Resources

Below is a summary and selection of research on the impact of Martial Arts Training.

Benefits of Martial Arts for Children and Adolescents

• Controls Inhibition and impulsive behavior
• Focus on respect, patience, and discipline within a sport, learned traits of respect, bravery, and empathy
• Decreases aggression and violence among children and adolescents
• Allows children to feel safe and able to protect themselves
• A close environment fosters a sense of group identity and feelings of belonging
• Increased self-esteem, self-control, and care of one’s body and safety.
• Positive relationship between self-regulation learned in martial arts and cognitive performance in the classroom
• Martial Arts require the development of critical and creative thinking skills which benefits children’s academic and personal lives
• The self-regulation and self-control learned in the sport offered itself to other situations, such as the classroom, and benefitted the child’s self-image and classroom conduct and achievement
• Martial arts were found to have greater retention rates compared to other sports
• Martial Arts offers life-changing qualities for people of all ages and backgrounds. It’s especially true of those with adverse childhood experiences and trauma.

Research

Reducing aggression with martial arts: A meta-analysis of child and youth studies
March 2017Aggression and Violent Behavior 34
DOI:10.1016/j.avb.2017.03.001
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314195436_Reducing_aggression_with_martial_arts_A_meta-analysis_of_child_and_youth_studies

“I don’t Teach Violence, I Teach Self-Control”; The Framing of Mixed Martial Arts Between Mental Health and Well-Being
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8801873/

To What Extent Does Martial Arts Benefit Children and Adolescents, and How Does this Compare to Other, More Traditional Sports?
https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1760&context=acadfest Rachel Bagdasarian
November 25th, 2020

“The Effect of Martial Arts Training on Cognitive and Psychological Functions in At-Risk Youths” Front. Pediatr., 22 October 2021 Sec. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Volume 9 – 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2021.707047
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2021.707047/full

Psychological research on martial artists: A critical view from a cultural praxis framework.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259000108_Psychological_research_on_martial_artists_A_critical_view_from_a_cultural_praxis_framework

“The effects of martial arts participation on mental and psychosocial health outcomes: a randomised controlled trial of a secondary school-based mental health promotion”  – BMC Psychology Program
https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-019-0329-5

“Mental Benefits of Martial Arts” – WebMD
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-benefits-of-martial-arts

Benefits of Martial Arts for Women & Body Confidence

• Martial arts for women can help boost self-confidence and self-esteem, while enhancing mental fortitude and resilience.
• Martial arts for women is a great boost to physical and mental health, especially when following a regular class schedule. Muay Thai Burns Up to 1,000 Calories an hour.
• Muay Thai training is also seen as a full-body workout that will get your body in top shape in a very short time span. When it comes to fitness and weight loss, we dare to go even further saying it is better than many other high-priced fitness plans.
• Martial arts for women can help improve mindfulness, focus and being at peace with oneself. Physical activity will do wonders for helping relieve stress and brighten your moods, by pumping up your endorphins and reducing symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety.
• Building a community within the world of MMA/BJJ and Muay Thai is important for many reasons, especially for female practitioners. Women often find themselves in male-dominated environments when training, so having a supportive network of other female practitioners can be incredibly empowering.
• Attending Muay Thai classes is a great way to boost your confidence and deal with various mental issues.

Benefits of martial arts for women, International Journal of Physiology, Nutrition and Physical Education 2018; 3(1): 1871-1872
https://www.journalofsports.com/pdf/2018/vol3issue1/PartAG/3-1-416-772.pdf

Top 7 Benefits of Martial Arts Classes for Women
https://academyofmartialarts.ca/blog/74055/TOP-SEVEN-BENEFITS-OF-MARTIAL-ARTS-CLASSES-FOR-WOMEN

The Challenge of Martial Arts: A woman’s perspective
https://londonwingchun.co.uk/the-challenge-of-martial-arts-a-womans-perspective/

Mental Benefits of Marital Arts
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-benefits-of-martial-arts

Women Empowerment Through Martial Arts: Boosting Self-Confidence, Strength and Self-Defense Skills
https://buffalokickbox.com/women-empowerment-through-martial-arts-boosting-self-confidence-strength-and-self-defense-skills/

Fighting Gurls: Women & Martial Arts
https://drcarolineheldman.com/2017/12/28/fighting-gurls-women-martial-arts/

THE BENEFITS OF BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU FOR WOMEN
https://x3sports.com/blog/the-benefits-of-brazilian-jiu-jitsu-for-women/

Women and Martial Arts: A Courageous Discovery of New Horizons
https://shaolin-yuntai.com/women-discover-martial-arts/

The effects of martial arts participation on mental and psychosocial health outcomes
https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-019-0329-5

7 Best Benefits of Jiu Jitsu for Women’s Confidence and Self-Esteem
https://medium.com/@akaashify/7-best-benefits-of-jiu-jitsu-for-womens-confidence-and-self-esteem-a1e225d00c78

MMA AND MENTAL HEALTH: HOW MARTIAL ARTS CAN HELP REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY
https://uwcic.org/mma-and-mental-health-how-martial-arts-can-help-reduce-stress-and-anxiety/

The effect of martial arts training on mental health outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1360859220300966