An article looking into how the Teachings of Taekwondo resonate with positive therapeutic outcomes in the counselling room.

We really enjoy hearing from our members as it shows a wide-range of activity, topics and areas of interest in the world of Taekwondo.

Sarah Hollister, a member of Enso Taekwondo Academy in Cumbria, has shared this article about her Psychotherapy Masters degree dissertation.

In the study, Sarah completed a research paper on the positive benefits of Taekwondo on mental health. The research participants were all members of British Taekwondo.

Sarah Hollister MBACP is Psychotherapist specialising in Outdoor Counselling in the Lake District. Sarah joined Enso Taekwondo Academy in 2018 and trains alongside her daughter Olivia who has competed nationally and is hoping to achieve her 3rd Dan after 7 years of Taekwondo. Sarah is currently training towards her 1st Dan. Visit Sarah’s Lakeland Counselling website for further information.

Introducing person-centred counselling

Having just finished my second year of person-centred counselling training I was drawn into a piece of research on Taekwondo, which was a sport to which I had increasingly become connected. I had initially discovered Taekwondo by accident as I looked for a sport for my younger daughter to take part in. In my younger days, I had enjoyed kickboxing at university and was always interested in the fitness side of a sport like this. I signed my daughter up for lessons and two years later as part of a “get the parents involved” initiative by the head instructor I began my Taekwondo journey.

Teachings of Taekwondo

During my supervised practice I realised that there were aspects in the Teachings of Taekwondo that resonated with positive therapeutic outcomes in the counselling room. This led me to think about how the participation in a martial art specifically in this case, Taekwondo could change a person’s self-concept. Self-concept plays a big role in therapy as it is the picture of how a client view themselves. As well as a present self, there is also the concept of aspirational “ideal Self”. Mearns, Thorn and McLeod¹ see that self-concept may be more appropriately termed “self-process” as this reflects the fluidity of the dynamic nature of the concept of self as described by Carl Rogers. Thus, if Taekwondo could change how a person perceives themselves there could be possible applications for this “change” in the therapy process.

Taking this as the starting point for my Master’s research I started to identify themes and insights in to whether the impacts on sense of self could generate new ideas to use in counselling and thus achieve better physical health and mental wellbeing. I started by recruiting participants from different Taekwondo clubs. Since the research was conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic much of the research had to be done online via Zoom through interview using semi structured questions. I wanted to hear the perspectives from Taekwondo students on how they felt their Taekwondo journey had affected their perceptions of themselves. The questions were open ended to allow the participants to talk more freely about their experiences. From these interviews six broad themes emerged as follows.

Self-Confidence

Of the five participants interviewed all of them reported an increase in overall self-confidence. This manifested itself in different ways for the five participants, but all talked about a perceived increase in self-confidence. They felt that by practicing Taekwondo they could focus on their improvement as an individual rather than comparing themselves to others. The focus being your own improvement and becoming the best version of yourself.

Others reported that their self-confidence had been improved by pushing themselves out of their comfort zone. They felt that learning Taekwondo had presented challenges both physically through learning new kicks and mentally from learning new techniques and moves in Poomsae (training patterns). Failure is inevitable and getting back up after a setback leads to the feeling that failure is part of learning and thus, perfection is impossible. Being strong enough to keep going despite failure embraces the tenet of Taekwondo’s “indomitable spirit” and this empowerment leads to a boost in self-confidence that you can cope with life challenges.² Others spoke about the environment of the class and its impact on confidence levels. One of the five tenets of Taekwondo is courtesy and those who practice Taekwondo treat others in the class with respect. You respect your instructors and fellow students. This non-judgemental environment, which is created by the instructor, allows the students to be comfortable with who they are. They don’t have to pretend to be someone they are not and this ability to be congruent promotes confidence to learn at your own pace. The participants in this study shared the opinion that the practice of Taekwondo increased a sense of self-confidence. This was linked with learning a new skill whereby the participants felt more empowered and in control of their life challenges combined with the physiological changes associated with exercise including enhanced mood and body image.³ This is consistent with the research on how self-concept is linked to self-confidence and body image⁴. Additionally, there was evidence to suggest that the environment of the class provided a non-judgemental environment which facilitated personal development⁵ and the ability to learn at your own pace.

Increased fitness and body image

Taekwondo training is known to improve physical fitness and helps develop, flexibility and endurance alongside self-defence skills. The participants reported an increase in their general overall fitness levels and commented on how their increased fitness had directly impacted their body image. One student felt that the increased fitness levels had directly affected their self-image in a positive way. Another student, whilst feeling challenged continued to train hard and improve and this gave them an increased sense of achievement. This mental attitude of not giving up embraces the tenet of Taekwondo “perseverance” in that without a struggle there is no value in success.

