“Many people consider Asia to be the center of the martial arts world – though it is not necessarily the birthplace of all the arts. History has shown that Martial Arts have thrived, especially when combined with Martial Arts from other cultures.” (Blackbeltmag.com) The place where the Martial Arts is taught is called a dojo. The dojo is considered a sacred place to those who take the Martial Arts and respect is always given. Students bow when entering and exiting the building as well as to each other and their instructors. The students follow “principles of excellence” and are expected to practice these not only at the dojo but also in their everyday lives. “Martial arts--in a therapeutic setting with properly trained and supervised instructors--can be an extraordinarily helpful, ego-building form of psychotherapy. The training strongly supports synthetic ego functions, particularly control of aggressive impulses. It may be especially helpful in assisting verbally limited students in mastering leadership skills.” (Twemlow, p …show more content…
The American Journal of Psychotherapy discusses how the Martial Arts is a type of therapy and can be a useful alternative to dysfunctional adolescents. “The physical learning through the nonverbal exercises of the Martial Arts can directly improve mental health. It fosters recognition of the integration of mind and body, teaches practitioners to relax, to focus, to communicate, to persevere, and to be self-aware and self-accepting, while still striving for improvement.” (Weiser, p 118-1272)
According to the book, Psychology of Martial Arts, “…martial arts are understood here as a "long-term path toward self-discovery, psychological development and an authentic way of life." As such, they facilitate self-encounter, and the "opponent" to be confronted is not an external one, but oneself.” (Donadrain, p 327) The Martial Arts holds all of those who participate to a higher standard, and challenges everyone to do better and be