Call for Papers:
Blurred Boundaries: Martial Arts and Combat Sports Between Cultural Embodiment, Pedagogical Application and Political Appropriation
12th Annual Conference of the dvs-Commission ‘Martial Arts and Combat Sports’ in cooperation with the Institute of Sports Science and the Centre for Modern East Asian Studies (CeMEAS), 11 – 13 March 2025 at the Georg-August-University Göttingen
Specific socio-cultural semantics and aesthetics influence systematised and codified movement practices, which are, in turn, embodied and produced through these practices. This assertion is widely accepted among researchers and, to a significant extent, among practitioners, particularly in the context of martial arts and combat sports.
In this regard, East Asian martial arts are especially viewed by the social mainstream as expressions and components of ‘authentic’ or ‘traditional’ culture. However, from an academic perspective, it is clear that martial arts and combat sports, their popular practice, artistic or media representation, as well as the norms, values, and cultural meanings attributed to them, are not static entities. They do not exist independently of the context in which they are practised and produced. Instead, they are shaped by and embedded within the discourses, networks of practices, and strategies specific to their contexts—time, place, and the individuals or institutions involved in their practice.
Since the 1970s, martial arts and combat sports have become firmly established as competitive, aesthetic, and health-oriented activities within the global mainstream. Concurrently, they have also been recognised as tools for individual and group-related empowerment, violence prevention, and social integration in educational settings. However, they are also susceptible to political appropriation for the pursuit of ideological and nation-state objectives.
This conference provides a forum to explore the multifaceted dimensions of martial arts and combat sports, with regard to the complex interplay between cultural practice, pedagogical application, and political influence.
Topics and Possible Questions
- To what extent are collective and individual identities and ideologies embodied or internalised in martial arts and combat sports?
- How do (sub)cultural or political logics and aesthetics in particular influence the practice of martial arts and combat sports?
- In what ways do societal and/or political semantics manifest in artistic and media-specific martial arts representations?
- What pedagogical approaches to the application of martial arts and combat sports exist, what conceptual influences shape them, and in what contexts are they applied?
- What historical or contemporary examples of political appropriation or instrumentalisation can be observed, and which ideologies, structures, and aesthetics are embodied in these instances?
We particularly encourage submissions that engage with these topics. However, contributions on other related subjects are also welcome.
Submission Formats
- Presentations in German or English: 20-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute discussion.
- Practical workshops: 45-minute practical session followed by a 15-minute reflection.
Submission Guidelines
We kindly request the submission of abstracts of approximately 250 words, accompanied by brief information about the presenters and a list of 5 keywords.
The deadline for submission is November 29th 2024. Notification of acceptance will be sent by January 17th 2025. Please sent your submissions to: martin.minarik@uni-goettingen.
Contact and Further Information
| Dr. Martin Minarik
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften, Institut für Sportwissenschaften Sprangerweg 2 37075 Göttingen martin.minarik@uni-goettingen.de
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Dinah Kretschmer, M. Sc.
Universität Bayreuth BaySpo – Bayreuther Zentrum für Sportwissenschaft Dinah.Kretschmer@uni-bayreuth.de
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