A 1998 study by Columbus and Rice (1998), Phenomenological meanings of martial arts participation, Journal of Sport Behavior, 21, 16-29, examined why people participate in martial arts and found four main reasons:

• Fear of criminal victimization.

• Seeking growth and discovery, including challenging oneself, either mentally, physically, or spiritually, and facing ones fears.

• Life transition and wanting to get life in control.

• Task performance and reaching martial arts achievement as contributions to achievement in other life situations.

Several of these reasons involve a desire for life enhancement, likely due to viewing the martial arts as a way of life rather than simply a sport. Many of the mental skills used in sports have been found effective in achieving peak performance throughout life. These skills have frequently been used in the martial arts even though they may not have always been systematically taught.

Martial Arts develop beneficial psychological changes in practitioners and encourage good moral and ethical development.

Some people believe that training in the martial arts will cause or acerbate violent or aggressive behavior. Most people have been exposed to the martial arts though martial art movies. Other than a few exceptions, such as Karate Kid and the Kung-fu television show, these depictions of the martial arts are always associated with violence. Recently, the popularity of televised unrestrained fighting tournaments has perpetuated this theme. While the martial art are based upon warlike, violent behavior, they also use ritualistic behaviors that seek to avoid or control violence and they train to make these behaviors a part of ones life. 

Martial art masters claim that their arts reduce stress and violence in their practitioners, and thus, in the communities in which they live. These are lofty claims, but are they true? Are these claimed benefits any different from those that gained from other sports activities? What specific aspects of martial arts training bring about these changes? If these claims are true, then is martial arts training an effective means to treat people with violent tendencies?

Stress and Violence Reduction

A few studies have shown that a single session a high physical output activity, such as jogging, weight lifting, or a martial art may reduce tension, anxiety, depression, and anger-hostility in participants immediately after the activity. However, more research in this area is needed before any definite conclusions may be drawn about the short-term effects of martial arts training.

In contrast, there are many studies that have examined the long-term effects of martial arts training; most of which have shown positive psychosocial changes in participants. Many of the studies have assessed martial artists with different belt ranks or time of participation. In general, there appears to be an inverse relationship between belt rank or length of time practicing a martial art and anxiety, aggression, hostility, and neuroticism; but there appears to be a positive correlation with self-confidence, independence, self-reliance, and self-esteem. While these results seem encouraging, most of the studies did not account for students who had negative traits and dropped out of the activity and they did not use control groups. Some studies suggest that the style of martial art may be relevant; that certain martial arts might lead to changes more quickly than others might. These results are tempered by the results of some studies that found no effects of martial arts training on personality traits.

When amongst family members, you are forced to deal with family problems. When at work, you are forced to deal with work matters. When at Taekwondo class, you are forced to deal with Taekwondo training. You must deal with your family daily and you must deal with with your job practically every day, but you only deal with Taekwondo training two or three times a week. While training in Taekwondo, all your thoughts about your family problems and work problems are suppressed as you concentrate on your training. Therefore, during the time you are training, you are able to forget your cares and woes and the stress they cause. Not only are you able to reduce your stress while in class, the relaxation techniques you learn in class help you deal with stress more effectively while out of class.

Are these claimed benefits any different from those that gained from other sports activities?

Martial arts are similar to other physical activities in that they include physical activity, physical fitness, skills acquisition, and social activity. However, there are also differences. Most sports emphasize competition and winning, while the martial arts traditionally emphasize self-knowledge, self-improvement, and self-control that are gained through ethical teachings, ceremony, ritual, emphasis on integration of mind and body, and meditation. Some studies have shown that these non-physical aspects of the martial arts have a unique influence on the long-term, psychosocial changes seen in participants that is not seen in participant of other types of sports.

What specific aspects of martial arts training bring about these changes?

