Martial Arts Studies

martialartsstudies
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Conversations on the academic field of Martial Arts Studies, hosted by Professor Lauren Miller of Texas Tech University and featuring academics, scholars and experts from around the world.

  1. JAN 26

    A Conversation with the MASA Board (Part 1 of 2)

    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 conversation highlights the collaborative nature of our organization, its welcoming environment, and the benefits of membership in the association.

    30 min

  2. 12/17/2025

    Youth Development & Martial Arts: A Conversation with Marc Theeboom

    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 keeping martial traditions alive while simultaneously making martial arts fun and accessible for modern youth. He also points towards a future for martial arts studies that is holistic, collaborative, and interdisciplinary.

    58 min

  3. 11/27/2025

    Wrestling with Ancient Greece: A Conversation with David Larmour, Cory Johnson, and Joshua Kulseth

    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 provocatively, this episode asks listeners to consider how the daily training regimes of the Ancient Greeks may have led to the creation of democracy as we know it today.

    55 min

  4. 10/31/2025

    Karate as Personal Reinvention: A Conversation with Dr. Noah Johnson

    In this episode, Dr. Noah Johnson of Cornell College shares insights from his multi-sited ethnography on karate. His innovative approach to fieldwork took him to dojos in Okinawa as well as many different regions in the U.S. He concludes that the rituals of karate serve as a means for individuals to reinvent themselves. It also provides resources for individuals to protect themselves not just against physical threats, but against the threats of precarity and social uncertainty.

    48 min

  5. 09/21/2025

    From Habtius to the Specatularization of Violence: A Conversation with Raúl Sánchez-García

    In this episode, Raúl Sánchez-García—researcher at King Juan Carlos University—reflects on the use of the sociological concept of habitus in martial arts studies. Sánchez-García demonstrates the utility of both Elias’s and Bourdieu’s formulation of the concept, and discusses how the martial arts scholar benefits from acquiring a fighter’s habitus. Sánchez-García also discusses his newer work on the spectacularization of violence in MMA as well as in bareknuckle fighting, especially as this pertains to masculinity in the current socio-political climate.

    42 min

  6. 09/21/2025

    Turning the Page at Martial Arts Studies: A Conversation with Dr. Peter Katz and Dr. Martin Meyer

    In this facilitated dialog, Dr. Peter Katz and Dr. Martin Meyer discuss their backgrounds in academics and the martial arts before turning their attention to their interests in joining the editorial team of Martial Arts Studies. From their positions on the uses (and abuses) of artificial intelligence in academic writing to their hopes for how the field will continue to grow, this conversation charts a new course for our association’s flagship journal.

    44 min

  7. 08/20/2025

    Trojan Horses: A Discussion of How Martial Arts Studies became a Legitimate Academic Field with Dr. Tom Green (Texas A&M University)

    In this episode, Dr. Tom Green, professor emeritus of anthropology at Texas A&M University, shares his experiences with the field of Martial Arts Studies. It wasn’t until after establishing himself as a professional anthropologist and folklorist that Green, a lifelong martial arts practitioner, came to realize the potential for studying the martial arts through an academic lens. Green presented the first ever paper on martial arts at the American Folklore Society and thereafter became a leading figure in the anthropology of martial arts. This conversation explores some of the methodological and epistemological approaches to what has become a legitimate, interdisciplinary field.

    49 min

  8. 07/03/2025

    The Historical and Cultural Development of Brazil’s Martial Arts: A Conversation with Dr Ben Penglase (Loyola University Chicago)

    This podcast episode features Dr. Ben Penglase, a cultural anthropologist from Loyola University Chicago. The conversation delves into his background and research, particularly his long-standing fascination with Brazil, Brazilian culture, and social issues.

    45 min
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4.2
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Conversations on the academic field of Martial Arts Studies, hosted by Professor Lauren Miller of Texas Tech University and featuring academics, scholars and experts from around the world.

Information

  • Creator
    martialartsstudies
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    182
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Martial Arts Studies

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