Karate is a sensuous martial art-come-sporting practice. Through a combinations of tacit exchanges of kicks and punches, sweaty touches, sweaty smells, aggressive shouts, communal laughs and helping tweaks of the body karate practitioners come to develop their practice, know their body and one-another, and assert their status in the karate hall. As a combative bodily practice, karate replicates an imagined, and often real, source of men’s power over, and distinction from, women. Yet in practice karate is an arena where women and men spar, sweat, and laugh together whereby, through inter-bodily, sensory, interactions, women can, and often do, out perform men. As such, karate presents a fruitful arena for exploring the sensory formation of gendered relations and embodiments of gender. Despite the integral role of the body and the senses to embodied participation in sport, and indeed in our gendered performances of self and distributions/assertions of power between women and men, exploration of the role of the senses in our sporting and gendered embodiment is largely absent from existing literature. This thesis argues that to understand gendered embodiment within karate requires reflection to these multidimensional, multi-sensory threads spun between sportsmen and women in embodied play. Building a sensory ethnographic framework for conducting the research, data was gathered from 9 months of ‘sensuous participation’ at 3 karate clubs engaging in mixed-sex and a women-only classes, 6 photo-elicitation interviews and 11 semi-structured interviews with women and men from across the three clubs, and reflections from my own embodied history as a karate athlete. The findings suggest that in both mixed-sex and women-only classes karate practice could ‘undo’ conventional performances of gender, and in turn gendered embodiments, through asking its participants to engage in a range of sensory bodily motions that are conventionally seen as masculine – such as combative movements and aggression – and feminine – such as control, elegance, and artistic performance. These embodied ways of being held magnified gender subversive potential in mixed-sex karate practice whereby ideas of men’s inherent superiority in sport could be challenged, and ideas of distinction between women and men could be challenged. Recognition of similarity as karate practitioners through shared physical engagements side-lined the importance of gender to practitioners embodiment. Together the findings of this thesis point towards the role of the minute, mundane, and thus often overlooked or unconscious elements of our bodily practice in ‘naturalising’, reproducing, or subverting gendered arrangements of power. In this way, this thesis contributes to sociological understandings of both embodiment and gender.

Background: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is an enigma that has become synonymous with combat sports over the past few decades. Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a combat sport that is growing in popularity world-wide. The objective of this study is to determine the factors associated with head trauma among MMA athletes. Methods: Logistic regression analyses using SPSS 20 was employed to model putative covariates against the dichotomous outcomes of unconsciousness (for the full dataset) and diagnosed concussion (for the enriched subset of fighters who were rendered unconscious). Results: Increasing age, black or African-American ethnicity, shorter rest periods between fights, increasing numbers of significant clinch strikes landed, significant distance body strikes landed and power strikes landed to the body at distance are all factors associated with being diagnosed with a concussion among the fighters rendered unconscious. Conclusion: If bolstered by confirming laboratory and clinical evidence, policies should be developed for implementation by MMA governing bodies to help reduce incidences of head trauma and concussion, built around fighters’ demographic and behavioural characteristics. In particular, enforcing a mandatory rest period between fights and placing an upper limit on fighters’ age are ideas worth exploring.