While it may be argued that what we get out of the martial arts is what we bring into the training, it is also possible that martial arts training makes us grow beyond what we bring. Some studies have tried to demonstrate the importance of class content on the changes observed in subjects. One study evaluated students from traditional martial arts schools (emphasis on meditation, respect, light-contact sparring, and patterns) and students from modern martial arts schools (limited meditation, respect not stressed, heavy contact sparring, and little emphasis on patterns). Beginning students in both traditional and modern schools had similar scores but advanced students in the traditional schools showed lower scores for aggression than beginning students while there was no change in the scores for advanced modern students. Another study found that both traditional and modern styles of training led to improvements in general mental health but that traditional students showed significant increases in scores for self-acceptance that were not reported for the modern students. Most research supports the hypothesis that the training environment and style of instruction influence these differences.

These findings suggest that martial arts should be much more than just kicks and punches. The training environment and/or the instructor influence whether or not positive psychosocial changes occur in martial artists, so, whether these changes occur or not is impossible to predict since there are many differences between martial arts classes, instructors, and teaching methods.

Is martial arts training an effective means to treat people with violent tendencies?

Since physical activities have been shown beneficial for various special needs populations, some studies have evaluated the martial arts as a means to treat psychological problems. These studies have shown that martial arts training was beneficial in recovering from psycho-sexual abuse, eating disorders, substance abuse, and growing up in dysfunctional families. One of the studies [Trulson, M.E. (1986) Martial Arts Training: A Novel "Cure" for Juvenile Delinquency. Human Relations 39: 1131-1140] evaluated juvenile delinquents that assigned to one of three groups: a group receiving traditional Taekwondo training, a group receiving modern Taekwondo training, and a group receiving increased physical activity not involving the martial arts. Students in the traditional Taekwondo group showed a decrease in aggressiveness and anxiety and an increase in self-esteem. In contrast, the modern Taekwondo group showed an increased tendency towards delinquency and an increase in aggressiveness. Students in the exercise group showed an increase in self-esteem, but no other significant changes.

Other studies have shown that Judo led to an increase in the social adjustment scores for developmentally disabled subjects, increased the psychosocial skills for blind, developmentally disabled children, and is a useful adjunct to community programs for the treatment of pre-delinquent children. Studies have shown that Aikido training led to increases in self-esteem for adolescents with behavioral problems and that it is useful  as an intervention strategy for middle and high school students with severe emotional disturbances. Studies have shown that both Judo and Karate reduced dysfunctional behaviors in male, behaviorally disordered adolescents. While these studies indicate that the martial arts offer a wide range of therapeutic applications, they are not a cure all, other studies have also pointed out the limitations of the martial arts in treating some disorders.

Martial arts are beginning to be accepted as a useful complement to verbal therapy for many disorders. It appears the traditional martial art masters were correct in their claim that their arts may be used to reduces stress and violence in their practitioners, and thus, in the communities in which they live.

Reasons for studying Taekwondo

• Fear paralyzes. When you are afraid, you do not always do the things you want to do. Fear causes undue stress in your life and your family. Fear is passed on to children so they learn to grow up in fear. Taekwondo helps you alleviate and control many of your fears.

• There is violence in the world. There are bad people in the world who have no morals or conscious so they will not hesitate to harm or kill you. Some think that putting evil people behind bars for a lifetime is punishment enough because the wrongdoers have to think about what they have done for everyday for the rest of their lives. This is the wishful thinking of people with a conscious. Evil people do not dwell on their crimes because they do not have a conscious. They may not enjoy prison, but they do not regret their actions. If released, they will do the same things again. You must learn to defend yourself against these bad people.

• You cannot rely on the “Good Guys” to protect you from the “Bad Guys". For one thing, the good guys are not always around and, if they are, you cannot be sure they will help. Also, you never know who they good guys are. Taekwondo will teach you how to defend yourself when the need arises.

• The one person you may count on. When you are in need, YOU are the only one that is always there and who is ready and willing to help no matter how great the danger.

