Martial arts is a unique sport because it encompasses the body, mind, and spirit. But to excel in martial arts you need a special kind of grit because of the dozens of injuries, from bruises to concussions, associated with the sport. That’s where cannabis comes in; it gives you the physical, mental, and spiritual grit you need to succeed.
Veteran martial art fighters are coming out to push the federations to lift the ban on marijuana use. Legalizing its use in the sport will allow fighters to recover faster from injuries and enhance training for better performance. However, cannabis is not equal; users should go for premium products from top sellers like Just Cannabis Store.
Are you wondering how you can take your martial arts to the next level with cannabis? Here is how.
1. Mindfulness
Martial arts is a spiritual experience because part of the training involves meditation and achieving a higher state of consciousness. A clear mind is an essential tool in martial arts as it helps you react intuitively, for instance, when sparring or during self-defense.
Meditation also eliminates stress, enhances concentration, and allows you to achieve a deep state of tranquillity. However, reaching such a heightened state of awareness is difficult for most people; even the most experienced martial arts fighters need help sometimes. That’s why for hundreds of years, Asian religious rituals included the use of cannabis to broaden people’s consciousness.
Cannabis helps take the edge off because the cannabinoid CBD helps one achieve a state of relaxation. THC, another cannabinoid present in cannabis, also helps heighten the senses so that the meditation process is more intense. Therefore, a cannabis product with a good THC: CBD ratio is essential in helping achieve a state of mindfulness.
Discipline and self-respect are among the pillars of martial arts. As a cannabis user, discipline means having the self-control to avoid overdosing or abusing cannabis.
2. Enhance Cognitive Functions
Research shows that people with martial arts skills exhibit more focus and alertness than those untrained in the discipline. Martial arts entail making complex, non-repetitive movements that require greater cerebral cortex stimulation. The cerebral cortex is the section of the brain responsible for thoughts, perception, and voluntary physical action.
In other words, martial arts focus on connecting mind and body to achieve alertness, concentration, and quick reaction time. Achieving the mental alertness and focus necessary for martial arts takes a lot of time and training.
Studies on CBD Flower show it has a stimulating effect when taken in small doses. Anecdotal evidence also shows that micro-dosing cannabis products help heighten their concentration and focus.
3. Post-Workout Recovery and Recovery from Injury
Training routines in martial arts, like sparring, are more strenuous and brutal than training in other types of sports. Martial arts is infamous for injuries including; bruises, muscle tears, broken bones, brain trauma like concussions, and even chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in extreme cases.
Cannabis’s therapeutic effects help martial arts practitioners recover from sport-related injuries quicker. Research on CBD shows it possesses anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. It is also effective for bone growth promotion, muscle spasm suppression, and neuroprotection for brain cells.
THC in cannabis also has antispasmodic (prevents muscle spasm), anti-seizure, and palliative (pain-relieving) properties. Cannabis plays a role in achieving a zen state of mind during meditation, promoting the body’s healing response.
4. Anxiety Relief
Performance anxiety is a big issue in any competitive sport, and martial arts is no different. Martial arts fighters feel anxious about the magnitude of the fighting match and potential injuries. Previous horrible experiences in the ring also traumatize some athletes for a long period after the experience.
Marijuana can help you kick the tension and achieve the composure necessary to focus and quickly react. It communicates with brain receptors that regulate the hormone serotonin production. Serotonin is a “happy hormone” found in the brain that enhances feeling good, mood stabilization, and happiness.
Another way cannabis helps is through curbing fear and aversion behaviors that may cause a fighter to lose confidence.
5. Rest
Rest features among the five pillars of athletic performance besides nutrition, hydration, conditioning, and mental preparedness. Regular sleeping patterns and a good night’s rest are essential for good performance in martial arts.
Sleep deprivation may also cause fatigue, lower body immunity, and martial arts fighters more prone to injury. A good rest is also crucial because when you’re sleeping, the body regenerates new cells.
Research on THC and CBD shows that THC induces sleep while CBD causes relaxation. Therefore, using cannabis with a balanced ratio of THC and CBD can help you get high-quality rest before training or a match.
Conclusion
Marijuana plays a significant role in almost all aspects of martial arts, which explains why most martial arts fighters use it to better their skills. You can try it as well and see your performance improve significantly. However, as you start microdose to avoid overdosing which can interfere with your desired results.