Aikido’s self-regulation and co-regulation: a promising embodied pedagogy for intercultural communication training

Abstract

Aikido, a Japanese martial art, typically transforms interactions where interlocutors may feel unsafe into safe interactions for all involved. To explore how the physical and psychological safety of aikido can benefit intercultural communication training, we conducted a benchmark study and triangulated the study’s findings. First, we collected information about the principles of aikido through semi-structured interviews with 20 aikido experts worldwide. A qualitative content analysis revealed three significant groups of aikido principles: tranquillity (i), connection (ii) and ecology (iii). They form the basis for an interaction model. Second, we triangulated the interview findings with biobehavioural studies. Understanding the body’s self- and co-regulation processes explains how aikido can produce physical, physiological and mental changes that inhibit defensive reactions and positively influence behaviour. We conclude that aikido’s interaction, transferability, and regulation properties offer the opportunity to use aikido as an embodied pedagogy in intercultural communication training.