Physical self-defense perceptions of women athletes: a cross-disciplinary study in combat sports
Keywords:
Combat sports, Self-defense perception,, Women athletes.Abstract
This study investigated the self-defense perception levels of women combat sports athletes against physical attacks and explored potential differences between disciplines. The research included a total of 463 volunteer women athletes (mean age and standard deviation = 24.92 ± 8.30 years) with at least 2 years of experience in judo (n = 150), karate (n = 128), taekwondo (n = 49), wrestling (n = 54), and kickboxing (n = 82). Participants were administered a “Personal Information Form” and a “Self-Defense Against Physical Attacks Scale”. The findings indicate that national athletes scored higher in the “self-defense against simple physical attacks” sub dimension (p < .032). Additionally, women practicing wrestling and judo showed significantly higher perception levels of self-defense against simple physical attacks compared to those practicing kickboxing (p < .002). Furthermore, increased experience among participants was positively correlated with both sub-dimensions, while increased age showed a low but significant positive correlation only with the “self-defense against simple physical attacks” sub-dimension (r = .207; p < .01), (r = .113; p < .05) and (r = .155; p < .01). This research may serve as a guide for women interested in combat sports for the purpose of physical self-defense.
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