IDO MOVEMENT FOR CULTURE

Background. Studying martial arts and combat sports has gained popularity around the world and the practice incorporates factors such as cultural expectations or norms as well as languages, methodologies, etc. What attracts people to the study and practice of martial arts differs.
Aim. These factors make us realize the complexity of training, but also raise our curiosity about what differences and/or similarities there may be in leadership, communication, and motivations within the field of martial arts geographically and culturally. The results could aid in the language choice for advertising martial arts based on cultural and regional differences.
Methods. By employing a mixed methods approach of both quantitative and qualitative data collection with analysis, a comparison of martial artists (instructors, students, and parents of younger students) was surveyed to better understand the reasons for studying martial arts. In addition, data was gathered about the communication practices within martial arts training from martial artists in different regions of the world and from different martial arts traditions. Based on an international online survey this study of martial artists from the USA, Canada, UK., Australia, New Zealand, and Finland are compared to better understand the significant differences in views, experiences, and communication to address and identify similarities and differences in order to better communicate about martial arts in advertising communication.
Results. Key insights point to the fact that preferred communication styles and advertising communication language must differ based on national cultural influences and martial arts traditions in branding. Advertising of martial arts for the purpose of awareness and/or recruitment means that the style of communication and the perceived benefits of martial arts training of prospective students varies based on the region.
Conclusions. The results of the study point to the advertising and communication needed for the purposes of recruitment and retention of students in martial arts training should be strategically communicated based on cultural and regional differences in preferred communications, and the motivations of those being communicated to, which in turn provides an indication that students’ motivations and preferences may differ. The results of this study also help continue the work in understanding what motivates students in different regions, and in which martial arts traditions. Thus, this result helps martial arts’ instructors and schools to communicate better with their target audiences such as prospective and/or current students.