Personal Resilience and Martial Arts Training as Moderators of Impulsivity–Aggression: A Psychological and Neurobiological Perspective

• In Event: Biological, biosocial and psychological interventions

Abstract

Impulsivity and aggression contribute to various maladaptive behaviors, including risk-taking, violence, and antisocial tendencies. Personal resilience, a dynamic psychological resource, fosters emotional regulation and self-control, buffering against impulsive and aggressive reactions. Additionally, structured physical training, such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), has been linked to cognitive and emotional benefits that may support behavioral regulation. While resilience is an intrinsic ability that enhances adaptive coping, BJJ training provides an external framework for developing self-discipline, emotional regulation, and social skills.
From a neurobiological perspective, imaging studies indicate that impulsivity and aggression are associated with altered functioning in brain regions responsible for executive control, emotional regulation, and stress response—the same regions linked to resilience and influenced by structured training. Strengthening these mechanisms through resilience and martial arts training may contribute to better aggression regulation.
This study examined whether personal resilience and BJJ training moderate the association between impulsivity and aggression. A sample of 257 adults (100 BJJ practitioners, 157 non-practitioners) completed validated measures of impulsivity, aggression, and resilience. The main findings indicate that personal resilience significantly moderated the impulsivity–aggression link, whereas BJJ training contributed to a greater reduction in aggression when combined with high personal resilience.
These findings are discussed in light of the interplay between psychological and neurobiological mechanisms in aggression regulation, underscoring the independent and interactive protective roles of resilience and BJJ training. Additionally, they suggest potential neuromodulatory effects of structured training on aggression-related processes. This talk further explores theoretical and applied implications, particularly for at-risk populations, highlighting martial arts as a potential avenue for fostering emotional and behavioral regulation.

Authors

• Rotem Leshem, Bar-Ilan University

• Ela Rottem, Bar-Ilan University

• Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan, Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Fondazione Paoletti