Abstract - The morality of practicing martial arts and combat sports
Background. It has been suggested that undertaking physical activity solely for recreational purposes without any form of competition, as opposed to the competitive practising of a particular sport discipline can differentiate the moral attitudes of the individuals [Bilski, Borawska 2013].
Problem and aim. The purpose of the study was to analyse the level of acceptance of particular ethical codes within practitioners of martial arts and combat sports athletes. Material & methods. The Ethics Questionnaire developed by Wojciszke and Baryla [2000] was used. There were 219 respondents.
Results. Among those practising martial arts, higher trust in productivity ethics was noted (p = 0.04), while combat sports athletes obtained higher averages in the case of common good ethics (p = 0.04) and collectivism ethics (p = 0.03). As compared with men, women presented higher acceptance of common good ethics, autonomy ethics, and dignity ethics. Neither the training experience nor the training rank differentiated the respondents’ results.
Conclusions. The level of acceptance of the identified ethical codes is not constant, but is characterized by particular dynamics and variability during human life. Therefore, the research presented here should constitute a starting point for future studies. It would be advisable to perform longitudinal studies with the application of a cross-sectional and sequential analysis design. Their aim would be to determine changes in the level of acceptance of particular ethical codes over a given period; e.g., a two-year training cycle.