@article{ref1,
title="Mindfulness and psychological health in practitioners of Japanese martial arts: a cross-sectional study",
journal="BMC sports science, medicine and rehabilitation",
year="2020",
author="Akatsuka, Saki and Motoike, Hibiki and Sonoda, Akifumi and Kobayashi, Daisuke and Miyata, Hiromitsu",
volume="12",
number="1",
pages="e75-e75",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Empirical data have suggested that mind-body practices that originated in Eastern traditions can cause desirable changes to psychological traits, the  brain, somatic physiological functions, etc. Martial arts in Japan refer to the  physical/mental practices that were developed based on historical combat techniques. Today, martial arts are considered activities that seek embodiment and/or mind-body  unity, as well as sports. Empirical studies involving practitioners of Japanese  martial arts to date remain scarce. <br><br>METHODS: We conducted a questionnaire survey  using a cross-sectional design to examine whether the practice of martial arts based  on Japanese traditions are associated with mindfulness and psychological health. Participants included a population of practitioners of martial arts with a practice  period of 0.6-35.0 years, and non-practitioners matched for demographic variables. <br><br>RESULTS: Compared with the non-practitioners, the practitioners of martial arts had  significantly higher scores for mindfulness and subjective well-being and lower  scores for depression. Among the practitioners of martial arts, a longer period of  practice or a higher frequency of daily practice significantly predicted higher  mindfulness and psychological health. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained are  consistent with those previously obtained for other populations of Japanese  contemplatives, and support the view that practice of multiple Eastern mind-body  practices might be associated with similar desirable psychological outcomes. A  cross-sectional design has limitations in that it is difficult to determine the  effect of continued practice, so that a longitudinal study that follows the same  practitioners over time is desired in the future enquiry.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2052-1847",
doi="10.1186/s13102-020-00225-5",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13102-020-00225-5"
}