Transmitting Health Philosophies through the Traditionalist Chinese Martial Arts in the UK

Factors influencing perseverance in teaching Chinese martial arts abroad: a self-determination theory perspective among international instructors

BACKGROUND

The global dissemination of Chinese martial arts (CMAs), transcends mere physical activity; it represents a cultural and philosophical journey that contributes to enhanced psychological well-being. Capturing international attention, CMAs have engendered a network of global instructors committed to their cross-cultural teaching. However, the narrative of CMAs across the globe is incomplete without understanding the psychological factors that fuel the perseverance of these international instructors. Their relentless commitment, motivated by factors beyond the cultural and geographical barriers, poses a unique question: What motivates these instructors to persist in teaching CMAs in the face of such challenges? The study aims to uncover the key motivational mechanisms that influence the perseverance of international CMAs instructors in their teaching endeavors.

METHODS

Employing Self-Determination Theory, 147 international CMAs instructors completed the Motivation for Teaching CMAs Scale, Perceived Belonging Scale, and Perseverance in Teaching CMAs Scale. SPSS 20.0 was utilized for conducting descriptive statistics, common method bias tests, and correlation analyses. Structural equation modeling was performed using AMOS 26.0.

RESULTS

Autonomous Motivation positively affected perseverance in teaching CMAs (β = 0.369, b = 0.465, t = 4.232, p < 0.001). In contrast, Amotivation negatively affected perseverance (β = -0.323, b = -0.382, t = -3.561, p < 0.001). Neither Controlled Motivation nor Sense of Belonging significantly affected perseverance. The model explained 27.9% of the variance in perseverance, offering insights into the motivational mechanisms influencing international CMAs instructors.

CONCLUSION

This study concludes that the perseverance of international instructors in teaching CMAs is primarily driven by overcoming amotivation and fostering autonomous motivation, rather than short-term internal or external incentives, which appear ineffective. Additionally, sense of belonging to their CMA school does not significantly influence their perseverance, potentially due to the diverse cultural backgrounds of the instructors surveyed. The findings suggest that by enhancing the recognition and acceptance of CMAs' core philosophies and values, aligning teaching practices with personal and cultural values, and fostering a profound passion for CMAs, international instructors could boost their autonomous motivation, which is crucial for their sustained commitment in promoting CMAs globally.

Barriers, Facilitators, and Sustainers in Tai Ji Quan Practice: A Mixed-Methods RE-AIM Assessment of College Students Versus the General Population

BACKGROUND

Tai Ji Quan (TJQ) has broad appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds. This study aimed to examine a variety of individual and environmental factors in the dissemination of TJQ to diverse practicing communities in China.

METHODS

A mixed-methods approach was utilized in the research design. Quantitative data were collected via an online survey using a national sample (N = 737), whereas qualitative data came from focus groups and in-depth interviews. Analysis was performed along the RE-AIM dimensions of reach, efficacy, adoption, implementation, and maintenance.

RESULTS

We divided TJQ experience into 4 distinct categories (nonlearners, current learners, quitters, and retainers) and observed significant patterns of variation along lines of occupation groups and age cohorts. A significant male/female difference was detected in TJQ experience among college students but not the general public, and having practicing family members was an important predictor of personal TJQ history. Varied TJQ experience has a significant impact on perceptions of TJQ's miscellaneous values as well as level of satisfaction with its health outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Both individual (personal) and environmental (settings) factors are important in shaping personal decisions in TJQ engagement. An ecological approach coordinating individual factors and settings resources is essential in promoting TJQ to the general population.

"I don't Teach Violence, I Teach Self-Control"; The Framing of Mixed Martial Arts Between Mental Health and Well-Being

This paper draws on conceptual and analytical tools from cultural sociology to analyze media representations of the MMA right after the murder of a twenty-year-old boy, that took place in a small village in central Italy by a gang of young men, two of whom frequented a MMA gym. While often characterized as violent and uncivilized, MMA has a core following of fans who watch and practice MMA out of an interest in the effects of the sport in terms of health and well-being. Through in depth qualitative analysis of  MMA media discourse offered by traditional and new media, this paper explores the way the MMA media constructs symbolic boundaries around different kinds of fights inside and outside the gym, through aesthetic and moral evaluations based on the hierarchical 'distinctions' between "violence" and "health" as possible outcomes of the MMA training process. Particularly, we carry out a discourse analysis based on Italian Newspapers, Magazines and Facebook groups dedicated to MMA, through which we frame the multiple representations of the discursive production built around the MMA in Italy. Our aim is to identify the different ways in which the discussion about this event provided narrative paths and points of view about the meaning of MMA, focusing on the reputational consequences concerning health, especially in its physical and mental expressions. This research may prove useful for scholars interested in MMA, culture, and sports media studies.

