Why Martial Arts is better than Black Friday
Tuesday 18 November 2025
Christmas might be some weeks away, but we are already super close to the sales season – namely Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This annual tradition, which we adopted from America, has seen retailers slash their prices as a way to bring in money over the festive period, when people tend to spend more on gifts. Savvy customers will sometimes spend hours looking for the best deal out there in the hope of landing a bargain.
Now there is nothing inherently wrong with being alert to sales, especially if it’s something useful for a knockdown price, but it’s important to remember that there will always be one type of investment that will never go out of style – investment in yourself.
Martial arts is one of the best personal investments you can make in yourself, or your child, and is in many ways the complete opposite of the values espoused by retailers during the sales season.
The big differences are that martial arts is predominantly about…
Growth not spending
Okay, ultimately martial arts classes are a cost in the same way that buying a new TV is. The difference is that when you invest in martial arts, it’s about your own personal growth, not buying something because you found a great price for an item that you may not even really need.
Martial arts practice is not just about learning new techniques, it’s to do with self-improvement and personal growth. Martial arts teaches you about focus, and improves your fitness levels exponentially. If we were to translate this into sales lingo, we would probably say “you can’t put confidence in a checkout bag”
Calm not chaos
Back in the 2010s, before online retail became all-consuming, Black Friday was often the picture of chaos in large department stores. It was pretty common to see eager shoppers literally get into fights over discounted items, or altercations in the queues. These were quite amusing, but really put a bad light on the underlying message of sales season and mass consumerism in general.
Conversely, martial arts does not involve this type of behaviour. It’s about staying calm under pressure. Whether you’re training with a partner, absorbing a new technique from your Sensei or Coach, or using all of these lessons during an important grading, martial arts is about staying composed and calm whilst being physically and mentally tested.
Different kinds of rewards
During the sales season, it is quite common for people to use discount codes in order to benefit more from sales. The feeling that customers get when putting in a discount code and saving money on their item is a good feeling – a nice little dopamine kick. But this feeling of satisfaction is, for the most part, temporary.
Real rewards, the ones that you truly earn, take time, sometimes a lot of time. In martial arts, this comes in the form of belts, which require a high level of dedication to keep moving up a grade. This means practising, memorising, repeating and mastering all the necessary combinations and techniques. It might mean your sense of gratification isn’t as instant as a voucher code, but it’s far more satisfying.
A gift to last a lifetime, not just for Black Friday
Think about this question for a moment. What was the last gift you were given which has truly benefited you, not just over a short period of time but for your entire life? it’s not so easy to think of a gift which is truly that special. Maybe a nice watch can last a while, or a painting, but what about something which has given you more than what you spent on it – that is indeed a rare thing.
But a membership at Meiji Martial Arts – well, that is one of those rare things where the benefits outweigh the costs quite significantly. Martial arts is a gift of personal development that both you and your child can carry for life, not just for Christmas
Black Friday comes and goes, martial arts doesn’t
Black Friday comes and goes – 48 hours of chaos, flashing discounts and impulse buys that soon gather dust. But the discipline you build through martial arts? That stays forever.
While most people chase short-term wins, martial artists play the long game. Every kick, every bow, every class attended is a reminder that true growth isn’t seasonal — it’s a regular habit. Discipline doesn’t depend on sales, motivation or perfect timing; it’s something forged over a long period of time, through effort and consistency.
In the Dojo, there’s no ‘limited-time offer’. You show up, you work, you improve. Gradually, you realise the same principles apply everywhere else — in your work, your relationships, your health. That’s what makes martial arts so powerful: it doesn’t just build your body, it shapes your mindset for life.
Want to see the incredible benefits martial arts can offer? At Meiji Martial Arts, we offer a wide array of different disciplines including Kickboxing, MMA, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo and Krav Maga.
If you would like to book a free trial, click here for more information.