Combat sports and martial arts are increasingly recognized not only for their competitive and performance-oriented nature but also for their potential to promote health, prevent harm, and support personal and social development across diverse populations. Following the success of Volume I here, this second volume aims to deepen the investigation into the preventive and protective functions of combat sports, particularly in relation to physical, psychological, and social well-being across the lifespan.

Combat sports disciplines—including judo, karate, taekwondo, boxing, mixed martial arts, and self-defense practices—represent structured environments where individuals can acquire self-regulation, discipline, and motor competence, while also engaging in practices that mitigate physical and mental health risks.

This Research Topic invites original research, systematic reviews, theoretical contributions, and case studies on the following themes (non-exhaustive list):

• Injury prevention and risk management in combat sports: from falls and trauma to long-term health impacts.
• Developmental and preventive roles of martial arts in youth: biological maturation, relative age effects, and safe talent development.
• Combat sports and self-defense as protective factors against violence, bullying, and social exclusion.
• Body composition, weight management, and their influence on health and well-being: including hydration strategies, RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport), and disordered eating.
• Adaptive combat sports programs for people with disabilities, emphasizing safety, inclusion, and personal growth.
• Combat sports and mental health: emotional regulation, self-esteem, and resilience as buffers against anxiety, stress, and social withdrawal.
• Nutrition, lifestyle education, and behavioral health promotion through combat sports practice.
• Gender-, age-, and disability-sensitive approaches to combat sports participation, with attention to the intergenerational and intersectional impact on health.
• Combat sports in educational and rehabilitative settings, contributing to the prevention of unhealthy behaviors and enhancement of life skills.

We welcome interdisciplinary contributions from sports science, rehabilitation, education, psychology, nutrition, sociology, and public health. Manuscripts should offer empirical findings, theoretical advancements, or practice-based insights that clarify how combat sports and martial arts can serve as preventive and developmental tools across diverse settings and populations.

By focusing on prevention, protection, and development, this second volume aims to enrich the discourse on combat sports and offer evidence-informed strategies for promoting healthier, safer, and more inclusive practices for athletes, practitioners, and communities worldwide.

Building on the success of Volume I—Combat Sports and Well-being: Advancing Health and Inclusion in Athletes and Practitioners—which examined the broad impact of combat sports on physical, mental, and social well-being, this second volume further explores their preventive and developmental potential. Volume I established the foundation for understanding combat sports as inclusive tools for promoting resilience, fitness, and social integration. Volume II now extends this inquiry by focusing on specific populations, health-related behaviors, injury prevention, and safe practices across the lifespan, offering deeper insights into how combat sports can contribute to sustainable well-being and performance.

The goal of this Research Topic is to advance scientific understanding of how combat sports and martial arts can serve as effective tools for prevention, protection, and development across physical, psychological, and social domains. While Volume I highlighted the broad potential of these disciplines for promoting well-being and inclusion, important questions remain about their safe and targeted application, particularly in relation to injury prevention, youth development, weight management, and mental health.

Combat sports often involve demanding physical and psychological challenges, such as weight cutting, high training loads, or risk of trauma, which require evidence-based strategies to safeguard athletes’ health. Moreover, specific populations—including children, older adults, individuals with disabilities, and those from marginalized communities—may benefit from tailored and inclusive approaches.

This Research Topic seeks to gather high-quality contributions that examine recent advances in adaptive training methods, coaching strategies, developmental models, and preventive practices in combat sports. By integrating perspectives from sports science, psychology, rehabilitation, nutrition, and pedagogy, this collection aims to provide interdisciplinary insights and practical recommendations that enhance the safety, accessibility, and health-promoting potential of combat sports throughout the lifespan.

This Collection invites original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, brief reports, case studies, and theoretical or conceptual papers that explore the preventive, protective, and developmental roles of combat sports and martial arts. We welcome contributions addressing physical, psychological, and social dimensions of well-being across the lifespan and among diverse populations.

Specific themes include, but are not limited to:

• Injury prevention and risk management in combat sports
• Weight regulation, hydration, RED-S, and disordered eating
• Biological maturation, relative age effect, and youth talent development
• Adaptive programs for individuals with disabilities
• Combat sports and mental health: stress, anxiety, self-regulation, and self-esteem
• Combat sports as tools for violence prevention, social cohesion, and health promotion
• Coaching strategies and training models for safe and inclusive practice

Submissions should offer empirical findings, practical applications, or theoretical advancements that contribute to the understanding and improvement of combat sports as vehicles for health, safety, and personal development.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Combat Sports and Well-being: Prevention, Protection, and Development Across the Lifespan – Volume II