{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T05:05:29Z","timestamp":1789707929758,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789689600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001807","name":"FAPESP","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001807","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002322","name":"Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002322","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Martial arts and combat sports (MA&amp;amp;CS) place practitioners in bodily and relational situations close to violence while being organized through the reciprocal structure of corporal fight. Understanding personal development in these practices requires attention to how practitioners experience, sustain, and respond to combative engagement. Disruptive situations are moments in which this structure is strained, exposing the limits of practitioners\u2019 resources without necessarily producing development. The aim of this study is to identify and comprehend how adult beginner MA&amp;amp;CS practitioners experience processes of personal development in relation to disruptive situations encountered during practice.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Method<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study follows an empirical-phenomenological approach within a cross-national framework. Seventeen retrospective semi-structured interviews with beginner practitioners were selected from a database of 157 interviews conducted in Brazil and Spain. Analysis involved psychological, eidetic, and intersubjective reductions, supported by suspensive listening and intentional crossing.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The findings were organized into three interdependent dimensions. The Psychic dimension concerns the tension inherent to confronting an opponent, including fear, frustration, uncertainty, and difficulties remaining engaged. The Moral\/Spiritual dimension concerns sensitivity to the partner-opponent\u2019s integrity and the regulation of force, intensity, and conduct required to preserve the reciprocal encounter. The Corporal\/Technical dimension concerns the incorporation of embodied possibilities for attacking, defending, adjusting distance, and responding under pressure. Because corporal fight is lived through bodily engagement, this dimension provides the concrete medium through which psychic tension and Moral\/Spiritual positioning are enacted.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>When development is described, it appears as a progressive reorganization of these dimensions and an expanded capacity to enter, respond to, and sustain corporal fight. Participants also report avoidance, emotional disorganization, excessive force, injury, and withdrawal, indicating that disruptive experiences are not inherently developmental. Competition intensifies these demands, while developmental possibilities depend on practitioners\u2019 resources and on pedagogical and relational conditions, including instructor guidance, peer conduct, partner selection, and regulation of training intensity.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1910206","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T04:33:37Z","timestamp":1789706017000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Becoming a fighter: phenomenological dimensions of personal development in beginner martial arts and combat sports practitioners"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Yan","family":"L\u00e1zaro Santos","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculdade de Filosofia, Ci\u00eancias e Letras, Universidade de S\u00e3o Paulo (USP)","place":["Ribeir\u00e3o Preto, Brazil"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carlos","family":"Guti\u00e9rrez-Garc\u00eda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Educaci\u00f3n F\u00edsica y Deportiva, Facultad de Ciencias de la Actividad F\u00edsica y del Deporte, Universidad de Le\u00f3n","place":["Le\u00f3n, Spain"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cristiano Roque Antunes","family":"Barreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escola de Esportes e Educa\u00e7\u00e3o F\u00edsica de Ribeir\u00e3o Preto, Universidade de S\u00e3o Paulo (USP)","place":["Ribeir\u00e3o Preto, Brazil"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100051","DOI":"10.1016\/j.glmedi.2024.1000511more_horizD","article-title":"The pillars of trustworthiness in qualitative research","volume":"2","author":"Ahmed","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Med. Surg. Public Health"},{"key":"ref2","volume-title":"Culturas e Religi\u00f5es: uma Leitura Fenomenol\u00f3gica","author":"Ales Bello","year":"1998"},{"key":"ref3","volume-title":"Analecta Husserliana","author":"Ales Bello","year":"2005"},{"key":"ref4","volume-title":"Introdu\u00e7\u00e3o \u00e0 fenomenologia (I. T. Garcia & M. Mahfoud, Trads.)","author":"Ales Bello","year":"2006"},{"key":"ref5","first-page":"273","volume-title":"Theory and Applications of Ontology: Philosophical Perspectives","author":"Ales Bello","year":"2010"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"279","DOI":"10.1080\/19398440903192340","article-title":"Sporting embodiment: sports studies and the (continuing) promise of phenomenology","volume":"1","author":"Allen-Collinson","year":"2009","journal-title":"Qual. Res. Sport