• You can do it. No matter who you are, there are things you may do to effectively defend yourself. Defense is usually always better than submission.

• Nothing else matters. When you are facing a evil person intent on harming you, nothing else matters except your preventing the person from harming you. His bad childhood, the lack of school funding, liberal judges, corrupt police departments, your efforts in the peace movement, your being a good person, etc. mean nothing at that moment. Taekwondo teaches you what you need to do, whether you do it is up to you.

• To be prepared. You carry a cell phone, keep your AAA membership current, and keep a jack and spare tire in your trunk when you drive so you will be prepared for possible problems. Why not be prepared for an attack? Taekwondo will prepare you.

• It is instinctive. All animals know how to defend themselves because their lives depend on it. Parents in the animal world do not release their offspring until they have developed self-defense skills effective enough for them to survive. Why do humans neglect their children in this respect? Taekwondo will teach your children how to defend themselves in today's world.

• Confidence. To be truly confident in yourself, you must be feel confident in your ability to protect yourself and your family. Taekwondo will give you this confidence.

• Guilt. When you fail to protect your family or friends, or even a stranger, you will live a lifetime of guilt because you did not do all you could have done to protect them. With Taekwondo training, you will be more willing to intercede when needed.

• It is fun. It is fun to kick butt; that is why sports are so successful. Taekwondo lets you exercise your competitiveness in a safe, controlled manner.

• Win, never lose. We are taught that winning is not everything, it is how we play the game. In the world of crime, if you do not win, you will never play again. Taekwondo teaches you how to win, and how to deal with defeat.

• Human bodies evolved to survive. We have the innate desire to kick butt when threatened, and kicking butt makes us feel better afterward. Taekwondo teaches you street survival skills.

• Intimidation. In today's society where intimidation is prominent, starting on the playground and continuing into the workplace, being a wuss may get you injured or even killed, at the most, and left behind in the world of success at the least. Taekwondo do shows you how to deal with intimidation, usually without violence.

• Criminals are ready and willing to harm you. Are you ready and willing to stop them? Taekwondo will prepare you for criminal attacks.

Why study Taekwondo?

Because in a prison somewhere is a guy training hard so that, when he gets is released, he can kick your butt and take your money.

Benefits of Taekwondo

Taekwondo was originally developed to preserve life and for self-defense, but today, adults and children have many reasons for wanting to train in Taekwondo. Some want to learn self-defense, others want to fight in tournaments, some seek to become physically fit, some seek the social interaction, while others just want to have fun. Whatever the reason for learning, people will find others just like them studying Taekwondo for the same reason. Modern Taekwondo has developed proven teaching methods that not only help people learn Taekwondo quickly and easily, but also provide a wide range of benefits for students of all ages.

Social interaction gained through Taekwondo training has been found to be a buffer against the stresses of life for adults, and with long-term continued practice it fosters greater independence. With progressive training, children become more enthusiastic, optimistic, and self-reliant. Many anecdotal reports from parents tell how their children, both males and females, do better at home and at school, both behaviorally and academically.

Taekwondo practitioners seek to develop an appreciation for the martial art, achieve physical fitness, improve mental discipline and emotional stability, develop self-defense skills, and to develop respect and responsibility. Taekwondo helps practitioners develop balance and harmony between their physical and moral selves. It stresses responsibility to self, family, community, and to society.

Self-defense is an important benefit of Taekwondo. Self-defense is not just using defenses and counterattacks against attackers. It is the ability to prevent injury to oneself or others from attackers. This includes learning to fall safely, to communicate with aggressors, and to escape from violent situations. Self-defense is not just concerned with physically dealing with violence, it is mostly concerned with avoiding becoming a victim of violence.

The physical benefits of Taekwondo include improvements in coordination, agility, flexibility, balance, muscular strength, and endurance. Taekwondo promotes a healthy lifestyle that includes a healthy mixture of nutrition, training, and rest. Physical development also helps develop self-confidence.

