Why Every Man Needs to Learn to Fight

Fighting is a controversial topic. And no wonder - violence is something that’s generally considered to be a bad thing. Ask a random person on the street and they’ll probably tell you that it should be avoided at all costs.

But I think that’s unrealistic.

While it might be fun to imagine an ideal world where everybody gets along and there’s never any conflict… It's a fantasy. We don’t live in that world and we probably never will.

The simple truth is that our society is built on violence. The very thing preventing crime is that we know if we break a serious enough rule, police will use violence to take away our freedom, even if it’s as simple as slapping handcuffs on and driving us to prison. In this sense, the threat of violence is the very thing that prevents most violent acts.

And this makes sense when we dive into the power dynamics at play here. After all, in any area where violence could be a factor, the individual or group who is most prepared for a fight is usually the winner.

In contrast, the individual or group who is least able to protect themselves is usually preyed upon. We can see this on the grand scale with the smaller Ukraine being invaded by the Russian super power, and we can also see it on a micro scale with the smallest, weakest school kids usually becoming the prime bullying targets.

It’s for this reason that countries funnel so much money into their defence. The best way to prevent a neighbouring country from invading is to have a large military that’s prepared to stop them. Most countries hope never to see nuclear war and yet so many of them have nuclear weapons at the ready. The country that doesn’t have them has a target on its back. It’s weak and can be taken advantage of.

This is the core principle behind why you need to learn to fight.

By becoming a capable fighter, you decrease the chances that you’ll have to fight in the first place. Martial skill is your nuclear deterrent.

And of course, if you do have to fight then you’re more prepared for that as well.

But preparation and safety aren’t the only reasons to learn to fight. There are several others, which we’ll go through in a second.

First, I want to make things clear. When I talk about learning to fight, I’m not suggesting you start picking fights on the street or carrying weapons around. I mean learning real skill through the proper channels - joining a martial arts gym and taking classes.

Naturally, there are many different martial art styles so I’ll give a few basic tips to help you find a starting point.

I recommend avoiding the more traditional styles like kung fu. As interesting as they can be, they don’t tend to place enough focus on practical skills and will waste a lot of your time. Stick to styles that employ sparring and contact drilling as these are the practice methods that translate to real, usable skills.

I’d also suggest including both striking (punching/kicking) and grappling as you’ll need to be skilled in both to be well rounded and capable.

And finally, the necessary disclaimer - just like developing any other skill, when you learn to fight effectively, it’ll take a lot of time and a lot of practice. But this is great because it means most people will either never try or give up long before they become proficient. That leaves the way open for a badass like you to stand on top of the mountain with very little competition.

Now, let’s jump back to talking about why martial arts are so important.

Becoming a Capable Man

Real fighting skill is an incredible tool to have in your arsenal as a man.

Think about all the badasses you’ve ever looked up to on TV. I’m willing to bet at least 90% of them were kicking ass on the regular, right?

There’s a reason it’s so prevalent, besides the fact that violence just tends to make movies more exciting. It’s a great way to show that a character is capable and worthy of respect. After all, if a man can handle violence, he can probably handle pretty much everything else too.

When you build that skill, you’ll develop that same aura. You’ll walk into a room and people will just know that you’ve got things handled.

Building Confidence

One of the most common arguments I hear against learning to fight, is that fighting just isn’t that useful in the modern world. After all, things are pretty safe nowadays, at least in most western countries.

But this is a poor argument because it makes a false assumption. And that assumption is that being a capable fighter is only useful when you’re actually in a threatening situation. But that’s not true at all.

One of the largest benefits behind learning to fight is the confidence that it helps you develop. And that confidence is 24/7.

I mentioned above that this is largely due to how capable you become; you know you can handle pretty much any situation in front of you. But there’s more to it than that.

Martial arts training is difficult. It’s gruelling, physically demanding, and you’ll lose… a lot.

But it’s this process - of getting beaten down and then picking yourself up over and over again, that builds real confidence. It teaches you what you’re capable of, both in terms of how you’re able to learn and improve, but also what you’re able to endure.

When you know that you can survive anything and keep getting better, all the challenges in life suddenly get a whole lot simpler.

Physical Fitness

I know, I know. I’ve saved the most obvious for last but it’s still worth a mention.

It doesn’t take a detective to work out that fighting is extremely physically demanding. Naturally, this means that the hours you spend in the gym will lead to massive improvements in your physical fitness.

And this doesn’t just mean muscle. Fighters develop incredible cardio, muscular endurance, and explosive power. It’s pretty much gains across the board.

And this is exactly where the expression ‘ fighting fit’ comes from. Being in shape to the point that you’re ready for a fight is a totally different level of physical conditioning.

Being in fighting shape means you’re physically and mentally ready to put in max effort under intense pressure, for as long as you have to. In MMA fights, rounds typically last 5 minutes, but in a real fight, the round lasts until someone loses.

There you have it. If those 3 reasons didn’t get you hyped enough to start Googling your local MMA gyms then it might not be for you.

But if it did get you excited, then use that motivation and take action now. Most gyms will let you sign up for a free trial on their website. Book in your first class and get to work.

Learn to fight and stay badass.