Focus is a critical part of our everyday lives. We use focus as a tool and a necessity from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep. From our personal lives, to our jobs, we do our best listening, acting, and managing when we can properly focus.
Unfortunately, an ability that is critical to maximum focusing is not always natural in a society of constant overstimulation trying to steal our attention. Consistent focus can seem both unrealistic and disheartening. Not all hope is lost. It is possible that in the ancient and modernized martial arts practice, better concentration can be achieved.
Martial Arts requires specific and direct instruction, that exercises your concentration. Anything from meditation, to certain moves or formations, to sparring requires an intense amount of focus. When the instructor is teaching you, you need to observe and then mimic what they have taught you. Often you need to repeat those forms and practices as a test to move forward in your training.
Posture and position is also an essential part of martial arts. You are instructed on how to sit and stand while practicing. The way our bodies are positioned and aligned has a lot to do with concentration. When we are in uncomfortable or lackadaisical positions, it’s harder to focus on what is at hand. The same applies to martial arts, and the same translates to how we position ourselves in normal life.
Like any tool, the more the tool is used and sharpened, the easier it is to use it. The consistent and structured practice of martial arts is not only an excellent task for the body, but for the focus of the mind as well.