Effectiveness of Mindfulness Program in Improving Wushu Focus

Abstract

Objectives.  The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a mindfulness program in improving the focus of adolescent wushu athletes. Given the cognitive demands of wushu, where concentration and mental stability are essential for technical execution, this research aimed to provide empirical evidence on the use of mindfulness as a psychological intervention. Although mindfulness has been widely studied in sports like archery, swimming, and tennis, research on its application in wushu remains extremely limited. The study thus sought to fill this gap by addressing the unique mental and motor challenges faced by wushu athletes.

Materials and Methods. This study employed a pre-experimental design using a one-group pretest-posttest approach. The participants were 23 senior wushu athletes from East Java, aged 16–20 years, with at least two years of training experience. The intervention consisted of a four-week mindfulness program conducted three times per week, with each session lasting 30 minutes. The program included guided practices such as mindful breathing, body scan meditation, and awareness of movement, delivered by a certified mindfulness instructor. Focus levels were assessed using the validated Attention Control Scale before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS with descriptive statistics, normality tests, paired sample t-tests, and Pearson correlation.

Results. The findings revealed a significant increase in focus scores following the mindfulness intervention. The mean score improved from 60.30 in the pre-test to 75.91 in the post-test. The paired sample t-test showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05), with a very large effect size (Cohen’s d = 3.92). Additionally, a strong positive correlation (r = 0.981, p = 0.000) was observed between pre-test and post-test scores, indicating consistent improvement among participants.

Conclusions. The study offers early proof that mindfulness training may be beneficial in helping wushu athletes improve their attentional control. More controlled research is advised to validate these findings because of the exploratory character of the study design. The study offers early proof that mindfulness training may be beneficial in helping wushu athletes improve their attentional control. More controlled research is advised to validate these findings because of the exploratory character of the study design. These findings support the integration of mindfulness as a viable and evidence-based strategy in performance coaching programs for martial arts athletes, particularly in sports requiring high cognitive and motor coordination such as wushu.