Title: Safety First: 4 Tips for Staying Safe While Starting Martial Arts
At Scottsdale Martial Arts Center, we want to set our students up for success and keep them
safe from the very beginning. In martial arts training, however, it’s important to remember that
this activity can be dangerous if you aren’t careful, especially when you start. You could injure
yourself or someone else! To help you prepare to begin martial arts training and feel better
about everyone’s safety, you should follow these guidelines!
Stretch and Warm Up Before Training
Flexibility is essential for mastering control of your body. The motions, both offensive and
defensive, will require you to be limber; otherwise, you could pull a muscle, which can be very
painful and keep you out of training for a few weeks.
Stretching when you arrive for your class will help your mind and body get ready to work and
learn as well as be more capable of successfully achieving moves and forms.
Listen to Your Instructor
When class begins, your focus needs to be on your instructor, whose job it is to make sure you
are given everything you need to learn. They are experienced and trained and will give you
directions and guidance on techniques. If you aren’t listening, you can miss important
information and hurt yourself or others. Learning to focus on and follow your instructor will teach
you discipline and keep you and everyone else safe!
Wear a Mouthguard
Even the best martial arts experts get hit while fighting an opponent. Unfortunately, sometimes
those blows can inadvertently impact the face or mouth. To protect your teeth from accidentally
getting chipped or knocked out, you need to wear a mouthguard. Especially for adults and
teens, we recommend getting a custom mouthguard from your dentist to ensure a perfect and
more comfortable fit.
Drink Lots of Water
Staying hydrated will make sure your body can sweat and keep cool as you exercise. During
training, you can take small breaks to get water, but it’s also important to drink water throughout
the day so that your body has the necessary fluids to function and perform optimally.
Just as with any sport and activity, ultimately, there’s no way to be 100 percent safe all the time
in martial arts, but if you follow these tips, you’ll be better able to avoid injury and hurting
yourself. That way, you can enjoy yourself, learn new skills, and feel more self-confident!