Another participant felt like the Taekwondo training had given them a more positive body image. They had been trying to lose weight unsuccessfully for years. Because of the belt system in Taekwondo, they had decided to set themselves performance goals and focus on the sport, fitness and achieving the next belt. This approach had enabled them to lose weight and thus become more in control of their mental health. These perceptions are consistent with previous research would seem to suggest that Taekwondo has a direct impact about how some of the participants felt about their body image and self-esteem⁷ and suggest that by learning a new skill and the progression through the belt system gave an increased sense of achievement and self-worth. Additionally, sparring is considered a high intensity exercise and been known to have several physical benefits including improved cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes⁸ along with the effects of an increase in substances like dopamine.⁹ This has an overall beneficial effect on mood.¹⁰

Relationship and connection

Another of the areas that the participants seemed keen to describe were based around the subject of relationships, trust and respect within the sport. Respect and Taekwondo go hand in hand¹¹ and the cornerstone of Taekwondo involves teaching respect for yourself and those around you. This includes learning about the value of self and others. Treating others with decency and kindness and always taking others into consideration and showing positive feelings and attitudes towards yourself and others. This translates to competitions and sparring as no matter how intense a competition or training session may be, rules are followed, and respect is shown for your partner and the instructor. This embraces courtesy, one of the five tenets of Taekwondo.

Students reported that feelings of trust and respect towards other students, the instructor and themselves had an important impact on how they felt they had changed since stating Taekwondo. These observations are consistent with the previous research by Roesner¹² who states that, the relationship between a martial arts instructor and their students can be complex and multi-dimensional, but it should always be respectful to allow student development. The climate created by the instructor means that there is chance to share the space in the Dojang with respect, which then facilitates the growth of all the participants in the martial arts classroom. Steven Grabek 5^th Dan instructor¹³ states that he believes one of the most important factors is to create an environment in which everyone feels comfortable and can enjoy themselves. He mentions that “every student is unique, and they all have different reasons, challenges and aspirations for doing Taekwondo”. He maintains that the right environment is essential to support everyone’s achievement of their goals, whatever they may be. However, it is down to the individual to work hard to make it happen.  “They are absorbing more than just the superficial physical skills of Taekwondo, but also the character development that the tenets aim to achieve.”

Integrating mind and body

The trinity of Taekwondo embraces the mind, body and spirit. These three elements are linked by the physical aspects in terms of increasing strength and flexibility through repeated training, the mental aspects by increasing your ability to defend yourself and the spirit of Taekwondo which is linked to motivation and sense of purpose. Without goals and mental strength, the “indomitable spirit” one the tenets of Taekwondo cannot be achieved. There is also the symbolism of integration of mind and body represented by the tying of the belt. The tightening of the knot symbolises the “indomitable spirit” and the centring of the knot represents being grounded and focussed on the upcoming training. The balance of mental and physical aspects is symbolised by the belt ends being even. This is also a reminder to seek improvement in all aspects of life both physically and spiritually.

When you submerge yourself in the flow of Poomsae it is hard to ignore the mind-body connection that these precipitates. The repetition of the complex patterns of movement stimulates an involuntary and unavoidable refocussing of the mind on to the body. The often unhelpful “chatter” of the mind becomes impossible to sustain as the mind is subconsciously directed to maintaining the flow of movement. Poomsae seems to have a similar effect on the mind body connection as mindfulness meditation.¹⁴

This inner calm may allow fresh insights to rise on a particular problem or issue and connections with inner feelings could emerge. When the mind settles the solution becomes clear and sometimes racing thoughts are a result of unresolved depression or anxiety. The flow state of Poomsae could allow unconscious feelings to surface which can then be potentially addressed and resolved in the therapy room. This is consistent with the previous research in psychological well-being by Rich¹⁵ on flow experience whereby the complete absorption in an activity, in this case Poomsae can facilitate a state of mind characterised by focussed concentration. In turn, this can lead to a feeling of heightened enjoyment in that activity as well as complete presence in the moment.¹⁶

Vulnerability

Vulnerability is both an emotional and physical state which can lead us open to risk, uncertainty and emotional exposure. It is a state where there are no guaranteed outcomes, prediction or control. All five of the participants talked openly about their vulnerability when practicing Taekwondo. One participant talked about their feelings of vulnerability. The participant had been keen to learn Taekwondo for reasons of self-defence. They had discovered though that by becoming stronger and learning a martial art they realised how vulnerable they themselves were and how potentially strong other people were. Two participants spoke about how they had felt vulnerable in the past, and it had been this vulnerability that had interested them in learning a martial art for self-defence. They both spoke of how they felt more empowered through the skills they had learned in Taekwondo.

All the participants all felt some degree of vulnerability either physical or mental during their Taekwondo journey. This vulnerability seemed to allow greater self-awareness and the feeling’s that by pushing the boundaries of a comfort zone personal growth could happen. Exposing your vulnerability can be a challenging thing to do but once a person can accept their vulnerabilities and begin to accept who they are. These findings emphasise that it is all right for us to be perfectly imperfect, to make mistakes and errors as we learn and grow.¹⁷ Exploring our own vulnerabilities means we can access new parts of ourselves and change our expectations on our journey towards building self-esteem.

