Specifics ofthe Psychological Defense of Those Learning the Combat Sports.

Psychological defense contributes to avoidance of anxiety and any other negative emotions, blocking the real impact of certain threats. Defense mechanisms are our body's natural way of overcoming of one's internal conflicts by changing the way we process information about our surroundings thus allowing us to avoid the loss of self-control when placed in a conflict situation. The use ofthe defense mechanisms negation, reaction formation and pseudo-altruism by these ones learning combat sports was studied. These defense mechanisms form the self-sacrificing defense style. There are some significant gender and age differences, as well as in the type of combat sport regarding the used defense mechanisms. The women practicing combat sports more often used the defense mechanism pseudo-altruism and the self-sacrificing defense style. The latter was preferred by these ones who practiced judo, and these ones who practiced sambo used more often reaction formation. The sportsmen more advanced in age used more often pseudo-altruism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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