Self-confidence is based on self-improvement, as opposed to confidence based on the ability to perform a task. This type of self-confidence does not come from being a winner in competition; it comes from the feelings of self-worth that are derived from improving oneself. Belt advancement provides a means to document personal achievement. Advancement requires setting a goal and working toward its attainment, which builds confidence and a feeling of self-worth.

Training in Taekwondo increases one's self-concept (the beliefs that you have about yourself, as opposed to understanding who you are via other people's opinions of you). For instance, it has been found that women training in Taekwondo have a greater physical, personal, social, identity, and satisfaction self-concept. Students who are more self-confident and compete in Taekwondo tournaments are more likely to win their bouts.

The moral benefits of Taekwondo include development of good character, self-control, and a non-violent attitude. Taekwondo stresses showing respect for oneself, fellow students, instructors, parents, elders, and members of the public. Achieving proficiency in Taekwondo techniques demands patience, perseverance, and a desire for perfection.

Humility is a quality of all serious Taekwondo students. Although practicing Taekwondo boosts self-confidence, this does not convey a false sense of superiority. On the contrary, a good student should be humble and considerate. Taekwondo practitioners have the highest regard for the morality and ethics of Taekwondo.

Psychologically, Taekwondo reduces tension and anxiety by teaching students to control aggression and by giving them a healthy way to vent hostility and frustration. Taekwondo is a psychological leveler. Students with quick, hot tempers learn to control their emotions. Students who are meek and mild learn to be more assertive when needed. The following are possible ways Taekwondo may affect the psychologies of students:

• Personality factors may cause people to select and participate in a particular sport. People tend to choose sports that most suit their personality. Beginner and advanced Taekwondo students will exhibit similar personalities.

• There may be no similarities of personality for choosing a particular sport, but either personality changes or loss of non-desirable personality traits means that only those with suitable psychologies remain and are successful. In this respect, choosing Taekwondo as a sport may be random, but either Taekwondo changes your personality or only students with suitable personalities will keep training. This means beginners may not show a similar personality traits, but advanced students tend to have similar traits.

• The choice of a sport is random, and the sport may not have any effect. In this case, Taekwondo may have no effect on the personalities of the students and neither beginners nor advanced students show any pattern in their personalities.

• Those entering a sport may show similar personalities, but changes and attrition may cause the pattern to become non-discriminating. In this case, students may choose Taekwondo because it suits their personality, but changes and dropouts will be random, so beginners will show a similar pattern of personality while advanced students will not.

A 1967 study by Kroll and Carlson, Discriminant function and hierarchical grouping analysis of karate participants' personality profiles, in Research Quarterly, noted that combat sports may provide a chance to display prowess or masculinity, to develop self-confidence, release tension, and reduce aggression. Karate (Taekwondo) is suggested as having several advantages as a combat physical education system in that:

• Women may participate.

• As method of self-defense, it may be considered superior to amateur boxing or wrestling.

• It effectively develops certain muscular strengths.

• Emphasis on wholesome character attributes and etiquette help reduce asocial tendencies.

Taekwondo develops leadership qualities. As students increase in rank, they are required to take on more responsibilities in class and they begin teaching new students. When they reach black belt level, they may be required to teach classes and direct students. During camps, they are required to lead group of students and be responsible for their actions.

Taekwondo is an artistic discipline that allows artistic expression. There are strict standards for the performance of techniques but there is still some latitude for self-expression. Although patterns (prearranged series of movements and actions) and specific striking and defensive techniques must be performed in specific ways, students have some leeway to perform them in ways that express their individuality. Taekwondo movements and techniques express beauty and grace and allow students to strive continuously to develop and improve their artistic presentation.

Taekwondo may help control juvenile delinquency. Studies have shown it lessens aggression, lessens anxiety, increases self-esteem, increases social adroitness (improved social skills), and increases in value orthodoxy (greater awareness of moral and social obligation.