Stress Management

Three of the participants reported that although stress was part of their everyday life, they felt that Taekwondo helped them manage it effectively. The physical activity associated with Taekwondo increases your metabolic rate, increases both flexibility and muscle strength and improves the body’s immune response.¹⁸ This helps the body cope better with stress. Participants responded that they felt more relaxed after a physical workout.

Some felt that their mental state was calmer and less stressed after a training session.

There is a requirement in Taekwondo for its students to be in a focussed and in a calm state. When this state of consciousness occurs, the student is completely in the present and anxiety can slip away. Participants reported that for them Taekwondo was a distraction from their other work and other life stresses.

Overall, Taekwondo was an effective was of actively managing stress. This is consistent with the finding of the study¹⁹ which suggests that the practice of Taekwondo does not necessarily reduce or remove the stress from the participant’s lives but, enables them to manage its effects through active interventions such as self-care and through the transference of the teachings of the five tenets which can help further develop positive behaviours for handling stress.²⁰

In conclusion

Through the process of carrying out this research I have discovered that Taekwondo can facilitate the climate necessary that can lead to the process of self-actualisation. Taekwondo has both physical and spiritual components and if the instructor creates the right climate in the learning space it can be a safe place where students can learn without being judged.

Taekwondo class has allowed me to connect with other members of the Taekwondo community and has facilitated many discussions on mental health. This relationship which is largely built on mutual trust and respect seems to make an opportunity for a depth of connection not usually found in traditional friendships. There is a real sense of experiencing a meeting on a deeper level. In essence the threads that tie us together is our love of the sport of Taekwondo. We “get” each other in a state of profound engagement. These moments of “relational depth”²¹ provide an opportunity to experience a genuine sense of meeting which I think is rarely felt outside of therapy.

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Bibliography

¹ Mearns, D., Thorn, B. and McLeod, J., (2013). Person-Centred Counselling in Action. 4th ed. London: Sage.

² Esch, T.; Duckstein, J.; Welke, J.; Braun, V. (2007) Mind/body techniques for physiological and psychological stress reduction: Stress management via Tai Chi training—A pilot study. Med. Sci. Monit. 13, CR 488–CR

³ Hausenblas, H. A., & Downs, D. S. (2010). Comparison of Body Image between Athletes and Nonathletes: A Meta-Analytic Review. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 13(3), 323–339. https://doi.org/10.1080/104132001753144437

⁴ Reishehrei, A. P. (2014, February 21). A Comparison Study of Self Concept and Self Efficacy in Martial Arts and non-Martial Arts Athletics in Iran. ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042814010842

⁵ Rich G (2013). Finding Flow: The History and Future of a Positive Psychology Concept.

⁶ Fong, S.S.M. and Ng, G.Y.F. (2011) Does Taekwondo training improve physical fitness? Physical Therapy in Sport, 12,

⁷ Qiao, W., Song, E.-, & Choi, C. (2020). The effect of Chinese Students Participation in Leisure Activities on the Life Satisfaction and Academic Stress in University. The World Society of Taekwondo

⁸ Shiraev T, Barclay G. (2012). Evidence based exercise – clinical benefits of high intensity interval training. Aust Fam Physician. 2012 Dec;41(12):960-2.

⁹ Daley, A. (2002). Exercise therapy and mental health in clinical populations: Is exercise therapy a worthwhile intervention? Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 8(4), 262-270

¹⁰ Md, J. R. J., & Hagerman, E. (2013). Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain (Reprint ed.). Little, Brown Spark.

¹¹ Yang, J. S., Ko, J. M., & Roh, H. T. (2018). Effects of regular Taekwondo exercise on mood changes in children from multicultural families in South Korea: a pilot study. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 30(4), 496–499.

¹² Roesner, P (2013). Taekwondo-More Than A Martial Art: A Journey for Life. Xlibris Corporation.

¹³ Grabek, S (2021) 5th Dan Enso Taekwondo Academy.

¹⁴ Croom, Adam M. (2014). Embodying martial arts for mental health: Cultivating psychological wellbeing with martial arts practice. Archives of Budo Science of Martial Arts and Extreme Sports 10:59-70

¹⁵ Rich G (2013). Finding Flow: The History and Future of a Positive Psychology Concept.

¹⁶ Vallerand, R.J. (2012) The role of passion in sustainable psychological well-being. Psych   Well-Being 2, 1

¹⁷ Mahrer, B (2019). Start with Vulnerability to Build Self-Esteem, Healthy Place. https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/buildingselfesteem/2019/10/start-with-vulnerability-to-build-self-esteem

¹⁸ Ratey, J. J. (2013). Spark. Little, Brown & Company.

¹⁹ Petrovic, K. (2017). The Benefits of Taekwondo Training for Undergraduate Students: A Phenomenological Study.

²⁰ Roesner, P.M., (2012) Beyond the dojang: A phenomenological perspective on transferring the virtues of Taekwondo into daily life, Capella University.

²¹  Cooper, M, (2013) The handbook of person-centred psychotherapy and counselling. 1st ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

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