Driving into Cardiff on a peaceful mid-afternoon, I immediately found the Welsh capital city far more tranquil than its English counterpart, London. The ancient city’s Roman castle walls stood proudly, with the Red Dragon flag fluttering above the imposing castle’s keep. Across the road, a blend of historic townhouses and modern art déco university campuses and business centers made for a striking contrast of the old and new—a theme that would appear many times throughout the conference.
Despite the picturesque scenery, I had no time to stop and sightsee. My destination was Cardiff University’s JOMEC, a state-of-the-art facility nestled in the heart of the city, surrounded by the Welsh Government buildings, the grand Victorian Central Station, and the BBC Wales headquarters.
The Martial Arts Studies Network (MAS) based at Cardiff University is an organization founded by martial arts and combat sports scholars from around the world. It boasts ties to a number of other prestigious institutions such as Cornell College and Texas Tech in the USA, as well as Sheffield, and Brighton in the UK, and many others globally.
The MAS Network’s mission is to bridge the gap between various disciplines and cultures, studying martial arts by fostering dialogue through interdisciplinary events. By uniting researchers, the network aims to deepen the understanding of martial arts’ significance and impact in today’s world while guiding future research in the interconnected, multidisciplinary fields surrounding them.
To achieve this, the MAS Network publishes a quarterly journal showcasing research on martial arts that covers topics ranging from mysticism, history, and social sciences to quantitative data on physicality. Additionally, they organize events such as the annual conference, which I finally had the opportunity to attend this year.
Day One
After a quick change of clothes, I jogged down to the university campus and was greeted by enthusiastic undergrads, who handed me a name badge and helped me check in. There, I met Professor Paul Bowman, the organizer of the event, one of the founders of MAS, professor at JOMEC, and expert martial artist.
A group of new arrivals and I proceeded to a social area where I mingled with colleagues from around the world, totaling roughly seventy guests. I recognized several faces from YouTube videos, dust jackets of books I had read, and names from articles, including several big figures in the martial arts scene. Despite my apprehension about presenting my research among their ranks, I was greeted with the friendliness of those sharing a common passion.
We were then summoned to the lecture hall for Professor Bowman’s introduction, focusing on Martial Arts as Living Theory, discussing the relevance of martial arts practices to our lives and the modern world.
This was followed by a ‘Spotlight Panel’ (in lieu of a keynote address) on Gender Power, Performance, and Self-Determination in Martial Arts Studies, covering topics such as ‘trauma-informed’ practice, Muay Thai among diasporic women, and the sexualization of female fighters, including the rise of ‘OnlyFans Boxers’.
These discussions continued over drinks and dinner, where I had the pleasure of meeting martial arts experts from around the globe, learning about styles such as Taijiquan, Savate, Capoeira, BJJ, Ninjutsu, Aikido, MMA, and Xingyiquan.
Day Two
The morning began with a ‘trauma-informed’ kickboxing workshop, designed to be inclusive and engaging rather than disciplinarian, unlike many traditional martial arts classes.
I then attended the panel on ‘Nationalized Identities’, with the highlight being Martin Minarik (Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany) discussing Taekkyeon in Korea. As a former ITF Taekwondo student, I was fascinated to learn how the art has been used to build a national identity in its home country. The presentation explored the history and development of Taekkyeon, highlighting its role in shaping the nation. Afterwards, there was an engaging discussion on whether modern Taekwondo actually resembles its supposed predecessor, or if it was modified to better suit the narrative of a unified Korean identity. This is a topic I have written about in relation to the founder of the ITF General Choi Hong-Hi in my recent book, “Legendary Masters of the Martial Arts”.
A panel on ‘Violence’ followed, featuring David Stevens, a professor of philosophy at the University of Nottingham and a Krav Maga instructor, discussing self-defense training and its moral implications. This was a presentation that led me to reflect upon my own practices from a philosophical perspective, asking big questions about why and how we do what we do.
