A measure of character strength in Brazilian Jiujitsu practitioners

The present study explored if either positive or negative changes in character strength, as measured by Peterson and Seligman's Values in Action Survey of Character (VIA-IS) and the Values in Action Strength Survey for Children (VIA-Youth), occur from learning and practicing the art of Brazilian Jiujitsu. 155 Participants completed the VIA-IS and VIA-Youth online. Participants were grouped by experience level as defined by belt rank in Brazilian Jiujitsu and scores from each of the strength scales were compared between groups.;Research has shown that practicing a traditional martial art can have many psychological benefits including a favorable impact on a person's attention span (Brown, 2004; & Cooper, 2005), positive mood state (Toskovic & Nebojsa, 2001), emotional stability, assertiveness, and concentration (Konzak & Boudreau), self-acceptance (Egan, 1992; & Terry, 2005), self-efficacy (Anthony, 2005), self-concept (Madenlin, 1979; Prince, 1996; Anthony, 2005; & Blowers, 2007), self-esteem (Richman & Rehberg, 1986; Clanton, 2004), and self-regulation (Lakes & Hoyt, 2004). Studies have also demonstrated that traditional martial art practice is associated with decreases in aggression and anger reactivity (Nosanchuk, 1981; Nosanchuk & MacNeil, 1988; Gonzales, 1989; Skelton et al, 1991; Bjorkqvist, 2001; and Adler, 2003), anxiety (Rothpearl, 1979, 1980), symptoms associated with Attentional-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (Brown, 2004; & Cooper, 2005), and types of behavioral difficulties that often accompany delinquency (Trulson, 1986; Gorbel, 1990; & Zivin, 2001).;In contrast to the more uniformly positive views of the psychological benefits of traditional martial arts practice, opinions are mixed regarding the impact of training in the more modern forms. While some proponents of the traditional martial arts have argued that training in a modern style of martial art like Brazilian Jiujitsu does not have psychological benefits and may actually increase aggression and violent behavior (Trulson, 1986; Nosanchuk & MacNeil, 1988), other studies have shown that they have the potential to increase self-efficacy, while decreasing anxiety and behavioral avoidance (Ozer & Bandura, 1990; Shim, 1998; & Cox, 1999). Modern martial arts have also been shown to enhance body image (Shim, 1998). In a recent study, children diagnosed with Attentional-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-combined type who were exposed to a 12-week mixed martial art program, a modern form combining different martial arts, showed increases in self-esteem, percentage of homework completed, and improvement in classroom behavior (Morand, 2004).;Results from the present study suggest that learning and practicing the art of Brazilian Jiujitsu has no effect on character strengths, either positive or negative, as measured by the VIA-IS and the VIA- Youth. Strength scores were compared between Brazilian Jiujitsu practitioners of different experience levels as measured by belt rank. The results indicated no significant differences between any of the groups on any of the 24 character strength scales. This finding was contrary to the first hypothesis, that learning and practicing Brazilian Jiujitsu fosters strength of character. This finding supported the second hypothesis, that learning and practicing Brazilian Jiujitsu does not decrease strength of character.