The dynamics of power and violence in martial arts

This theoretical essay explores the levels at which, in what mimetic form, and for what purpose violence and power are employed in martial arts. The underlying research question is which dynamics and transformations of (active and passive) power alter the power equilibrium in fights and characterise the violent practices of martial arts. To clarify these questions, basic concepts from the theory of power – such as authority, dominance, prestige, and action – are first contextualised within the field of martial arts, drawing, amongst other things, on the works of Hannah Arendt, David C. McClelland, and Randall Collins. The analysis of power dynamics then proceeds in stages according to levels or locations of action: at the level of the martial arts club, at the level of the face-to-face duel, and at the level of the individual. The article concludes by discussing the role of martial arts as a tool in contemporary world politics. The paper underscores that – regardless of the abstraction, aestheticisation, domestication, and sportification of violence – the instrumental use of physical (and in some cases mental) violence constitutes the fundamental principle of martial arts. The tiers of brutality, as indexes of the severity, expression and restraint of violence, are moderated by various factors, including rules, the audience, and the martial artists themselves. The exercise of violence and power is therefore, despite the peace-philosophical aspects found in many martial arts, undoubtedly at their very core.