In the ‘Cross-Cultural Conceptuality’ panel, David Glover (California Institute of Integral Studies) challenged my preconceptions by describing his experiences with Ninjutsu’s ‘Sakki Test’, in which practitioners must ‘sense’ an attack coming and avoid it. Adam Frank (University of Central Arkansas) discussed ‘Qi’ and consciousness studies, explaining the converging fields of medical science and eastern medicine. Scott MacMillan (Mount Saint Vincent University, Canada) then spoke about Existentialism and BJJ, two topics that meshed with surprising fluidity.
The day concluded with discussions on Theology, Philosophy, and Theatricality from Professors Carole Drouelle (University Paris 8), Per Faxneld (Södertörn University), and Daniel Mroz (University of Ottawa). I particularly enjoyed Daniel’s engaging performance and Per’s discussions on martial arts, the occult, and dark magic, learning that he is a prolific martial arts writer and, like myself, also an author of horror fiction.
Finally, Capoeira practitioners demonstrated the differences between the variants of Capoeira: Angola, Regional, and Contemporânea. The first focused on low/close-range movements, the second on higher/longer-range movements, and the latter a blend of all, with the music also differing between each style.
Day Three
The final day of the conference started with a Taijiquan push hands session, where I practiced with various martial artists, including an expert from Hong Kong, who quickly schooled me on the techniques.
Then it was my turn to present alongside Mickael Langlois (Lausanne & Pantheon-Sorbonne University) and Tran Khải Hoài (Vin University) on the panel “Colonial Legacies and Contemporary Challenges in Vietnamese Martial Arts”.
Mickael discussed the history of martial arts and combat sports in French Indochina, while Hoài detailed the links between modern Taijiquan and the former Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh, captivating the historians in the audience. I presented my paper, “Where Tradition meets Modernity: An Ethnographic Study of Martial Arts and Combat Sports in Vietnam”, which examined the rise of MMA in Vietnam and its economic, social, and cultural implications. The key message was that while MMA is gaining popularity, traditional arts still hold an important cultural place and are adapting to coexist alongside modern combat sports. The paper was well-received, sparking thoughtful questions and discussion.
For more information, you can watch a video of my lecture here or read about Vietnamese martial arts in my book ‘The Martial Arts of Vietnam’.
The second panel of the day focused on videographic ethnography techniques used in Mexico and Argentina, respectively. Then, after lunch, I attended a panel on Cultural Discourse, discussing the institutionalization of MMA in Portugal and Spain, the origins of German language boxing discourse, and risk versus hazard in combat sport training. These discussions on martial arts in various settings were very different in their content and approaches, but equally engaging in their own ways.
Finally, in what can be considered the ‘big talk’ of the event was a panel on film and media culture, featuring renowned scholars Professors Wayne Wong (University of Sheffield), Luke White (Middlesex University), and Meaghan Morris (University of Sydney). Dr. White’s presentation on martial arts in/as science fiction was my personal highlight, combining two of my greatest interests.
Conclusion
The Martial Arts Studies Conference 2024 was a transformative experience, bringing together experts from across the globe in an atmosphere of shared passion and curiosity. There was an astounding diversity of topics and disciplines covered, yet a strong sense of community and common purpose among all attendees. The conference also managed to strike a great balance between reflecting on ancient historical practices and current trends and future implications for martial arts.
Over the three days, I made numerous connections and friends whom I am sure I will keep in touch with for years to come. What amazed me most was how welcoming, supportive, and profoundly interesting everyone I met was.
Cardiff itself was a lovely, historic, and vibrant place to spend a week. My family joined me for a few days post-conference and we explored the city’s museums and castles, then walked in the surrounding countryside, which I highly recommend to visitors.
The only fault I could find with the Martial Arts Studies 2024 conference was its relatively sparse attendance. It was an amazing educational opportunity for me and would be for any serious martial artist of any background and discipline. Moving forward, I would love to see the number of participants and the overall study of martial arts as an academic discipline grow. I am sure many readers would agree.
Next year will mark the tenth anniversary of the Martial Arts Studies organization’s inaugural conference. Though the location is yet to be confirmed, I will definitely be attending. I hope to see many more of you there, as we continue to deepen our understanding of these rich and complex practices that shape our lives in so numerous ways.
