The former two-division ONE world champion Aung La N Sang does not see martial arts just as a sport. For ‘The Burmese Python’, it is a family affair. He is currently preparing to face undefeated Turkish star Shamil Erdogan in a middleweight MMA match on September 6 at ONE 168: Denver inside Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. While he’s busy preparing for his return to action, the 39-year-old has taken time to watch over his son’s journey in combat sports. Both his son and nephew are training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and are already beginning to find success in local competitions.

As a veteran MMA fighter, Aung La is always driven to see the next generation of martial artists and is proud that he has a family pursuing the same path and enjoying early success. On this note, let’s see what his philosophy on helping the next generation is.

Aung la N Sang’s philosophy on helping kids find their passion

‘The Burmese Python’ has a genuine love for martial arts and has he has enjoyed relative success in it after taking it up as a career. Thus, he knows firsthand how beneficial this sport can be to developing a healthy work ethic and a better life. With the younger generation very prone to being obsessed with their phone screens, their attention span has become shorter. The 39-year-old believes learning martial arts could help them gain more focus, but he also believes the desire to pursue it must come innately from a person.

 He said, “I think people often get burned out when they’re forced to do it. They’re forced to do it and they don’t want to do it, right? We’re more nurturing the side of wanting to get better. We’re nurturing them in a way where they don’t get burned out. And that to me is very important. I don’t want the motivation to come from the external. I want it to come from internal.”

He detailed the important life lessons that kids can get from learning martial arts. From learning perseverance to patience, a person can learn the most important values of life through martial arts. He mentioned that there is no use in forcing anyone to do something that they do not like. Instead, he thinks that motivation to improve must come from within. He emphasized how parents have to be cooperative with their children and let them pursue their passions.

Aung La N Sang on the value of martial arts in young kids

Martial arts is not just a sport, as it teaches a lot of life lessons, according to the veteran star. He gave insight into the important life lessons that any martial arts can teach. Aung La said, “Well, you don’t take anything for granted, and you have to work hard. You have to put in hard work to get the result. You have to dedicate yourself, and you have to persevere through the hard times, right? That’s a lesson in itself. Doing the martial arts makes them better human beings. They understand hard work. They understand about dedication. They understand about persevering through failures, and those are very important life lessons.”

He is teaching perseverance, patience, and hard work to his son Aung De, who is growing to love Brazilian jujitsu. He admitted that when they first started, his son was not interested in it. However, it gradually started to grow on him as he had more friends and even his cousin training with him.

Aung La N Sang’s career has showcased what dedication, hard work, and perseverance can result in. He wants to teach the same to the next generation, starting with his son. What do you think about his philosophy regarding martial arts? Tell us in the comments below.