Everyone always talks about the advantages of team sports and how they develop a lot of life skills for kids later on. Don’t get me wrong, I completely agree with this sentiment and fully encourage and support team sports. However, I feel as though individual sports sometimes get overshadowed by the glamor and assumed prestige of some of the larger team athletics.
Growing up I did what most kids do when they start to explore sports. I tried a bunch of team sports; basketball, soccer, (I wanted to play hockey but my mom put the kibosh on that pretty quickly). I did okay in these activities, but I never really enjoyed myself. So I kept bouncing around until I found swimming. I instantly fell in love with this sport. It was the perfect blend of individual competition with team aspects to it as well. I ended up swimming competitively for 9 years until I graduated high school and moved away for college. And in the midst of trying to figure out what I wanted to do in college to stay active, I found Tang Soo Do, and with it came that same beautiful combination of individual competition with a team supporting me.
There are several real world benefits to training in a sport that sets you in competition with primarily yourself. Starting with understanding the concepts of personal motivation, dedication, and growth. In a sport like the martial arts, ultimately the person that is going to make it happen is you. You are the one setting your priorities to train and improve. You are the one that has to make a conscious effort every day about whether or not you will train. The same applies in everyday life outside of the dojang. There won’t always be some superstar on your team at work making everyone else look good. You have to be your own superstar and take on the responsibility of making yourself stand out in your field. Ultimately you are trying to best yourself, and having that internal drive and dedication that comes from training individually will help you reach those goals.
The other great thing that comes from individual competition is that it creates a healthier competitive environment. The world is a competitive place; but we are not all running the same race. You don’t need to measure up your success against someone else’s if you know that you are just focused on your own life and your own goals.
The wonderfully unexpected benefit that comes with individual based competition is that it actually fosters an extraordinary sense of community. Even though we are in competition with ourselves the majority of the time, we are surrounded by like-minded people who are doing the same. Which means everyone is encouraging and supportive in helping you grow and develop in your art. When you work and train with a group of people that don’t feel they have to tear you down to build themselves up, the results are extraordinary. There will always be someone who can do a higher kick or a more polished hyung than you; but they are willing to help elevate you in your skills to the next level.