Exerc. Health"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"48","DOI":"10.1080\/19398441.2010.541484","article-title":"Intention and epoch\u00e9 in tension: autophenomenography, bracketing and a novel approach to researching sporting embodiment","volume":"3","author":"Allen-Collinson","year":"2011","journal-title":"Qual. Res. Sport Exerc. Health"},{"key":"ref8","first-page":"1","volume-title":"Fenomenologia da luta Corporal e da arte Marcial. Semin\u00e1rio Internacional de Pesquisa e Estudos Qualitativos (SIPEQ)","author":"Barreira","year":"2010"},{"key":"ref9","volume-title":"Edith Stein e a Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa","author":"Barreira","year":"2013"},{"key":"ref10","first-page":"317","volume-title":"Dialogues with Edith Stein: Philosophy, Psychology, Education","author":"Barreira","year":""},{"key":"ref11","first-page":"351","article-title":"The essences of martial arts and corporal fighting: a classical phenomenological analysis","volume":"13","author":"Barreira","year":"","journal-title":"Arch. Budo"},{"key":"ref12","first-page":"317","volume-title":"Di\u00e1logos com Edith Stein: Filosofia, Psicologia, Educa\u00e7\u00e3o","author":"Barreira","year":""},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"278","DOI":"10.18065\/rag.2017v23n3.2","article-title":"A norma sens\u00edvel \u00e0 prova da viol\u00eancia: o corpo a corpo em disputa sob a \u00f3tica fenomenol\u00f3gica em psicologia do esporte","volume":"22","author":"Barreira","year":"","journal-title":"Rev. Abordagem Gest\u00e1ltica"},{"key":"ref14","author":"Barreira","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1590\/1807-0310\/2019v31218158","article-title":"Da viol\u00eancia no combate: o que dizem os lutadores de MMA","volume":"31","author":"Barreira","year":"","journal-title":"Psicol. Soc."},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"64","DOI":"10.18002\/rama.v14i2s.6002","article-title":"From phenomenology to a theory of corporal combat and martial arts","volume":"14","author":"Barreira","year":"","journal-title":"Rev. Artes Marciales Asi\u00e1ticas"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.35699\/1676-1669.2023.41146","article-title":"A escuta suspensiva: chave operativa da entrevista fenomenol\u00f3gica","volume":"40","author":"Barreira","year":"2023","journal-title":"Memorandum"},{"key":"ref18","first-page":"449","volume-title":"Edith Stein e a Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa","author":"Barreira","year":"2013"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1631471","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1631471","article-title":"The psychological dynamics of the combat sport experience: how the phenomenological specificity of corporal fighting prevents violence and promotes the development of the practitioner","volume":"16","author":"Barreira","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.2307\/j.ctt1gxpddq.11","article-title":"Do you hit girls? Some striking moments in the career of a male martial artist","volume":"16","author":"Channon","year":"2013","journal-title":"Men Masculinities"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"487","DOI":"10.1123\/ssj.30.4.487","article-title":"The rules of engagement: negotiating painful and \u201cintimate\u201d touch in mixed-sex martial arts","volume":"30","author":"Channon","year":"2013","journal-title":"Sociol. Sport J."},{"key":"ref22","first-page":"31","article-title":"Self-esteem, self-control and life satisfaction among amateur boxers","volume":"16","author":"Chen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Arch. Budo"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1715508","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1715508","article-title":"Editorial: combat sports and wellbeing: advancing health and inclusion in athletes and practitioners","volume":"16","author":"Ciaccioni","year":"","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1776952","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1776952","article-title":"Editorial: combat sports and well-being: prevention, protection, and development across the lifespan, volume II","volume":"17","author":"Ciaccioni","year":"2026","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1587672","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1587672","article-title":"Combat sports and wellbeing: advancing health and inclusion in athletes and practitioners. An opinion paper","volume":"16","author":"Ciaccioni","year":"","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.31501\/rbpe.v10i2.11367","article-title":"Transi\u00e7\u00f5es combativas entre luta, briga e brincadeira: fronteiras fenomenol\u00f3gicas na Luta Greco-romana","volume":"10","author":"Coelho","year":"2020","journal-title":"Rev. Bras. Psicol. Esporte"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1857579.12","DOI":"10.1080\/17482631.2020.1857579","article-title":"Non-visible disease, the hidden disruptive experiences of chronic illness in adversity","volume":"15","author":"Estecha Querol","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Qual. Stud. Health Well Being"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.31501\/rbpe.v11i2.11396","article-title":"Aprendendo e ensinando mulheres a lutar: pr\u00e1ticas exemplares e reprov\u00e1veis nas artes marciais","volume":"11","author":"Figueiredo","year":"2021","journal-title":"Rev. Bras. Psicol. Esporte"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"382","DOI":"10.1177\/1089268020914258","article-title":"Disruption, self-presentation, and defensive tactics at the threshold of learning","volume":"24","author":"Gillespie","year":"2020","journal-title":"Rev. Gen. Psychol."