O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar o efeito dos exercícios meio-agachamento, salto e complexo (agachamento + saltos), seguido por intervalos de 5 min, 10 min ou auto-selecionado sobre o desempenho no salto vertical com contramovimento (CMJ - countermovement jump) e frequency speed of kick test (FSKT). Para isso, 11 atletas de taekwondo, faixas-preta foram submetidos a nove protocolos experimentais e um controle realizados aleatoriamente. Cada sessão experimental foi composta pelo aquecimento, uma atividade condicionante (meio-agachamento: três séries de uma repetição a 95% de 1RM; pliometria: três séries de 10 saltos sobre barreira de 40 cm; ou exercicio complexo: meio-agachamento com três séries de duas repetições a 95% de 1RM seguido por quatro saltos sobre barreira de 40 cm), e um intervalo (5 min, 10 min ou intervalo auto-selecionado) antes da realização do CMJ e FSKT. Houve diferença estatisticamente significativa sobre o número de golpes aplicados (F9,90 = 2,90; P = 0,005, h2 = 0,225 [pequeno]). O exercício complexo com intervalo de 10 min (23 ± 5 repetições) foi superior a condição controle (19 ± 3 repetições), meio-agachamento com intervalo auto-selecionado (18 ± 2 repetições, P = 0,015) e saltos com intervalo de 5 min (18 ± 3 repetições, P < 0,001). Nossos resultados indicam que atletas de taekwondo podem aumentar o número de golpes aplicados em teste específico após a realização do exercício complexo. Outro objetivo deste estudo foi investigar o efeito do volume e intensidade sobre o desempenho no CMJ e FSKT. Para isso, nove atletas de taekwondo, faixaspreta foram submetidos a quatro sessões experimentais e uma sessão controle realizadas aleatoriamente. Cada sessão experimental foi composta pelo aquecimento, uma atividade condicionante no exercício meio-agachamento (sessões experimentais: uma série de três repetições a 50% ou 90% de 1RM ou três séries de três repetições a 50% ou 90% de 1RM), seguido por intervalo de 10 min antes da realização do CMJ e cinco séries do FSKT. O desempenho do FSKT caiu ao longo das séries (F3,21;128,36 = 25,344; P < 0,001, h2 = 0,388 [muito grande]). Não houve efeito do volume e intensidade sobre as variáveis investigadas. Nossos resultados indicam que os atletas de taekwondo não foram afetados pelo uso de diferentes volumes e intensidades em atividade de potência específica e não específica visando a manifestação da potencialização pós-ativação / The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of half-squat, jump and complex exercise (half-squat + jump), followed by intervals of 5-min, 10-min or selfselected rest interval on performance of countermovement jump (CMJ) and the frequency speed of kick test (FSKT). Eleven black-belt taekwondo athletes were randomly submitted to nine experimental section and one control were randomly. Each experimental section was composed by warm-up, conditioning activity (halfsquat: three sets of one repetition at 95% of 1-RM; plyometric: three sets of 10 jumps above 40-cm barrier; or complex exercise: half-squat with three sets of two repetitions at 95% of 1-RM followed for four jumps above 40-cm barrier), and a rest interval (5-min, 10-min or self-selected rest interval) before performing CMJ and FSKT. There was statistically significant difference regarding the number of kicks applied (F9,90 = 2.90; P = 0.005, h2 = 0.225 [small]). The complex exercise with 10- min of rest interval (23 ± 5 repetitions) was higher that the control (19 ± 3 repetitions), as well as the half-squat with self-selected rest interval (18 ± 2 repetitions, P = 0.015) and the plyometric with 5-min rest interval (18 ± 3 repetitions, P < 0.001). Our results indicate that taekwondo athletes can increase the number of kicks applied in a specific test after perfoming the complex exercise. An other purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of volume and intensity of CMJ and FSKT. Nine blackbelt taekwondo athletes were randomly submitted to four experimental section and one control. Each experimental section was composed by warm-up, one conditioning activity on half-squat exercise (experimental section: one set of three repetitions at 50% or 90% 1-RM or three sets of three repetitions at 50% or 90% of 1-RM), followed by 10-min of interval before performance of CMJ and five sets of FSKT. The FSKT performance declined along of sets (F3,21;128,36 = 25.344; P < 0.001, h2 = 0.388 [very large]). It was not found difference regarding exercise volume and intensity on the investigated variables. Our results indicate that taekwondo athletes were not affected by different volume and intensities of specific and non-specific power activities on post-activation potentiation

