Abstract/Summary

Martial Arts and Well-being explores how martial arts, such as Taijiquan, and Karate can contribute in important ways to health and well-being, as well as providing other broader social benefits. By using psychological and sociological theory related to behaviour, ritual, perception and reality construction, the book seeks to illustrate, with empirical data, how individuals make sense of and perceive the value of martial arts in their lives. In addition, it considers how the practice of martial arts can promote greater self-awareness, whilst also connecting individuals and groups. The consequences of this in creating a shared identity and collective community of practice - and its link to well-being - is also explored. The book demonstrates that participating in martial arts can have a powerful influence on the construction of behaviour patterns offering further ‘food for thought’ to discussion of how individual realities are constructed. This serves to highlight the value of this sort of study in extending our understanding of other areas of academic interests