ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Sport Psychology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1581226
This article is part of the Research TopicOptimizing Performance and Injury Prevention in Combat Sports and Martial Arts: Methodologies for Control and MonitoringView all articles
Traditional Chinese Martial Art Wushu to Improve the Mental State and Physical Fitness of Students: Designing Space for Optimal Practice and Training
Provisionally accepted
Zuhui Liu1*
Zhixing Tu2- 1Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
- 2Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
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Traditional Chinese martial arts (Wushu) possess the potential to enhance both the psychological resilience and physical capacities of learners. Their effective implementation necessitates consideration of spatial and architectural features. This study investigates the impact of spatialarchitectural determinants on the psychophysiological adaptation of Wushu practitioners within Chinese and European pedagogical systems. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative biomechanical assessments (n=184 trainees) with qualitative ethnographic observations (24 training settings over 4-week immersion periods) and semi-structured interviews (n=42 instructors). Architectural parameters-including ceiling height, floor elasticity, and acoustic properties-were systematically documented, alongside measurements of biomechanical performance indicators. Chinese training environments, characterized by high ceilings (>4 m) and specialized wooden flooring, correlated with superior flexibility (hip flexion: 142°±3.6° vs. 130°±3.8°; p<0.01) and cardiovascular efficiency (shuttle run: 987±42 m vs. 924±38 m; p<0.01). European facilities, utilizing rigid synthetic materials, demonstrated advantages in explosive strength metrics (vertical jump: 54.3±3.1 cm vs. 50.0±2.9 cm; p<0.05). Ceiling height emerged as the dominant architectural predictor of flexibility parameters (β=0.73, p<0.001); acoustic characteristics significantly influenced exercise execution speed (β=-0.68, p<0.001); and spatial volume affected cardiorespiratory adaptation (β=0.65, p<0.001). Environments incorporating traditional design elements improved attentional resilience by 27% compared to modernized spaces. The application of data-driven spatial design principles-such as the inclusion of ritualized zones, hierarchical spatial organization, and tailored acoustic environments-represents an underexplored domain within martial arts pedagogy with promising implications for educational practice.
Keywords: Acoustic environment, architecture, Biomechanics, Cultural Pedagogy, integration of mind and body, Proprioception, ritual elements
Received: 25 Feb 2025; Accepted: 12 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liu and Tu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Zuhui Liu, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
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