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Comment by Shared404 | Hacker News Reader

> - Learn confidence and humility by mastering a common physical skill like an instrument, singing, or performing monologues, etc. Not stupid tricks, but something where other people are objectively way better than you are and plan to be embarrassingly bad at it for at least a decade.

I would personally recommend martial arts for this. You get a useful skill (eventually), there is no skill ceiling, and there are always people better than you.

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I mean, whatever floats your boat really, but when exactly are martial arts useful? The average person might use them once in a lifetime. A year's worth of voice lessons and pretty much any non-trained person will love hearing you sing along to any song, and you will make them want to sing. It's a way to relate to people and make friends in nearly any social situation.

Even if you're just more into the kinesthetic work, dance will pay more dividends and be more useful for basically the same reasons. Breaking is especially fundamental and nearly always works.

Again, do whatever works for you. But martial arts are really very rarely a useful thing to have learned. (And to be fair, performing monologues per the OP's suggestion is about as un-useful as martial arts relative to singing and dancing.)

Martial arts are useful especially because when you are proficient, you are less likely to use the art.

Not being afraid of a confrontation makes you more confident, serene, and less likely to have a confrontation. I am skilled in a martial art that's quite popular these days, and which had an unmistakeable, positive effect on my demeanor; you don't use the martial art once in a lifetime, but every day for a lifetime without actually using it. (I also enjoy dancing. Both martial arts and dancing are good activities to make friends)

> The average person might use them once in a lifetime.

Depends on your perspective. On the one hand, I haven't had to fight anyone, and would like to keep it that way. On the other, I'd like to be able to if necessary.

Martial arts is the only activity other then programming in which I have reached flow state. I suspect dancing/yoga/etc also reach this state, but I don't know because I've never done any of these seriously enough to get to that point.

Aside from these, like borroka said, it has an affect on your demeanour and world view, which is honestly the biggest benefit.

> very rarely a useful thing to have learned.

Also, it makes good resume filler if you're just barely getting your career started. Not quite as good as being an Eagle Scout, but non negligible.

I've just made a lot of personal improvement through martial arts, and figured I'd bring it up in case someone else would enjoy it.

Good explanation of the benefits of practicing a martial art. I think any type of activity that involves both coordinated motion and cardio is a good candidate for achieving flow states.

Re: martial arts. What type do you recommend?

I've only studied Okinawan Karate at an OSMKKF school, so I can't speak personally to any others.

However, I have friends who have had good experiences with MMA, and Capoeira is on my bucket list to learn.

I honestly don't think the particular style is as important as the fact that you have proper training in that style.

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