Transforming the Body, Reconfiguring the Senses. The Culture of a Mixed Martial Arts Gym in Thailand

Abstract

This ethnographic study of a mixed martial arts gym in Thailand describes the everyday practices and lived experiences of martial art practitioners. This research is fuelled by the still nascent development in the sociology of the body and sports. Through the lived realities and everyday experiences of these fighters, I seek to examine (1) why foreigners invest their time and money to train in martial arts in Thailand, (2) the linkages between the embodiment of martial arts and masculinity, (3) how foreign bodies consume martial arts and what they get out of it, (4) the sensory reconfiguration required of a fighter and (5) the impact of transnational flows on bodily dispositions and knowledge. I argue that being a successful fighter entails not only sensitised awareness and knowledge of one?s body, but also a reconfiguration of the senses.