Psychological research on the martial arts: an addendum to Fuller's review

Most psychological research on the martial arts has been conducted from a positivist stance, and Fuller's (1988) review of research reflected a positivist tone while suggesting that therapeutic influences may be achieved from martial arts training methods abstracted from their traditional setting. This addendum cites two important contextual problems influencing martial arts research. First, the martial arts are influenced by Oriental styles of thinking such as Taoism and Zen Buddhism that are difficult to grasp from a Western positivist point of view. We suggest that phenomenology seems to have some stylistic parallels with Oriental thinking and appears to offer the Westerner a point of entry toward understanding the martial arts as Oriental arts. Second, the cultural and psychological values and meanings of the Oriental martial arts may change when situated in a Western context, thus changing their method, content, and therapeutic influence. We suggest that a non-positivist and context-sensitive approach such as phenomenology might clarify the contextual intricacy of the martial arts and thereby facilitate improved theoretical foundations and empirical research of martial arts participation as a psychological phenomenon.