5 Telling Signs You’re Obsessed With Martial Arts

Filipino MMA fighter Geje Eustaquio training with Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao

Training in martial arts can be one of the most addictive hobbies you take up in the course of your life because there is always something to learn and it’s a great way to channel your energy.

But usually, when you start training, your love for martial arts spills out of the gym and into your everyday life.

Here are five ways you know you’re obsessed with martial arts.

#1 You Think Only About Training

Two friends train Muay Thai at Evolve

Whether you’re at work, at school, or at home, the only thing that occupies your mind is training. You find yourself daydreaming about rolling around on the mats or taking a Thailand training vacation.

When you’ve had a stressful day, you can’t wait for the moment to smash the pads and then talk shop with your training partners. And when you leave the gym, the only thing you can think about is the next day’s training session.

#2 You Break Down Techniques In Your Free Time

If you find yourself watching and re-watching your favorite ONE Championship athletes’ bouts to find out exactly how they executed their finishing moves, then you know you’re obsessed with martial arts.

That’s not a bad habit to have, however.

By breaking down an athlete’s combination, you learn not only how to use the technique, but also how to explain it in detail – which will make you a better person to train with at the gym.



#3 You Pose For Every Picture In A Fighting Stance

Evolve MMA's Amir Khan poses outside

When you’re at the gym, it’s okay to pose for pictures like the Thais traditionally do.

The trouble comes when you find yourself at your buddy’s wedding and you instinctively go into fight stance whenever a camera is pointed at you.

Even if you don’t go to those extremes, when you’re obsessed with martial arts, it’s just as hard to refrain from the old ‘one-fist-up-in-front-of-you’ pose.

#4 You Throw Techniques In Your Sleep

The fourth way you know you’re obsessed with martial arts is if your significant other wakes you up in the middle of the night to complain about your non-stop elbow action.

When you start practicing a martial art, your muscles are learning how to execute techniques naturally. Sometimes, unfortunately, this results in spasms during the nighttime hours.

#5 You’ve Mastered The Jump Rope

BJJ World Champion Michelle Nicolini jumps rope

Maybe you were a pro at Double Dutch jump roping when you were a teenager. But that doesn’t speak to your martial arts skills.

If you master the boxing jump rope, however, that says a thing or two about your obsession with training.

Should you find yourself skipping rope at home or at the park as furiously as ONE Women’s Strawweight World Title contender Michelle Nicolini, then you know you have a strong fascination with martial arts.

Read more: Shinya Aoki’s ONE 101: A Martial Artist’s Diet

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