Cultivating Health in Martial Arts and Combat Sports Pedagogies: A Theoretical Framework on the Care of the Self

"Martial arts and combat sports" (MACS) are a myriad of systems of embodied movements and underlying philosophy and pedagogies. Due to the intrinsic complexity of MACS, they have the potential to both reshape practitioners' selves and improve their wellbeing, as well as to hamper the pursuit of sustainable, healthy lifestyles. This article provides an interdisciplinary theoretical framework to critically approach both the "light" and the "dark" sides of martial pedagogies. The model we propose develops the Foucauldian notion of "the care of the self," which has been considerably overlooked in martial arts scholarship. Furthermore, by viewing health as a goal for cultivation, this proposal places the situated practices linked to materiality and discourses at the centre of the theoretical and empirical analyses. The article thus takes into account the internal diversity and cross-institutional variance of martial pedagogies by allowing scholars to explore four forms of cultivation (self, shared, social, ecological) prompted on a day-to-day basis. To conclude, we discuss the main methodological implications for multimodal research arising from the framework in order to foster future inquiries.

Blending Martial Arts and Yoga for Health: From the Last Samurai to the First Odaka Yoga Warrior

This paper introduces the case study of Odaka Yoga, an innovative style of postural yoga blended with martial arts elements which emphasizes the importance of practitioners' health and processes of self-transformation as pivotal to the school's ethos. More specifically, the paper explores how Odaka Yoga's philosophical backdrops and practical repertoire, composed by a mixture of "exotic" resources such as Bushido, zen, yoga, and a constant reference to the ocean waves and biomechanics, constitute a very specific vision of health at the intersection of Western science and esoteric knowledge. Theoretically, the paper borrows from Jennings' theory of martial creation and enriches it with some of the central analytical tools proposed by theorists such as Bourdieu and Foucault. Methodologically, it relies on a multimodal approach including discursive analysis of the school's promotional materials, interviews with the founders and other key teachers, and observant participation of practitioners' apprenticeship processes. More Specifically, this paper discusses the birth of Odaka Yoga as occurring at the intersection of Asian martial arts and yoga, as well as the founders' biographical trajectories from the world of competitive martial arts and fitness, to yoga; it then turns to an examination of Odaka Yoga's conception of health as a mixture of the Western biomedical model and the subtle body model of Asian traditions such as yoga and martial arts. It argues that the conception of health promoted by this school gives rise to the Odaka Yoga Warrior, the ideal-typical practitioner whose body is simultaneously exposed to the medical gaze and its imperatives of control, knowledge, and manipulation; while it also deifies it, as it is animated by the elusive flows of energy (qi or prana) that prolonged practice aims to master. The paper concludes with a reflection on hybrid conceptions of health and the ubiquitous role of health discourses and narratives across sociocultural domains.

‘Boxing Is Our Business’: The Embodiment of a Leftist Identity in Boxe Popolare

Based on two-year ethnography of boxe popolare—a style of boxing codified by Italian leftist grassroots groups—and participant observation of a palestra popolare in an Italian city, the article purports to (a) deepen understanding of the nexus between physical cultures and politics and (b) contribute to understanding the renewal of political cultures by overcoming the disembodied perspectives on ideology. The first section of the paper tracks down the relation that ties boxing to the sociocultural matrix of the leftist grassroots groups. Boxing draws its significance from the antagonistic culture of the informal political youth organisations in which the practice is embedded and reflects the main changes that have been occurring in the collective action repertoires of the street-level political forces over the past few decades. The second section analyses the daily activities of boxe popolare. The paper thereby demonstrates how training regimes manipulate the bodies to inculcate a set of corporeal postures and sensibilities inherent to a mythology of otherness peculiar to the far-left ethos. In conclusion, the lived experience of boxe popolare addresses the importance of placing the situated practices and the socialised body at the centre of the study of political cultures in the contemporary post-ideological era.

Spirituality/Religiosity (SpR), Leisure-Time Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behaviour in Students at a Catholic University

Some studies have found an association between spirituality and/or religiosity (SpR) and cardiovascular health, for reasons which remain unclear. This study explores whether SpR is linked to physical activity whilst young, which in turn is linked to long-term cardiovascular health. Students at a Catholic University in Australia completed a survey combining the SpREUK-P SF 17 SpR questionnaire with elements of the long-form 7-day recall International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Respondents who scored highly in the unconventional spiritual practices components of SpREUK-P engaged in moderate intensity physical activity more frequently. This finding may have implications for health promotion.