Motivating Martial Artists: An Examination Of The Drives And Lessons Learned Among Taekwondo Students

Abstract

There are a large number of martial art schools operating in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area, teaching a variety of martial arts. Of all of those schools the students at the Texas Black Belt Academy chose their school, despite a lengthy travel time for some of the students. In an effort to find out why the students chose this particular school, I joined and investigated the Texas Black Belt Academy, investigating what the students were getting out of both the lessons and environment of the school. I found that the students came most often to learn self-defense, however they stayed for three reasons: the family atmosphere, the physical and mental health benefits that they received, and a sense of inner tranquility that they developed as a result of their training which equipped them to handle the stresses of their lives.