Karate Practice Motives as Physical Exercise: A Study in Londrina, Brazil

Karate has changed over time, with consequent changes in the motives for its practice. As a general objective, this study sought to understand the reasons that lead an individual to practice Karate, as a form of physical exercise in Londrina (Brazil) gyms. As specific objectives, this study sought to investigate how these motives are manifested and from what sources. A validated portuguese version of the Exercise Motivation Inventory (EMI-2) was applied, with questions related to the main motives that would lead people to practice Karate as physical exercise. The sample consisted of 97 individuals (81 male and 16 female), with ages ranging from 18 to 50 years old. The results showed that the most cited motives were Fun/Well-Being, Stress Control, Physical Condition and Disease Prevention. No significant differences were found between these motives and in relation to the domains, the most cited were psychological and physical conditions. The least cited motives were health rehabilitation and social recognition.