Martial arts training as a psychological self-regulation intervention: an experimental study on emotional control, attention, and stress resilience

Background Psychological self-regulation, encompassing emotion regulation, attentional control, and stress resilience, is a critical determinant of mental health and adaptive functioning. While conventional physical exercise has demonstrated psychological benefits, emerging evidence suggests that martial arts training may provide unique advantages due to its integration of physical exertion, cognitive engagement, and emotional regulation. However, randomized controlled trials directly comparing martial arts training with conventional exercise using multimodal outcome measures remain limited. Methods Sixty-six healthy young adults (18–25 years) were randomly assigned to a martial arts self-regulation training group (MA-SRT), a conventional physical exercise group (CPEG), or a passive control group ( n = 22 per group). The intervention lasted 8 weeks, with three 60 min sessions per week. Primary outcomes included emotion regulation (ERQ), attentional control (continuous performance task reaction time), and perceived stress (PSS-10). Secondary outcomes assessed psychological resilience (CD-RISC-25), electro-dermal activity, and executive inhibitory control (Stroop task). Outcomes were measured pre- and post-intervention. Data were analyzed using mixed-model repeated-measures ANOVA with effect sizes reported as partial eta squared and Cohen’s d . Results Significant group × time interactions were observed for all primary and secondary outcomes (all p 0.001). The MA-SRT group demonstrated the largest improvements in emotion regulation, attentional performance, and stress reduction, with large effect sizes ( η 2 p = 0.49–0.75), whereas the CPEG showed moderate improvements and the control group minimal change. Secondary outcomes similarly favored the MA-SRT group, including marked gains in psychological resilience, reductions in sympathetic arousal, and enhanced executive control ( η 2 p = 0.53–0.71). Discussion These findings indicate that martial arts training is a highly effective psychological self-regulation intervention, producing superior emotional, cognitive, and physiological benefits compared to conventional physical exercise. The integrative cognitive-emotional demands inherent in martial arts practice may uniquely enhance self-regulatory capacity in young adults.