Part 1: ADHD and Martial Arts
By Amit Sardal
Amit S Sardal is a Mumbai-based Fitness Expert, Educator, and Learning & Development professional specialising in Fitness Education.
With over 15 years of experience, he has contributed to developing the next generation of fitness trainers through teaching at leading fitness academies, developing content and delivering lectures for the postgraduate Master’s in Human Movement programme at Nalanda Nrityakala Mahavidyalaya, affiliated with the University of Mumbai. Amit is an avidly practices Martial Arts and holds a Green Belt in Judo and actively pursuing BJJ.
His approach to fitness emphasizes the integration of Strength Training and sustainable lifestyle modifications to promote overall well-being. He brings this philosophy into practice while working with a diverse clientele across age-groups and geographies,adapting training to individual needs, abilities, and goals. He is a strong advocate of promoting mental health care through exercise interventions and above all by talking about it openly! Mail him on [email protected] for a consultation followed by a customised plan.
We recognise that people have different physical capacities, preferences and goals. Yet when discussing exercise and mental health, the advice often becomes generic: walk, run, meditate or join a gym.
Perhaps the question should not simply be whether exercise improves mental wellbeing. Perhaps we should also ask what kind of physical activity genuinely engages a particular individual. Fitness professionals modify exercise according to strength, mobility, injury history and training experience. Why should psychological and sensory preferences receive any less consideration?
Different Minds, Different Needs:
Consider someone who struggles to sit still in an office/classroom but can spend an hour hyperfocused on an adrenaline-infused situation: maybe a video game or an impending deadline? Will just repetitive running truly hold his focus?
Or movements focused on catering to natural tendencies be focused on? More to the point, can the movement itself help manage symptoms?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition, not a mental illness, although individuals may experience associated mental health challenges.
For some individuals with ADHD, sustaining attention in low-stimulation environments can be difficult. Yet activities offering immediate feedback, novelty and meaningful challenges may hold their attention for extended periods.
Could adrenaline and the excitement of challenging activities play a role? Intense physical activity stimulates the body’s sympathetic nervous system, with increases in adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine). Noradrenaline and dopamine also play important roles in regulating attention and executive functioning. Research suggests that appropriate levels of arousal may support concentration, although excessive stress or stimulation can impair it.
Interestingly, Tofler and colleagues (2018), writing about the psychiatric aspects of extreme sports, proposed that high-stimulation activities might have a calming effect on some individuals with hyperactive or impulsive ADHD. This remains a hypothesis based on clinical observations rather than proof that adrenaline itself improves attention.
These are individual differences rather than characteristics shared by everyone with a diagnosis. This is where the relationship between ADHD and martial arts, particularly grappling sports, becomes interesting.
Why Grappling-Based Martial Arts Might Particularly Appeal to People with ADHD
A. Immediate feedback and consequences
In grappling, successful and unsuccessful decisions often produce immediate physical feedback. A misplaced grip, poorly timed movement or loss of balance changes the situation instantly. This creates a potentially engaging learning environment for someone who struggles with delayed rewards.
B. High stimulation and continual movement
Grappling can demand intense muscular effort, rapid decisions, whole-body coordination and constant adaptation. For some people with ADHD who seek variety or stimulation, this may be more engaging than predictable, repetitive exercise.
Unlike many repetitive activities, grappling involves an opponent who is constantly changing the situation. The excitement, physical exertion and need to respond immediately may create a level of stimulation that helps some individuals remain engaged and focused. Whether adrenaline itself contributes to this effect remains to be established.
C. Sustained attention under immediate task demands
During Randori or rolling, attention is continually directed towards a partner’s movement, balance, grips and attacks. The activity may sustain concentration because the task remains immediately relevant, not because ADHD-related attention difficulties have disappeared.
D. Complexity and opportunities for mastery
Grappling provides thousands of combinations and variations, with progressively greater technical challenges. That can offer the novelty, competence and continuous learning that some individuals with ADHD find motivating.
What Does the Research Say?
The scientific literature offers some encouraging findings concerning ADHD, martial arts, physical activity and attention.
- Descamps et al. (2024), Sports: A systematic review of 16 studies reported promising improvements in physical activity, social interaction, emotional wellbeing and cognitive functioning following Judo training in individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism and ADHD.
- Ludyga et al. (2022), NeuroImage: Clinical: A randomised controlled trial involving 57 children with ADHD found that 12 weeks of Judo training improved visuospatial working memory compared with a control group, suggesting potential benefits for specific aspects of executive functioning.
While studies on the relationship between ADHD and grappling sports (specifically Judo) are few, broader research on ADHD, physical activity and performance in highly stimulating environments versus repetitive tasks provides further insight.
- Ekman et al. (2021), Sports: A study involving 200 young people, including high-level athletes, found that athletes displayed considerably higher ADHD-related symptom scores in school than during their sporting activities. Although the athletes were not clinically diagnosed with ADHD, the findings suggest that a stimulating sporting environment may influence how ADHD-like traits are expressed.
- Sabaghi et al. (2025), European Journal of Pediatrics: A randomised trial involving 60 boys with ADHD found that both moderate-intensity exercise and high-intensity interval training improved ADHD-related symptoms over 12 weeks. High-intensity training produced greater improvements in attention deficits.
Although not all these studies involve grappling, they provide support for the possible importance of physical activity, stimulation, immediate engagement and adaptable movement challenges in ADHD.
Which Martial Art? Judo, Wrestling or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)?
Much of the available research specifically involving ADHD and grappling has been conducted on Judo. However, Judo is a grappling-based martial art, sharing several fundamental characteristics with Wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ).
All three sports involve balance, grips, resistance from an opponent, continuous problem-solving and rapid responses to changing situations. It is therefore reasonable to explore whether similar benefits might extend to other grappling sports, although the research findings from Judo cannot automatically be assumed to apply equally to Wrestling or BJJ.
What Makes Grappling Different?
Judo, Wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) demand far more than physical strength.
Imagine trying to execute a throw. You must recognise your partner’s position, establish your grip, disrupt their balance and coordinate several movements. Your timing and technique must come together within seconds. There are immediate feedback, continuous problem-solving, repetition, progressive learning and substantial physical contact.
A coach should not see an ADHD diagnosis and automatically prescribe grappling sports. Instead, understand the individual. For someone who struggles to remain engaged with conventional exercise, this combination could be particularly appealing. The objective of this article is not to use exercise as a substitute for appropriate medical or psychological care. Nor is it to disparage any form of exercise or sport. The author simply is trying to articulate an anecdotal observation: that individuals with ADHD may be particularly drawn to grappling sports.
This World Mental Health Day, perhaps we should reconsider how we approach exercise recommendations. Instead of asking which exercise is best for a particular diagnosis, perhaps we should begin by asking which activity brings out the best in the individual. More to the point, find a movement itself to help manage symptoms.
In Part 2, we explore how the same grappling-based martial arts might appeal to some autistic individuals, although for potentially very different reasons.
DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician, psychiatrist, or other qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here. Reliance on any information provided in this article is solely at your own risk.
