Striking Versus Grappling Combat Sports: Differences in Aggression and Psychological Self - Regulation

Background: Striking and grappling combat sports differ substantially in their permitted techniques, but whether these modality differences correspond to aggression or psychological self-regulation remains uncertain. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study analysed 314 national-level Sri Lankan combat-sport athletes recruited between August and December 2024: 274 strikers and 40 grapplers. Six mixed martial arts athletes were excluded from the primary comparison. Aggression, emotion dysregulation, and self-control were assessed with the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form (DERS-SF), and Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS). Welch's t-tests, Hedges' g, 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and HC3-robust regression models were used. Results: No statistically significant modality differences were detected for BPAQ total aggression (79.13 ± 16.74 vs. 78.54 ± 16.51; mean difference = 0.59, 95% CI [-5.26, 6.44], p = .839, g = 0.04), the 15-item DERS score (40.20 ± 10.06 vs. 39.74 ± 10.53; mean difference = 0.46, 95% CI [-3.15, 4.06], p = .800, g = 0.05), or BSCS self-control (44.74 ± 9.43 vs. 44.58 ± 7.98; mean difference = 0.16, 95% CI [-2.69, 3.01], p = .909, g = 0.02). Adjusted models produced the same overall pattern. Conclusion: Among the national-level Sri Lankan athletes represented by this convenience sample, statistically significant striking-versus-grappling differences were not detected and observed point estimates were small. The confidence intervals, however, do not establish equivalence and remain compatible with small differences in either direction.