Get a Free Class!

    martial arts near Webster Groves, MO

    Webster Groves, MO Martial Arts

    Martial Arts. Are you looking for something to supplement your daily life in Webster Groves, MO – something that is good for you and will help you cope with stress and endow you with positive qualities? Gracie Barra is the world’s top martial arts team, for first-rate coaching, inextinguishable interpersonal relationships, and numerous improvements to your physical and mental health which come from practicing martial arts.

    Enroll at Gracie Barra right away and discover how Webster Groves, MO martial arts can change your life. Contact us online, give us a call at 636-544-3655, or check out our programs to learn more.

    Types of Martial Arts

    Each martial art is distinct, but martial arts as a general term refers to a collection of different types systems of combat and defense training used to defend against threats and defeat opponents. Each different style of martial arts is governed by a distinct focus and style.

    Martial arts fall into one of the following categories:

    • Striking or Stand-up Styles
      • Boxing
      • Karate
      • Kickboxing
      • Muay Thai
    • Grappling
      • Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
      • Sambo
      • Wrestling
    • Throwing/Takedown Styles
      • Aikido
      • Judo
    • Weapons Based Styles
      • Kendo
      • laido
    • Low Impact Styles
      • Tai Chi
      • Chi Gong

    At Gracie Barra, we teach our Webster Groves, MO martial arts students a special approach that incorporates principles of several martial arts from different styles. We are best known for our Brazilian jiu jitsu teachings, but our programs also highlight techniques used and taught in other martial arts including muay thai, judo, and kickboxing. Learn comprehensive martial arts skills and master Brazilian jiu jitsu by studying at Gracie Barra.

    Physical Benefits of Martial Arts

    Martial arts is both an art and a sport. It targets not only physical fitness, but also mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness. If you are looking for a way to get healthier and grow as an individual, Webster Groves, MO martial arts is a gateway to self-improvement. The advantages of practicing martial arts like the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes Gracie Barra is known for are numerous and immeasurable.

    1. Cardiovascular Health

    It’s common knowledge that heart health is a huge factor in overall well-being. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, yet less than 20% of adults engage in the recommended amount of aerobic exercise. Through the training and warm up routines in martial arts naturally raise the heart rate and improves heart health.

    2. Muscle Tone

    Martial arts maximizes strength and muscle tone throughout the body, including hard-to-target muscles that aren’t addressed by more conventional methods of working out like weight lifting and running. Through warm ups and training drills as well as sparring involving punching and kicking motions, with a variety of grappling and groundwork moves practiced in Brazilian jiu jitsu, builds muscle mass.

    3. Weight Loss

    The human body is able to burn calories and burn fat more efficiently, even at rest, when it has a higher muscle mass. With overall increased fitness and physical activity by practicing Webster Groves, MO martial arts, it is easier to lose weight and maintain a healthy body weight.

    4. Reflexes

    In martial arts, individuals are challenged to heighten their reflexes. Sparring in practice and fighting in competition improve reflexes over time. In martial arts, reflexes are vital to besting your opponent, from dodging, blocking, or maneuvering to counter-attack. Repetitive practice of certain combinations over time makes you quicker, improving reflexes and shaving down reaction times.

    5. Flexibility and Mobility

    The unique moves and motions that are involved in martial arts like Brazilian jiu jitsu pushes you to be more flexible. It’s always important to stretch before engaging in any physical activity, and the stretches and warm up routine at the beginning of every Gracie Barra martial arts class helps improve flexibility and makes for a more nimble and mobile body. Flexibility inherently improves posture, reduces the risk of injury, and reduces tension.

    6. Strength

    In order to defeat your opponent using martial arts, whether you are in practice, a tournament, or a real-life self-defense situation, a certain level of strength is required. While strength alone is not sufficient against an opponent who is proficient in martial arts like BJJ, proper form and knowledge of technique are enhanced by overall bodily strength. Repetition of movements and full-strength sparring with others of the same level build muscle and strength that make you even more successful in your martial arts of choice.

    7. Balance and Coordination

    Stability is vital in martial arts, and so is coordination. To learn martial arts, you are tasked with mastering coordinated techniques that require moving and holding still isolated parts of the body simulatiously. Students first practice each part of the move slowing over and over, and eventually are able to do them reflexively. As you improve in strength, flexibility, and other physical aspects, you will, too, improve in balance and coordination.

