Enhancing Engagement and Academic Success Through Combat Sports in Higher Education

Musa L. Mathunjwa, Ina Shaw, Dimitar Avramov and Brandon Shaw

International Journal of Higher Education, 2025, vol. 14, issue 3, 51

Abstract: This narrative survey evaluates the effects of combat sports together with physical education on student participation while developing discipline and academic achievements in higher education institutions. Physical education frameworks are widely recognized for wellness benefits yet academic employments of combat sports demonstrate limited study as education instruments for developing mental and social competencies that improve student learning achievement. This review analyses combat sports' structured discipline through domain-specific literature from sports science, educational psychology and higher education pedagogy which establishes the mechanisms through which combat sports develop university students' self-regulation, motivation and resilience and social cohesion. The study evaluates how these activities enable comprehensive pupil growth especially among minority student communities through developing personal identity together with increased self-assurance as well as social connection. Physical education provides an inclusive framework to merge educational success with physical activity through an examination of combat sports effectiveness as intervention methods. This study employed a qualitative review methodology, synthesising existing literature on combat sports, physical activity, and student development. To ensure sustainability, the paper recommends integrating combat sports and structured physical education into university curricula and co-curricular activities. These initiatives should be supported by inclusive student development policies. This approach fosters both academic success and holistic student wellness, particularly in under-resourced educational contexts where access and retention remain significant challenges.

Date: 2025
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