Taekwondo demands self-discipline, mental concentration, and alertness. Correct technical execution of techniques requires rhythm, timing, balance, power, proper form, and proper breathing. To achieve this, students must develop self-disciple, stay focused, and ignore distractions. Students learn that self-discipline means doing things the right way and that being undisciplined means looking for the easy way out. Students are encouraged to practice self-discipline in all areas of their lives.

Taekwondo is an educational experience. Students learn about their own abilities and limitations and how to deal with those limitations. Students learn to relate with people of all ages from various socioeconomic, ethnic, cultural, and racial backgrounds through their training in Taekwondo. Students also learn the philosophy of Taekwondo and a limited amount Korean history, culture, and language.

A 2003 study has found that children who jump everyday increase their bone density, which may help prevent bone loss later in life. When a child jumps, the bones flex, which triggers them to increase their density. The study found that children who jump five times three times a day had a significant increase in bone density. So, when children are doing jumping jacks in Taekwondo class and are practicing jump kicks, they are getting stronger and perfecting their techniques but they are also helping prevent bone loss in the later years of their lives.

A study in the April 2004 issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that a dynamic martial arts workout is just as effect as any other balanced workout. The study compared nine people who worked out twice a week in Soo Bahk Do with nine sedentary people of similar ages, blood pressure, and resting heart rates. The martial artists had markedly better strength, flexibility, balance, and aerobic capacity. The martial artists could do twice and many sit-ups and three times as many pushups as the sedentary group. The sedentary group had 12 percent more body fat and could hold their balance an average of only 26 seconds compared to the 62 seconds of the martial artists.

A study in the April 2005 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience found that active mice, genetically bred to develop Alzheimer's disease, were far less likely than their sedentary counterparts to develop plaque deposits in the brain, a common "marker" of Alzheimer's. Another study in the September 2005 issue of the same journal found that running greatly stimulated neurogenesis, the production of new brain cells, in older mice. A October 2005 paper published in by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that those who engaged in robust physical activity at least twice a week since their youth or middle age had a 50 percent lower chance of developing dementia and a 60 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's than those who were sedentary.

We all know that the mind has a lot of control over the body, but the body also has a great influence on the mind. Since physical sports affect the body, then it follows that participation in sports affect mood and even behavior. Taekwondo training may have an effect on bettering one's mood.

A 1998 study by Berger and Owen, Stress Reduction and Mood Enhancement in Four Exercise Modes: Swimming, Body Conditioning, Hatha Yoga and Fencing, in Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, looked at the effects of swimming, body conditioning (weight lifting and running), hatha yoga (an eastern, non-martial art) and fencing (a non-eastern, combat art) on stress reduction. They concentrated on aspects of exercise that were thought to best provide psychological benefits, especially stress reduction, such as:

• Aerobic aspect.

• Non-competitive aspect, (competition was assumed to be inherently stressful).

• Predicable elements, (so exerciser may tune out environment).

• Rhythmical nature (to encourage the mind to wander).

The last two aspects help reduce stress by providing a "time out" for the mind. Hobbies and exercise reduce anxiety and depression. Anger and fatigue are decreased only with exercise.

Other aspects of physical activities that reduce stress include:

• Frequency. Since benefits from exercise are usually short term, one must exercise regularly.

• Intensity. Keep it moderate.

• Duration. At least 20 to 30 minutes.

• The activity should be enjoyable since one is not likely to exercise if it is distasteful, and doing something you do not enjoy is not relaxing.

The study found no long term effects on mood but found that both low and high intensity exercise improved short term mood. Swimming showed little effect on mood, but the authors noted that swimmers were in a good mood before their exercise period began, thus masking any mood improvements.

Body conditioning exercise served to increase feelings of fatigue, with no other mood effects. The authors speculate that this may have been due to the stress being intense. The running used was interval training, a series of short, fast runs at 90% of maximal heart rate, rather than a long, slow runs.  Long, slow running has been shown to provide stress relief. Weight lifting has also been shown to enhance self concept and lower stress.

