Antioch University AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive Student & Alumni Scholarship, including Dissertations & Theses Dissertations & Theses 2017 From Dawn to Dan: The ourJ ney of Karate Masters. Brandon W. Maynard Antioch University Santa Barbara Follow this and additional works at: http://aura.antioch.edu/etds Part of the Clinical Psychology Commons, and the Counseling Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Maynard, Brandon W., "From Dawn to Dan: The ourJ ney of Karate Masters." (2017). Dissertations & Theses. 355. http://aura.antioch.edu/etds/355 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student & Alumni Scholarship, including Dissertations & Theses at AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations & Theses by an authorized administrator of AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. FROM DAWN TO DAWN THE JOURNEY OF KARATE MASTERS A dissertation presented to the faculty of ANTIOCH UNIVERSITY SANTA BARBARA In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY In CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY by Brandon Maynard, MA May 19th, 2017 ii FROM DAWN TO DAN FROM DAWN TO DAN THE JOURNEY OF KARATE MASTERS This dissertation, by Brandon Maynard, has been approved by the committee members signed below who recommend that it be accepted by the faculty of Antioch University Santa Barbara in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY Dissertation Committee: ______________________________________ Daniel P. Schwartz, Ph.D. Chairperson ______________________________________ Christopher Howard, Psy.D. Adjunct Reader ______________________________________ Christine DiBlasio, Ph.D. External Expert iii FROM DAWN TO DAN Copyright 2017 Brandon W. Maynard ALL RIGHTS RESERVED iv FROM DAWN TO DAN Abstract The contributions martial arts training can make to mental health treatment have scarcely been explored by researchers in psychology. Practitioners of martial arts, such as karate, report that the training improves self-esteem, concentration, and emotional well-being. Several studies have provided empirical evidence in support of these anecdotal reports, but very few have utilized participants who have advanced training in martial arts to examine the emotional impact such training has across time. This study takes a phenomenological approach to studying the emotional effects training has had on master-level martial artists (fourth-degree black belt or higher) in the discipline of karate. Eight participants were interviewed to identify how karate has impacted their personal lives as well as the lives of the students they have trained. The themes identified verify that practicing martial arts increases self-esteem, emotional well-being, memory, prosocial behaviors, and humility. These expert participants also voiced that many of their students – who suffered with a range of emotional conditions – experienced similar benefits from even brief (three to six months) practice of their martial art. The eight karate masters interviewed all report that their martial arts training positively impacted their emotional lives and mental functioning, but empirical research is needed to verify and quantify the positive effects karate training can have on emotional health. This Dissertation is available in Open Access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu and OhioLink ETD Center, http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd. v FROM DAWN TO DAN TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iv Glossary of Terms .......................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................................... 2 Self-Esteem ................................................................................................................................. 2 Social Influences on the Development of Self-Esteem in Karate. .................................................. 3 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Limitations .................................................................................................................................. 6 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................................... 8 Background ................................................................................................................................. 8 Brief Historical Background of Japanese Culture. .................................................................. 8 Brief History of Okinawan Culture. ........................................................................................ 9 Buddhism and Karate. ............................................................................................................. 9 Historical Background of Karate. .......................................................................................... 10 Japanese Karate and its Layout. ............................................................................................ 11 Karate’s Rank System. .......................................................................................................... 11 Studies on Karate and Mood ..................................................................................................... 12 Karate and Aggression ........................................................................................................... 17 Karate and Anxiety. ............................................................................................................... 20 Studies on Karate with Children and Adolescents .................................................................... 26 Karate and Oppositional Defiance Disorder .......................................................................... 26 Karate and Autism. ................................................................................................................ 27 Karate and Children with Disabilities ................................................................................... 28 Studies on Karate and Victimized Populations ......................................................................... 29 Self-Concepts among Karateka ................................................................................................. 31 Neuropsychological Research on Karate .................................................................................. 33 Research on Profiling Karateka................................................................................................. 36 Strengths of Current Research................................................................................................... 40 Weaknesses of Current Research .............................................................................................. 42 The Current Study ..................................................................................................................... 42 vi FROM DAWN TO DAN CHAPTER III: METHODS .......................................................................................................... 44 Phenomenology ......................................................................................................................... 44 Strengths of Phenomenology. ................................................................................................... 45 Weaknesses of Phenomenology ............................................................................................ 45 Research Questions ................................................................................................................... 46 Research Design ........................................................................................................................ 47 Recruitment of the Participants ................................................................................................. 48 Participants ............................................................................................................................ 48 Measures ................................................................................................................................ 49 Risks ...................................................................................................................................... 50 Safeguards ............................................................................................................................. 50 Validity and Reliability of the Method ..................................................................................... 51 CHAPTER IV: RESULTS ............................................................................................................ 52 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 52 Beginning the Journey of Karate. .........................................................................................