O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar o efeito dos exercícios meio-agachamento, salto e complexo (agachamento + saltos), seguido por intervalos de 5 min, 10 min ou auto-selecionado sobre o desempenho no salto vertical com contramovimento (CMJ - countermovement jump) e frequency speed of kick test (FSKT). Para isso, 11 atletas de taekwondo, faixas-preta foram submetidos a nove protocolos experimentais e um controle realizados aleatoriamente. Cada sessão experimental foi composta pelo aquecimento, uma atividade condicionante (meio-agachamento: três séries de uma repetição a 95% de 1RM; pliometria: três séries de 10 saltos sobre barreira de 40 cm; ou exercicio complexo: meio-agachamento com três séries de duas repetições a 95% de 1RM seguido por quatro saltos sobre barreira de 40 cm), e um intervalo (5 min, 10 min ou intervalo auto-selecionado) antes da realização do CMJ e FSKT. Houve diferença estatisticamente significativa sobre o número de golpes aplicados (F9,90 = 2,90; P = 0,005, h2 = 0,225 [pequeno]). O exercício complexo com intervalo de 10 min (23 ± 5 repetições) foi superior a condição controle (19 ± 3 repetições), meio-agachamento com intervalo auto-selecionado (18 ± 2 repetições, P = 0,015) e saltos com intervalo de 5 min (18 ± 3 repetições, P < 0,001). Nossos resultados indicam que atletas de taekwondo podem aumentar o número de golpes aplicados em teste específico após a realização do exercício complexo. Outro objetivo deste estudo foi investigar o efeito do volume e intensidade sobre o desempenho no CMJ e FSKT. Para isso, nove atletas de taekwondo, faixaspreta foram submetidos a quatro sessões experimentais e uma sessão controle realizadas aleatoriamente. Cada sessão experimental foi composta pelo aquecimento, uma atividade condicionante no exercício meio-agachamento (sessões experimentais: uma série de três repetições a 50% ou 90% de 1RM ou três séries de três repetições a 50% ou 90% de 1RM), seguido por intervalo de 10 min antes da realização do CMJ e cinco séries do FSKT. O desempenho do FSKT caiu ao longo das séries (F3,21;128,36 = 25,344; P < 0,001, h2 = 0,388 [muito grande]). Não houve efeito do volume e intensidade sobre as variáveis investigadas. Nossos resultados indicam que os atletas de taekwondo não foram afetados pelo uso de diferentes volumes e intensidades em atividade de potência específica e não específica visando a manifestação da potencialização pós-ativação / The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of half-squat, jump and complex exercise (half-squat + jump), followed by intervals of 5-min, 10-min or selfselected rest interval on performance of countermovement jump (CMJ) and the frequency speed of kick test (FSKT). Eleven black-belt taekwondo athletes were randomly submitted to nine experimental section and one control were randomly. Each experimental section was composed by warm-up, conditioning activity (halfsquat: three sets of one repetition at 95% of 1-RM; plyometric: three sets of 10 jumps above 40-cm barrier; or complex exercise: half-squat with three sets of two repetitions at 95% of 1-RM followed for four jumps above 40-cm barrier), and a rest interval (5-min, 10-min or self-selected rest interval) before performing CMJ and FSKT. There was statistically significant difference regarding the number of kicks applied (F9,90 = 2.90; P = 0.005, h2 = 0.225 [small]). The complex exercise with 10- min of rest interval (23 ± 5 repetitions) was higher that the control (19 ± 3 repetitions), as well as the half-squat with self-selected rest interval (18 ± 2 repetitions, P = 0.015) and the plyometric with 5-min rest interval (18 ± 3 repetitions, P < 0.001). Our results indicate that taekwondo athletes can increase the number of kicks applied in a specific test after perfoming the complex exercise. An other purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of volume and intensity of CMJ and FSKT. Nine blackbelt taekwondo athletes were randomly submitted to four experimental section and one control. Each experimental section was composed by warm-up, one conditioning activity on half-squat exercise (experimental section: one set of three repetitions at 50% or 90% 1-RM or three sets of three repetitions at 50% or 90% of 1-RM), followed by 10-min of interval before performance of CMJ and five sets of FSKT. The FSKT performance declined along of sets (F3,21;128,36 = 25.344; P < 0.001, h2 = 0.388 [very large]). It was not found difference regarding exercise volume and intensity on the investigated variables. Our results indicate that taekwondo athletes were not affected by different volume and intensities of specific and non-specific power activities on post-activation potentiation

La lutte est une mise en jeu de la force entre deux antagonistes qui tentent de se maîtriser dans un corps-à corps. Cette activité physique au principe simple est présente dans une majorité de cultures sous des formes élaborées. Elle constitue un motif imaginaire, représentant les oppositions fondamentales des mythes ou est organisée sous forme rituelle, pour que son résultat augure de la prospérité collective. Les « styles » de lutte, formes durables et localisées, correspondent à définition de la force dans les cultures et les civilisations, prenant en compte un idéal imaginaire et une construction fine desavoirs pratiques dans un système règlementaire cohérent et stimulant.En complément d’une présence universelle et de pratiques locales et originales, il est possible de rapprocher certains styles disposant de caractéristiques similaires, ce qui montre une diffusion de la lutte sur la longue durée. Les formes élaborées ont une distribution géographique régulière, correspondant aux routes de circulation de culture. Sur les routes de la soie, les styles se sont diffusés tout en se distinguant progressivement. Le long de la « Route celtique », ils ont connu une histoire complexe d’identification et de réunion, influençant même la synthèse de styles internationaux.La lutte, sur la base d’une formule d’opposition simple et modifiable, a été finement élaborée, développée en desstructures sociales plus complexes, et véhiculée le long des routes