Martial Arts for Life: Developing a Sustainable Framework for Practice

Age-appropriate, adapted sports such as walking football continue to increase in popularity as leisure pursuits for older adults. Consequently, academic interest in adapted activities has also increased. The author recently supervised a Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship (KESS) funded study examining the perceived physical and psychosocial benefits of walking football for older adults in Wales.

While reflecting on the benefits highlighted by this previous work, the focus here will be an examination of how a bottom-up approach common to Sport for Development could facilitate engagement in adapted, recreational martial arts practice for older adults. Specifically, this paper will consider the importance of the contested concepts; coproduction or cocreation as discussed by Brandsen and Honingh (2018). There will be particular focus upon the typology classified by Smith et al (2023) as being related to equitable and experientially informed research. Relating theory to practice, this paper will also consider participants designing, manufacturing, and using adapted equipment. This will include the use of recycled everyday objects such as plastic water bottles and milk containers as resistance training tools.

References

Brandsen, T. & Honingh, M., 2018. Definitions of Co-Production and Co-Creation. In: Co-Production and Co-Creation. New York: Routledge, pp. 9-17.

Smith, B., Williams, O. & Bone, L., 2023. Co-production: A Resource Guide to Co-Producing Research in the Sport, Exercise, and Health Sciences. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, pp. 159-187.