Authors : Khan Z . S .

Page Nos : 450-454

Description :
In this article, we problematize Sports Psychology research on Martial Artists and offersome suggestions for advancing our knowledge in this area of research and practice.First, we review the previous research in the field. Then we introduce “cultural praxis”as a theoretical framework that will guide our analysis. Finally, we engage sociologicals tudies of female fighters in conjunction with the adopted theoretical lens to outline thelimitations of sport psychological research with regards to the experiences of women.It seems that the majority of the studies have used the male athlete as the norm, whileresearch on the female athlete remains limited and focused on “differences”. Focusingpersistently on gender differences, without drawing at all on gender theory reflects agender bias, which seems to be engrained in sport psychology studies. Recent soc iological studies have shed some light on the experiences of female martial artists, but have paid scant attention to the constantly changing locale in which female athletes operate. Here, we suggest “cultural praxis” as an intervention to gain insights i nto the behaviors, values,and emotions of the other sex athletes. Sports psychology is the study of how psychology influences sports, athletic performance, exercise and physical activity. Some sports psychologists work with professional athletes and coache s to improve performance and increase motivation. Other professionals utilize exercise and sports to enhance people‟s lives and well - being throughout the entire lifespan.Sports psychology is a relatively young discipline within psychology. In 1920, Carl Di em founded the world‟s first sports psychology laboratory at the Deutsche Sporthochschule in Berlin, Germany. In 1925, two more sports psychology labs were established – one by A.Z. Puni at the Institute of Physical Culture in Leningrad and the other by Co leman Griffith at the University of Illinois.

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