},{"key":"ref30","volume-title":"Ideas Pertaining to a pure Phenomenology and to a Phenomenological Philosophy. Second book: Studies in the Phenomenology of Constitution","author":"Husserl","year":"1989"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"96","DOI":"10.1080\/16138171.2020.1737421","article-title":"Development outcomes and meanings in martial arts practice among youth: a review","volume":"17","author":"Kooi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eur. J. Sport Soc."},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1825","DOI":"10.1007\/s40279-019-01173-y","article-title":"Combat as an interpersonal synergy: an ecological dynamics approach to combat sports","volume":"49","author":"Krabben","year":"2019","journal-title":"Sports Med."},{"key":"ref33","author":"Lafuente","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101611","DOI":"10.1016\/j.avb.2021.101611","article-title":"Effects of martial arts and combat sports training on anger and aggression: a systematic review","volume":"58","author":"Lafuente","year":"2021","journal-title":"Aggress. Violent Behav."},{"key":"ref900","first-page":"47","article-title":"Moral Aspects of Some Combat Sports","volume-title":"Stud. Ecol. Bioethicae","author":"Meller","year":"2020"},{"key":"ref35","first-page":"35","volume-title":"Psicologia do esporte nas lutas, artes marciais e esportes de combate","author":"Miranda","year":"2022"},{"key":"ref36","first-page":"1","volume-title":"A entrevista fenomenol\u00f3gica [Resumo]. Anais do IV Semin\u00e1rio Internacional de Pesquisa e Estudos Qualitativos (SIPEQ)","author":"Ranieri","year":"2010"},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.5477\/cis\/reis.124.209","article-title":"An\u00e1lisis etnometodol\u00f3gico sobre el dinamismo del habitus en Bourdieu y Elias dentro del desarrollo de actividades corporales","volume":"124","author":"S\u00e1nchez Garc\u00eda","year":"2008","journal-title":"Rev. Esp. Investig. Sociol."},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1675930","DOI":"10.3389\/fspor.2025.1675930","article-title":"Navigating disruptive experiences in combat sports: perspectives of Brazilian, Portuguese, and Spanish masters on emotional control, resilience, and well-being","volume":"7","author":"Santos","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front. Sports Act. Living."},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1007\/978-94-009-1051-5","volume-title":"On the problem of Empathy","author":"Stein","year":"1989"},{"key":"ref40","volume-title":"Archivum Carmelitanum Edith Stein","author":"Stein","year":"1998"},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"114","DOI":"10.18002\/rama.v13i2.5119","article-title":"Karate, capoeira and MMA: a phenomenological approach to the process of starting a fight","volume":"13","author":"Telles","year":"2018","journal-title":"Rev. Artes Marciales Asi\u00e1ticas."},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1504\/IJSMM.2012.047127","article-title":"A closer look at effects of martial arts involvemente among youth","volume":"11","author":"Theeboom","year":"2012","journal-title":"Int. J. Sport. Manage. Market."},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"430","DOI":"10.1590\/0103-656420140075","article-title":"Phenomenological archaeology, genetic phenomenology and psychology: towards the genesis of cultural manifestations","volume":"26","author":"Val\u00e9rio","year":"2015","journal-title":"Psicol. USP"},{"key":"ref44","volume-title":"Entre las cuerdas: Cuadernos de un aprendiz de boxeador","author":"Wacquant","year":"2006"},{"key":"ref45","first-page":"333","article-title":"The effects of karate training and moderate aerobic exercise on college student\u2019s self-control","volume":"16","author":"Wen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Arch. Budo"},{"key":"ref46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.14589\/ido.13.1.312","article-title":"Motivations and determinants underlying the practice of martial arts and combat sports","volume":"13","author":"Witkowski","year":"2013","journal-title":"Ido Mover Cult."},{"key":"ref47","first-page":"119","article-title":"Self-control, aggression and bullying of martial arts practitioners and non-martial arts practitioners: a comparative study and factor analysis","volume":"19","author":"Xu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Arch. Budo"},{"key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"961960","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2022.96196023","article-title":"A comparison of perceptual anticipation in combat sports between experts and non-experts: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"13","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1910206\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T04:34:01Z","timestamp":1789706041000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1910206\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]]},"references-count":49,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1910206"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1910206","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-1078"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-1078","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]]},"article-number":"1910206"}}