Martial Arts Studies

In this conversation, Dr Christopher Matthews of Nottingham Trent University discusses his immersive approach to research. By participating fully in the life of the boxing gym, Dr Matthews not only came to understand the norms and practices of boxing but also developed a carnal intersubjectivity. In this episode, we discuss the need to communicate clearly in our writing rathe...

In this episode, Alex Channon, Wayne Wong, and George Jennings join Lauren Miller in discussing the formalization of our research network into an academic association. What started as a loose affiliation of likeminded scholars has blossomed into a robust academic organization, and becoming an association legitimizes the interdisciplinary field of martial arts. This conversati...

In this conversation, Dr. Marc Theeboom—professor of physical education and physiotherapy at VUB in Brussels—discusses the vast benefits of martial arts for youth development. Importantly, it is not that some martial arts have more benefits for children than do others, but that some pedagogical approaches are more beneficial than others. Theeboom explores the challenges of ke...

In this episode, three scholars from the varied disciplines of classics, history, and English come together to discuss the connections between Ancient Greek philosophers and modern-day BJJ and MMA. Foregrounded is the concept of agon, which is often translated as competition, but can perhaps be better conceptualized as striving for excellence. Perhaps most provocativ...