    8. Blood Pressure

    Through the repetition of physical movements, increased heart health, and improved physical state that occur through the practice of martial arts, you will naturally experience a lower heart rate and reduced blood pressure.

    Other Benefits of Martial Arts

    1. Stress Relief

    As with any other form of exercise, martial arts helps with stress. Physical activity releases endorphins, as well as norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin and reduces the negative effects of stress on the body. Plus, when you spend time around others who share your goals and encourage you to be better, you may feel stress less severely – a unique benefit of martial arts.

    2. More Energy

    With a regular workout schedule, like attending weekly classes at Gracie Barra, you are left with more energy. This is due to the increased blood flow and cardiovascular health, which allows oxygen to circulate through your body more easily. Many people who join martial arts also report sleeping better. A better sleep cycle allows you to be more refreshed when you wake up.

    3. Peace and Balance

    Inner peace and tranquility are undeniable skills taught by martial arts. Martial arts can be seen as a meditation or mindfulness exercise, where your mind is focused and present. This quality puts you in control of your body and breathing. This translates to other areas of your life and you become more able to stay calm and centered in your life.

    4. Discipline

    Discipline and self-control are not just for kids anymore. Many adults who practice Webster Groves, MO martial arts have found improvements in matters of discipline such as the difficulty of quitting a bad habit. While stopping smoking, drinking, drug use, or other addictions should be done under the watch of a medical professional, efforts can be supplemented by a dedication to martial arts.

    5. Confidence and Humility

    Martial arts helps people of all backgrounds and confidence levels move to a healthier place with their self-confidence. For those who are shy or uncomfortable in front of others, belt ceremonies and tournaments encourage them to step out of their comfort zones. For people who are generally outspoken or ego-driven, martial arts asks them to bare themselves honestly in front of others. The martial arts learning and competing process builds confidence and humility simultaneously: humility in encountering unfamiliar and challenging tasks, and confidence when we are able to acheive them.

    6. Mental Health

    With the numerous physical health effects and the stress relief and peace it teaches, mental wellness is a natural result of practicing martial arts. In addition to all the individual skills and qualities that precede better mental health, in practicing martial arts you are immersed in a community of people who identify with your struggles, support you on your journey, and are going through similar journeys themselves.

    7. Motivation

    The structure that enrolling in martial arts classes provides in someone’s life can have an huge impact. The regularly scheduled commitment of attending your martial arts gym regularly for weekly class gives you accountability, moves you towards your goals and keeps you motivated to focus on your priorities both inside of and beyond your martial arts life.

    8. Relationships

    Webster Groves, MO martial arts classes and competitions are a special way to form uniquely powerful relationships with others. Between you and your coaches is a bond of mutual respect. Between the people you learn and struggle with, you will develop a camaraderie and understanding of each other in a way that you don’t generally find in other types of interpersonal relationships. In Webster Groves, MO martial arts, you challenge and get to know each other and form long-lasting, quality friendships.

    The sum of many invaluable benefits, martial arts has a powerful effect on your mental and emotional health. Each of the listed benefits has its own indirect positive effects on your life. When you join the martial arts community with Gracie Barra, you may very well see measurable changes in your life such as healthier familial and romantic relationships, advances in your career, and a new bank of positive memories on which to look back. Martial arts is something that can be enjoyed by all ages, so you can potentially enjoy the ongoing benefits of martial arts for the rest of your life.

    Martial Arts Near Webster Groves, MO | Gracie Barra

    Whether you are motivated to change your life, in search of a hobby, or would like to incorporate more physical activity in your lifestyle, Webster Groves, MO martial arts are perfect for you. Gracie Barra is a unique Webster Groves, MO martial arts experience that emphasizes important skills and values from a variety of martial arts diciplines, including Brazilian jiu jitsu, muay thai, kickboxing, judo, and more. For every age, every schedule, and every level of experience, Gracia Barra is the Webster Groves, MO martial arts gym for you.

    Don’t wait any longer to discover the astonishing, very real world that is opened up by the practice of martial arts. Try your first class for free to get a taste! Reach us online or call us at 636-544-3655 to learn more or to sign up for your first martial arts class today.