1st Edition
Martial Arts and Well-being Connecting communities and promoting health
Martial Arts and Well-Being explores how martial arts as a source of learning can contribute in important ways to health and well-being, as well as provide other broader social benefits. Using psychological and sociological theory related to behaviour, ritual, perception and reality construction, the book seeks to illustrate, with empirical data, how individuals make sense of and perceive the value of martial arts in their lives.
This book draws on data from over 500 people, across all age ranges, and powerfully demonstrates that participating in martial arts can have a profound influence on the construction of behaviour patterns that are directly linked to lifestyle and health. Making individual connections regarding the benefits of practice, improvements to health and well-being – regardless of whether these improvements are ‘true’ in a medical sense – this book offers an important and original window into the importance of beliefs to health and well-being as well as the value of thinking about education as a process of life-long learning.
This book will be of great interest to a range of audiences, including researchers, academics and postgraduate students interested in sports and exercise psychology, martial art studies and health and well-being. It should also be of interest to sociologists, social workers and martial arts practitioners.
The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com/doi/view/10.4324/9781315448084, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Scope of the research and structure of the book
Part 2
Methods
Research Design
Data Collection
Sample
Survey
Interviews
Data analysis
Survey
Interviews
Chapter 2 – Theories of behaviour and reality construction-their value in understanding health and well-being
Exploring individual attitudes and behaviour
Behaviourism
Social cognitive theory
Self-efficacy and human health and well-being
Society and behaviour
Culture and group behaviour
Martial arts, health and well-being
Eastern philosophy and its relevance to martial arts
Chapter summary
Chapter 3 –Teachers of martial arts
Introduction
Sample
Motivations for taking up a martial art
Physical
Health
Well-being
General
Health and health awareness
Well-being
Culture
Community
Inclusion
Challenges to teaching martial arts
Value of teaching
Access to martial Arts
Chapter summary
Chapter 4 – Health and physical well-being and the teaching and learning of martial arts
Introduction
Sample
Motivations for taking up a martial art
Health
General physical well-being
Support for health: awareness and benefits
Health Awareness
Health Benefits
Teaching and Learning
Learning and the martial arts teacher
Qualities in the teacher
Challenges to learning
Being a martial artist
Chapter summary
Chapter 5 – Well-Being
Introduction
Sample *
Martial arts and well-being
Well-being and confidence
Intellectual
Social *
Management of stress and the link to health and well-being
Chapter summary
Chapter 6 – Connecting communities and promoting health
Chapter 7 – Conclusion
References
Biography
Carol Fuller is a professor of education and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy at the Institute of Education, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Viki Lloyd is the director of the Reading Acupuncture Clinic and the lead instructor of Sei Shin Kan School of Karate and Reading Chenjiagou Taijiquan GB, Reading, UK.
