La ira en las artes marciales

Resum

Martial arts and combat sports (MA&CS) have been analysed from various perspectives. They have been viewed, as violent practices, aimed at causing harm to others, but they have also been associated with positive psychological aspects. Practitioners of MA&CS employ a variety of potentially dangerous techniques, depending on the style of MA&CS, the context, and its characteristics (Green & Svinth, 2010), which has sometimes led them to be seen as violent. On the other hand, the harm that these techniques can inflict on an opponent, the high levels of self-regulation, and respect for others has led to the positive belief that they can ‘build character’, and they are commonly recommended for children and young people in order to develop positive aspects in the physical, psychological and socio-affective dimensions (Tadesse, 2015). In children, as with adults, MA&CS has been associated with control of negative emotions - such as anger - although there is no conclusive evidence that practicing MA&CS has positive social-psychological effects (Vertonghen & Theeboom, 2010). The aim of this doctoral thesis was to study the relationship between the practice of MA&CS and the emotion of anger. To achieve this, five studies were undertaken, in using different methodologies depending on the study. The first study was a systematic review, the aim of which was to analyse the evidence of the effects of engaging in MA&CS on anger and aggression. The PRISMA protocol was followed and the variables examined were: type of study and objectives; sample, interventions and procedures; measurements and outcomes. Nine studies (three cohort studies and six randomised controlled trials) were selected for inclusion. The review indicated that there was generally no relationship between the practice of MA&CS and levels of anger and aggression. However, traditional martial arts could be effective in decreasing anger levels. Furthermore, the adult population and young people with behavioural problems demonstrated a positive response to martial arts work. Caution should be exercised with these results because the volume of studies was small and most of them did not exhibit optimal methodological quality, although the potential of traditional martial arts for anger reduction was noted. The second—quantitative—study aimed to compare the levels of anger in MA&CS practitioners according to age, educational level, experience and style of MA&CS practiced. A total of 195 adult practitioners of six popular MA&CS: judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, mixed martial arts, aikido, muay Thai and karate completed the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2). Differences were found in the anger expression scale with respect to age, with the lowest scores from the oldest practitioners. On the other hand, there were also small significant differences in the trait anger scale and the anger reaction subscale according to style, with the aikido group having the lowest scores and the muay Thai group the highest. These results did not allow a clear indication of a style or styles of MA&CS with greater potential for reducing anger levels. The third study was conducted over a period of six months to address a problem that cross-sectional studies cannot answer; whether the practice of MA&CS increases or decreases its practitioners’ anger levels. Eighty-two children participated, divided into control and experimental groups (karate and judo). A cohort study was carried out, in which the MA&CS instructors in charge of the intervention did not receive any specific training or guideline but just followed their regular instructional style. The R-State Anger Expression Inventory was used. Although significant differences were found between pre-test scores for anger expression in the control and experimental groups and between the pre-test and post-test scores for anger expression in the karate group, the overall results show that MA&CS training in sports clubs had no effect on practitioners’ anger levels. The fourth study was a qualitative study designed for young people at risk of social exclusion, implementing some of the strategies of traditional martial arts based on the results of the previous studies. The objectives were to analyse the effects of a martial arts intervention on attitudes towards violence and to identify useful pedagogical strategies in this type of program. Seven young people participated in 15 sessions over eight weeks. Data was collected via individual interview, focus group, and teacher’s follow-up diary. A decrease in attitudes towards violence was seen in the students who participated in the intervention, and effective pedagogical strategies were also noted: physical contact, engaging in games which included moments of calm, the figure of the instructor’s assistant, and etiquette. Finally, the fifth study also used a qualitative methodology. In this study, different strategies common to traditional martial arts were used to verify whether the benefits of these strategies could be extrapolated to a general population. The objectives were to determine the progression of the emotion of anger in the students and to identify strategies used that could reduce anger. A longitudinal study was designed for eight weeks with university students. Seventy students participated by performing frequent practices in some styles of MA&CS at the beginning of sessions in the Bodily Expression course. Information was obtained from a focus group and the teacher’s follow-up diary. Students reported experiencing more positive emotions than negative ones, such as anger. The use of music, slow movements, breathing practices, silence and meditation were perceived as positive strategies for anger reduction.