Lecture Series: Beyond the fight: what do martial arts teach us about society?
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, VUB's Centre for Martial Arts and Science (CEMAS) and demens.nu invite you for the lecture series 'Beyond the fight' with Dr. Alex Channon.
The lecture series 'Beyond the fight' takes martial arts seriously as a social practice that reaches far beyond sport or self-defence. Across three lectures and one symposium, the series explores how fighting, risk-taking, gender, and health are shaped by social norms, power relations, and moral choices.
Combining critical research with real-world examples, the lecture series challenge common assumptions about violence and invite audiences to think differently about consent, responsibility, inclusion, and wellbeing.
From nonviolent combat and public health to gender dynamics and the future of martial arts studies, this series is for anyone interested in how physical culture reflects—and reshapes—the society we live in.
Inaugural lecture: nonviolent combat, consent, and the dimensions of ‘violent’ interactions in martial arts - February 18, 2026 at 6:00 PM (CET)
In this inaugural lecture of 'Beyond the fight', Dr. Alex Channon challenges the widespread assumption that fighting is inherently violent. Drawing on cutting-edge research in martial arts studies, he invites the audience to look beyond punches and kicks and to examine how consent, mutual trust, and moral responsibility shape embodied encounters in training halls and competitive arenas. What makes some forms of physical confrontation socially accepted, even celebrated, while others are condemned? And what can this teach us about how we understand violence in everyday life? This lecture demonstrates how martial arts can function not as drivers of harm, but as tools for anti-violence advocacy and consent education.
Participating: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/33786284803761?p=VnmcWXpY5pCqggfkI2
Meeting-id: 337 862 848 037 61. Password code: EK3Tq9um
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Lecture 2: Constructing, managing, and embracing risk in martial arts - March 4, 2026 at 7:00 PM (CET)
This lecture builds on the theme of nonviolent combat, exploring how martial arts become a resource for participants to experience varying levels of socially desirable risk, generated by and encountered at the level of each other’s bodies. It will explore how martial artists imagine risks pertaining to “real” violence, and how learning to fight enables them to psychologically manage these risks. It will also examine more tangible risk management practices employed in competitive combat sports, highlighting the social construction of risk as a desirable experience for practitioners and spectators.
Participating: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/38373414878675?p=ZlklQDlJxzGJJRcmKu
Meeting-id: 383 734 148 786 75. Password code: AX9Nk3Pe
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Lecture 3: Doing gender in martial arts: masculinities and femininities in an apparent ‘male preserve’ - April 22, 2026 at 7:00 PM (CET)
This lecture examines how gender relations and performances of identity manifest in the sociocultural context of martial arts. With reference to their symbolic proximity to “violence” and historical domination by men and masculinity, it will examine how far women’s increasing presence within them has challenged traditional constructions of gender, and to what extent these challenges have been resisted. Briefly touching on contemporary fears around transgender inclusion in martial arts, the lecture will also acknowledge the intersections of gender with other aspects of identity, namely sexuality and ethnicity, and explore their complexities in contemporary martial arts culture.
This lecture draws on the chair holder’s research into mixed-gender training, media representation of female combat athletes, and trans experiences in martial arts.
Participating: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/38608589498742?p=9vfOsjsw8nhZaEbAAC
Meeting-id: 386 085 894 987 42. Password code: 2aR94E9w
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Symposium - Martial arts for Health and Community Wellbeing - May 20, 2026 at 1:00 PM — May 20, 2026 at 7:00 PM
The final programme will be announced by mid-February.
Microsoft Teams-meeting
Participating: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/35046436995694?p=UdzLLPPRaiPfqVH43k
Meeting-id: 350 464 369 956 94. Password code: yR9sL6JR
More information: https://events.vub.be/beyond-the-fight
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