Yoga teaches breathing awareness, self regulation, conscious relaxation of muscles, and an internal awareness; skills common to many stress reduction programs. The study showed that yoga was, from the first class, a good method of reducing stress, so it would seem that there is no need for long practice of the skills before seeing the benefits. Since fencing satisfied none of the main criteria for stress reduction, the researchers did not expect it to influence mood and, in fact, few effects were seen, but students did show more vigor after their classes. Taekwondo classes that stress abdominal breathing and are noncompetitive, predictable, and rhythmical tend to reduce stress.

Richman and Rehberg, in a 1986 study, The Development of Self-esteem Through the Martial Arts, in International Journal of Sports Psychology, examined self-esteem before a sport karate tournament and the effect of winning a trophy during the competition. Students were grouped into beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert groups.

Beginners showed lower self-esteem than the other three groups while the other three were not significantly different from each other. When compared to members within their own school, self-esteem was related to self-perception, but not to self ratings of sportsmanship or discipline.

The authors concluded that 1-2 months of karate training was enough to raise self-esteem. Measures on the groups that trained for longer periods showed no changes in this measure. The self-perception of ability was related to self-esteem. Self-perception of physical condition and self-discipline were also important to self-esteem, and self-esteem predicted performance. The study found that Karate students have a realistic appreciation of their own abilities, and that possession of these abilities is related to their self-esteem. Training in Karate does not seem to result in unrealistic appraisals of one's abilities.

A 1990 study by Ozer and Bandura, Mechanisms Governing Empowerment Effects: A Self-Efficacy Analysis, in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, looked at the concept of perceived self-efficacy. They found that self-esteem was related to self-discipline and that trophy winners had greater self-esteem before the competition than did non winners.

Reciprocal inhibition therapy is using a calming activity that evokes a response inhibitory to anxiety at the same time as an anxiety evoking stimulus is presented to the patient. This linkage of stimuli weakens the bond between the anxiety producing stimulus and the buildup of anxiety. A 1971 study by Gershman and Stedman, Oriental Defense Exercises as Reciprocal Inhibitors of Anxiety, in the Journal of Behavioral Therapy, found that Kung-fu exercises took the claustrophobic subject's anxiety levels to a rating of 0 in less than 1 minute. Graduated exposure to confined spaces while doing Kung0fu exercises allowed the subject to experience a fast recovery from claustrophobia, and remain comfortable at 6 months after the treatment. In the second case, the researchers linked Karate exercises and flying, reducing the subject's anxiety levels to zero in 2 sessions. This approach was taken after trying relaxation techniques that were deemed to be too slow. Again, 6 months after treatment, the subject remained well.

A 1990 study, Finkenberg, Effect of Participation in Taekwondo on College Women's Self-concept, in Perceptual and Motor Skills, compared women in Taekwondo classes to women in general health classes (the control) using the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale. Compared to the control, a health and consumer health class, the Taekwondo class showed no difference on self criticism, moral-ethical measures, family values or behavior. The Taekwondo class did show higher self-concept also showed higher physical, personal, social identity, and satisfaction self-concept than did the controls. The Taekwondo class seemed to improve self concept without affecting other social values and behaviors.

A study at Indiana University in Bloomington showed that four hours of lifestyle activities a day, such as vacuuming and walking your dog, may significantly lower you blood pressure. A study at Leeds Metropolitan University in Britain revealed that engaging in physical activity during your lunch hour may improve your mood and productivity. Paul Adlard at the University of California at Irvine found that mice who exercised in a running wheel developed less plaque, the precursor for Alzheimer's. Research at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland found that people who work out regularly cut their chances of developing gum disease by 40%. Researchers at the University of Texas Southeastern Medical Center found that 30 minutes if aerobic activity 3 times a week reduced moderate depressive symptoms by about 50%.