Mental Health

Karate and Mental health

The effects of Karate and Martial arts on health have been fairly well researched, but the effects on mental health less so. We know that physical activity can help with depression, anxiety, and wellness, so anecdotally and from opinion, it would seem likely that Martial arts and subsequently Karate would help, but does it really?

A meta-analysis (a study of studies which is a gold standard in the quality of evidence) by Moore et al, (2022) analysing 14 studies found that martial arts has a positive effect on wellness and feelings of wellbeing, a moderate effect in reducing mild depression and anxiety, but did not show an effect in reducing aggression with some studies showing negative results. Therefore, it should be suggested that using Martial arts to combat aggression may be a bad idea! Having said that, a study conducted fairly recently (Parsamajd & Teymori, 2024) found positive outcomes in behavioural measures that include aggression and defiance in school children.

Another controlled study (Jansen et al, 2016) measured a number of mental and neurological factors in participants comparing a Shotokan Karate group with a Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) group and a control group who received no intervention. This study showed an improvement for the karate group, but not the MBSR and control group, in subjective mental health and anxiety as well as cognitive processing speed. Grandiere Perez et al (2025) also found positive results of Karate training finding favorable effects on self-esteem, anxiety, anger, fatigue and confusion-perplexity.

So, returning to my original question “does it really?” - yes, Karate seems to positively affect mental health, although it may be ill advised when thinking about adults with aggressive tendencies.

References

Grandiere Perez, L., Duveau, T., Lelong, C., Dangeul, F., Hitoto, H., & Blanchi, S. (2025). Favorable effect of Karate Kata on self-esteem, anxiety and fatigue in people living with HIV. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2025.2472050

Jansen, P., Dahmen-Zimmer, K., Kudielka, B., & Schulz, A. (2017). Effects of Karate Training Versus Mindfulness Training on Emotional Well-Being and Cognitive Performance in Later Life. Research on Aging, 39, 1118 - 1144. https://doi.org/10.1177/0164027516669987.

Moore, B., Dudley, D., & Woodcock, S. (2020). The effect of martial arts training on mental health outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of bodywork and movement therapies, 24(4), 402–412. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2020.06.017

Parsamajd, F., & Teymori, S. (2024). Karate Kata training: A promising intervention for behavioral problems in elementary school children.. Journal of experimental child psychology, 248, 106058 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2024.106058.