Teaching in martial arts: the analysis and identification of teaching approaches in youth martial arts practice

There are contrasting images with respect to the social-psychological outcomes of martial arts involvement among youth. This is possibly because research on the contextual factors that might influence these outcomes, such as the impact of the teacher, remains scarce.
The purpose of this study was to analyse teaching approaches of different martial arts teachers and to examine how youngsters experienced the teaching approach of their martial arts teacher by taking the perceived motivational climate into account.
It was concluded that differences occur in the teaching approach used by teachers of different martial arts as well as within one martial art and that different teaching methods might have an impact on how youngsters perceive the motivational climate in their sports club. Consequently, it is important to take the teaching approach of the martial arts teacher into consideration when examining the social-psychological outcomes of martial arts involvement.

Publication year:2012

Keywords:martial arts, youth