Tucson’s Rising Phoenix does martial arts differently. Our gym attracts and retains kind, helpful, and humble folks that work together for each other’s benefit. Our culture of using our strengths to help each other and teach means that whoever you take classes with, whether your training partner for a class is a lifelong martial arts practitioner or brand new, you will find people reaching out to help you and give you tips. We encourage each other through drills and exercises to help us push a little bit past our comfort zone so that we can each see what we’re capable of.

Instruction is also geared toward helping you be the best you. As instructors, we only expect you to bring YOUR 100%- which may look different from day to day, and will almost always look different from the person next to you in class. Members progress at their own pace- you will always find enough support to learn as well as enough challenge to help you grow.

Our philosophy and style is what helps our members to treat depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges.

Benefits of our training:

  • Releasing endorphins in your body. Endorphins are a “feel good” chemical that can help your sense of well-being improve.
  • Taking your mind off of worries. Negative thoughts can be a factor in feeding depression and anxiety, and doing exercise can help give you a break from these thoughts. Our classes are full of laughter and encouragement, with challenges that keep you in the moment. It’s hard to think about worries when you’re having fun and moving around!
  • Increasing your confidence by setting goals and making progress, or just by helping you to feel good that you got out and did an activity that was good for you. We were all beginners once- there is no shaming or “boot camp” style philosophy here. We trust you to push yourself to where you are ready to go, and support you when you need some encouragement to keep going and reach your 100%.
  • Increasing your social interaction- exercising with friendly people can give you a low pressure opportunity to interact. We know that getting out to exercise can be particularly challenging with depression and anxiety, and having a class to attend with people who are happy to see you can help with motivation to work out. Some people report not being able to work out alone at all, but being highly motivated by attending our classes!
  • Self-defense- many of our classes focus on or include self-defense instruction. Learning these skills can help you to feel more comfortable in other settings. Self-defense instruction, without any victim-blaming mentality, can be extremely empowering and help you to feel more equipped to set and enforce boundaries in your own life. We believe that your body is your own, and help guide the practice of asking for consent and checking in with your training partner as you train together.

The most effective treatments for depression and anxiety for most people tend to be a combination of medication, psychotherapy (also known as talk therapy), and other treatments like support groups, exercise, and doctor approved natural supplements. However, the best treatment is different for everyone. Some people need the support of medication and/or therapy before they are able to take other steps like increasing exercise and other positive coping skills, and that’s okay. Depression and other mental health challenges are just as serious as physical health diseases can be. It is very important that you work with your doctor, and if you have one, your therapist and/or your psychiatrist, to decide on the best course of treatment.

Many illnesses affect organs such as your heart, lungs, and pancreas. Your brain is just another organ in your body, and imbalances in chemicals caused by genetics or environmental stressors affect that organ. That is why we don’t believe there is any shame in having, and treating, mental health disorders. Just as a diabetic may be on lifelong insulin injections due to a disorder that affects their pancreas, some people may need lifelong treatment for depression and/or anxiety. Others may find that they are able to work through what is happening and feel better for an extended period of time. Either way, your process and treatment is your own.

Reference:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=JgDdIaCbn-k