Classes for Self-Defense and Fitness in 2024
Welcome to a new year and the dawn of 2024. What are your plans for the months ahead? January is a great time to set goals for the year, either in your personal life, romantic life, or business. Many people worldwide make New Year's resolutions, making pledges to themselves to get fit, learn a new skill, get a promotion, or get out there and find a partner. Many resolutions don't make it past the first month as we start the year with good intentions but quickly fall into bad habits. Don't let that be your story in 2024.
Resolutions don't need to be grand or over the top. You could do without putting pressure on yourself to achieve unrealistic goals, like 2024 being the year you finally buy your dream home or car. It's a good idea to make small changes that will move you in the right direction. If the dream is a lavish vacation, your 2024 promise could be to get a new job or go for that promotion. You may wish to improve your strike rate with predictions on sports when enjoying online betting apps and markets in California. Perhaps investing in crypto is your best approach. Achieving what you want is a marathon, not a sprint.
The start of a new year is also a great opportunity to improve your health and fitness. What use is a new car if you're unfit and unhealthy? Thankfully, getting fit is one of the easiest resolutions to achieve for most. You can purchase a set of dumbells online and follow a home workout program, join a gym, or take a class. Check gyms in your area and enquire about joining.
Combat sports are key
One of the quickest, best, safest, and most popular ways to get fit is through combat sports. We're not talking about joining a boxing club and scheduling a fight for a few weeks. With no prior fight experience, that would be dangerous and stupid. But training in combat sports like boxing and mixed martial arts is a fun way to learn self-defense, ramp up your cardio, and turn fat into muscle. If you've ever shadowboxed in front of a mirror at home, you'll appreciate the fitness and balance of boxers.
Despite being a tried and trusted way to get yourself in good shape, combat sports scare many people due to common misconceptions about the game. People think boxing gyms are unwelcoming, dark, and damp places like something from a Rocky movie. They believe MMA always results in damage to the face, broken bones, and misshapen ears. But that's not the case.
There are many different styles of combat sports open to beginners, and we'll list them in this article. From boxing to Brazilian Jiujitsu and Thai Boxing, you'll find something to suit your needs. But before getting into the thick of our list of sports to try this year, we want to smash those untruths that still exist.
Combat sports gyms may look intimidating and even unfriendly, but they are amongst the most welcoming places in the fitness industry. Do your homework and find a gym with a good reputation, then go and meet the coaches before signing up. A meeting and possible snoop around the empty gym will help alleviate some of your fears.
Karate
Think combat sports training, and you'll likely imagine a busy class practicing karate in a public hall. Karate is one of the oldest and most popular martial arts in this part of the world, and the millions of people who have tried it can't be wrong. Its long shelf life is a testament to how karate is useful for self-defense and fitness but also that it's great fun. Find a karate coach in your area and take a class or try one-to-one training to learn the basics.
Judo
Judo is a combat sport that is great for people of all ages, shapes, and sizes. Judo teaches the art of using an attacker's body weight and aggression against them. You'll learn how to take an assailant to the ground in lightning-quick fashion, giving you enough time to escape. Judo is as fun to train as karate and is more challenging for your fitness. There's no need to buy all the equipment and gear, especially when starting. What you will require is water, comfortable clothes to train in, and an open mind.
Kickboxing
If you really want to raise your fitness game this year, kickboxing is a great option. It's every bit as tough as traditional boxing but with added kicks and blocks, making it a complete body workout. In terms of self-defense, kickboxing takes it to another level. While karate and judo teach you how to neutralize the danger of an attacker, kickboxing ensures you become the main danger in a tricky situation, like a street robbery or attack.
Mixed Martial Arts
MMA isn't as old as the other forms of self-defense listed on this page, but it certainly packs a punch. As the name suggests, MMA is a combination of all major and respected martial arts. You'll learn Brazilian Jiujitsu, Thai boxing, wrestling, boxing, and more. All combat sports used in MMA complement each other, resulting in a complete game where you're as comfortable standing and striking as you are on the deck using judo and BJJ.
Boxing
We finish our list of combat sports to try in 2024 with the oldest and most traditional. Boxing is as ancient as human civilization, and it gets results. Training in boxing doesn't just teach how to block attacks and deliver well-timed punches from close quarters; it will take your fitness to new levels, help you lose weight, and build muscle in your legs, shoulders, and arms.
We're not talking bulky, bodybuilding muscles here but lean, fast, and effective muscles that will give you that famous boxer's chiseled look in time for summer. You'll learn stretches, skipping, circuits, bag and mitt work, footwork, timing, and so much more. Search online for your local amateur boxing club or public gym and give combat sports a try.
