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Help others find their strength. Choose to own a piece of art or become a monthly supporter.

The Athlete Needs Assessment Plan helps young athletes to manage the challenges of sport and everyday life and reach full potential. Your support contributes to meet the commercial value of £750 for the 10 professional sessions dedicated to each athlete.

Our Kung Fu Wing Chun and adapted movement training allows blind people to learn transferable skills in spatial navigation and body posture, particularly important in social settings, for greater physical and psychological well-being.

What is ikigai?

A Japanese concept for "a reason for being".

At Martial Attitude, we do not see ikigai as a fixed life purpose or a formula for success.
Instead, we see it as a way of reflecting

on the things that give our lives meaning, help us grow, and allow us to contribute to others.

Why Exploring Ikigai


Modern culture often tells us that our worth depends on what we achieve and athletes are encouraged to perform. Professionals are encouraged to optimise. Many people feel pressure to constantly improve, compete and succeed.

Sport psychology can sometimes become part of this narrative. At Martial Attitude, we wanted to ask a different question:

What kind of person are we helping to build, not just what kind of performance?

This question led us to explore ikigai as a reflective framework rather than a productivity tool.

Joy (Yorokobi)


It is not simply happiness. For us, joy is the sense of meaning and engagement we experience when we participate in something that feels worthwhile. It can be found in sport, learning, movement, conversation, creativity or service. Sometimes joy is exciting. Sometimes it looks like perseverance, effort and meaningful struggle. The question is not: "Am I enjoying every moment?"

The question is: "Does this remain meaningful to me?"

Skill (Tokui)


It is not about perfection. It is about learning. Athletes train. Coaches train. Psychologists train. Teachers train. Nobody ever truly finishes developing. At Martial Attitude, we believe growth comes through curiosity, reflection, practice and patience.

Skill is not a destination. It is a lifelong relationship with learning.

Value (Yakunitatsu)

It is often measured through money, status or achievement. We think it can mean much more. Value can be found in helping someone feel more confident. It can be found in supporting an athlete through a difficult period. It can be found in creating opportunities for people who might otherwise be excluded.

At Martial Attitude, value means contributing something meaningful to the people and communities we serve.

Your ikigai can change.

One of the most important ideas behind our interpretation of ikigai is that it is not fixed.
People change. Interests change. Relationships change. Roles change.
We do not believe there is one perfect purpose waiting to be discovered.
We believe meaning evolves throughout life.

The ikigai perspective is not a psychological intervention, treatment or validated model.



It is a way of thinking about the work we do. It reminds us to look beyond performance alone. It encourages us to consider confidence, wellbeing, identity, relationships, learning and contribution alongside achievement.

Whether we are working with athletes, visually impaired participants or members of the wider community, we aim to create opportunities where Joy, Skill and Value can grow together.

That is the spirit in which Martial Attitude operates.

Contact us

Have a question, or want to collaborate with ikigai? Keep in touch.

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