“Almost half of all adults in the US will suffer from mental illness at some point in their lifetime.” Exercise such as martial arts is scientifically proven to produce ‘happy chemicals’. When you train, especially at a moderate level or above, your brain releases the endorphins dopamine and serotonin. While it takes 20 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, like jogging, for these chemicals to be released, it only takes a few minutes of high-intensity exercise to have the same effect.
Army veteran finds healing from PTSD through martial arts
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) — An army veteran calls martial arts his “sanctuary” as he uses it to heal from PTSD.
Lawrence Pearson is the co-owner of Perfect Moves Martial Arts gym. He said he has practiced martial arts since he was 8 years old. Today, he is a master of kickboxing, Muay Thai, taekwondo and karate.
Pearson said he practiced martial arts even while deployed in Iraq.
“I started teaching one of my buddies some martial arts,” he said. “It helped me feel like I belonged or it helped me center or get my mind off of what was going on around me at the moment in time. It was sort of my respite.”
When Lawrence came home in 2004, he said he had trouble sleeping, felt stress and had flashbacks wherever he went.
“I also felt that I had anger issues,” Lawrence added. “It was hard to cope at times. One day I was at work talking to my boss. He was asking me how I was doing, and I started shaking and crying and had an anxiety-style breakdown.”
Joyce Pearson said she shared her son’s pain.
“I felt very uncertain about what it was going to be like, him being back home and having PTSD,” she said.
But the whole family soon saw the healing power of the sport.
The Importance of Martial Arts During a Pandemic
MOREHEAD CITY, Carteret County — With Governor Roy Cooper’s decision to leave gyms out of phase two of reopening the state, one area martial arts studio says staying closed hurts more than just their wallets.
Phillip and Shannon Henry own Grandmaster Dong’s Martial Arts in Morehead City say martial arts is a form of therapy for some of their students because 40 percent are on the autism spectrum.
“Some of them have even been prescribed by doctors to come here and train with us, to help them mentally deal with those problems,” says Shannon
Using martial arts to combat stress
SOUTHWEST HARBOR — After 30 years of hard work and practice, Mike McEnroe has achieved ninth degree black belt. That’s one away from the highest rank possible in Tracy’s Karate, an organization founded in 1971 that incorporates aspects of karate, judo, jujitsu and savate (a French form of foot fighting).
When he was 27 years old, McEnroe began taking martial arts with his stepson. The child’s school had recommended it to help with an attention deficit disorder diagnosis.
“He made it two years and I’ve made it 30,” McEnroe said. “I liked the de-stress it did in me. I liked the physical contact. I didn’t have any plans on how long I was going to do it.”