm.”(Zivanovic). Once the students are relaxed, it is easy to remember all the constant moves they have practiced in class. For example, when women do karate, they learn not only how to punch and kick but also constantly work gun defense, knife defense, and how to fight once taken to the ground. Because martial arts covers more self-defense moves than any other sport, it becomes perfect for women learning to fight. When students know how to defend themselves, confidence is the best reward.
Some people may be taller and more muscular, but confidence thrives no matter the size. “Frequently, women lack confidence because of all the mental, physical and cyber assaults every 1/5 females experience” (DePena). Martial arts, which can not completely fix the problem, helps support young ladies to feel safe and confident in their everyday life. Taking one class can improve women’s confidence levels because knowing they are safe at karate will teach them to be calm during any situation. There are numerous martial arts such as taekwondo, muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu, and many others, but they all have one thing in common: confidence.
With all the facts considered, any sensible person would agree with martial arts being beneficial. It is now proved that everyone, including women, needs to know martial arts because it benefits strength, safety, and courage. So now, with all the martial arts schools worldwide, get up, walk to the nearest karate school, and take a class. It is never known what might happen in the future.
By Chloe Naleen DePeña
Assistant Instructor at Zentai Martial Arts.
Works cited
De Peña, Allen, “How Taekwondo Benefits Women.” 1 March 2022.
TaeKwonDo Nation editors, TaeKwonDo Nation, “9 Top Reasons You Should Learn
TaeKwonDo”. 3 July 2021.
https://www.taekwondonation.com/9-reasons-to-learn-tae-kwon-do/ Date accessed 3 March 2022.
Zivanovic, Tomislav, Martial Arts Unleashed, “Benefits Of Martial Arts For Women (Top 10)”,
26 November 2020,
https://medium.com/martial-arts-unleashed/benefits-of-martial-arts-for-women-top-10-ec7f925d6f75 Accessed on 3 March 2022.