de culture. Ce cheminement sur la longue durée illustre la constitution du sport comme objet de culture, et montre comment l’ancrage du jeu et sa diffusion contribuent à créer et à enrichir la construction du sport / Wrestling is a play of strength between two antagonists who aim to master each other in a hand-to-hand opposition. The principle of this activity is fairly simple and well known in a majority of cultures and civilizations. It can be found in different elaborated forms. Wrestling symbolizes an imaginary representation of the fundamental opposition in mythology or acts as a ritual challenge in which the outcome foreshadows the collective wealth. Each wrestling style corresponds to one culture’s definition of the Strength concept, which takes into account an ideal imaginary, and a subtle construction of practical knowledge in a consistent and stimulating rules system.In addition to a universal presence and local original practices, we can easily notice similarities between styles and a wide set of common characteristics. It illustrates and implies a long-term diffusion. Elaborated forms have a steady geographical distribution, which corresponds to the roads of cultural circulation. Along the Silk Road styles spread out while they gradually evolved and grew apart. On the “Celtic Road” they experienced a complex History of identification and meeting that influenced the synthesis of international styles.Wrestling is an elementary and flexible system that has been deeply developed in more complex forms and spread out along the culture roads. This long-term progression illustrates the cultural character of sport and shows how its rooting and diffusion contribute into enriching the sport construction

La douleur est une sensation universelle pour qui les termes descriptifs élicitent une reconnaissance immédiate. Les sensations de brûlure, de démangeaisons ou de tranchements aigus servent de signal d’alarme ayant pour but d’éviter des dommages corporels. Chez les athlètes, cette alerte est souvent ignorée afin d’atteindre l’excellence en performance. Dépendant du sport, le type de douleur ressenti peut varier. Dans le cas des athlètes d’endurance, la douleur survient naturellement dans le muscle due aux contractions répétées sur une longue période. Alternativement, les athlètes pratiquant un sport de contact doivent aussi anticiper de la douleur « mécanique » produite par des coups infligés par les adversaires. La différence dans la demande et la spécificité de chaque sport sont cependant rarement prises en considération dans les études sur la douleur chez les athlètes. Dans le cadre de ce mémoire de maitrise, une revue de portée a été réalisée pour mieux comprendre comment la perception de la douleur chez les athlètes de sports de contact est étudiée. Trois composantes ont été analysées : Les types de sports de contacts étudiés, les groupes auxquels ils sont comparés, et les méthodes utilisées pour induire expérimentalement la douleur. Onze études ont été retenues. Deux sous-catégories de sports de contact ont été identifiées. Les sports de combat ont plus souvent été inclus dans ces études que les sports d’équipe. Ces athlètes étaient comparés à des groupes composés de non-athlètes et d’athlètes de sports « non-contact ». Quatre méthodes d’induction expérimentale de la douleur ont été utilisés, soit, la pression mécanique, le froid, la chaleur et l’ischémie musculaire. Une justification des choix de méthode d’induction de la douleur ou types d’athlètes inclus dans le cas d’un groupe contrôle de sport non-contact est rarement fourni. Un vide existe dans la littérature quant à la comparaison de la perception de la douleur d’athlètes de sport de contact avec un groupe d’athlètes non-contact et une méthode d’induction expérimentale de la douleur choisi délibérément pour mieux refléter la réalité de la pratique sportive. Un protocole expérimental est proposé pour combler ce besoin. / Pain is a universal sensation whose descriptive terms elicit immediate recognition. The burning, itching, or sharp feelings serve as an alarm system meant to avoid bodily harm. In athletes, this warning is often ignored in the pursuit of performance. Depending on the sport, the type of pain encountered can vary. In the case of endurance athletes, pain occurs naturally within the muscle due to repeated contraction over a long period. Alternatively, athletes in contact sports must also anticipate mechanical pain caused by opponents. The difference in demand and the specificity of each sport are however very rarely taken into consideration when studying pain in athletes. A scoping review was used to better understand how pain perception in contact sport athletes is being studied. Three components were analysed: the types of contact sports being studied, the groups they are being compared to, and the methods used to experimentally induce and study pain. A total of 11 articles were included. Two subcategories of contact sport were identified. Combat sports were more often included in studies than team contact sport. These athletes were compared to both non-athletes and non-contact athletes. Four methods of experimental pain induction were used, namely, the pain pressure test, the cold pressor test, an ischemic pain protocol, and heat pain protocol. Justification was not always provided for either pain protocol selection or non-contact athletes selected as control group. A gap exists in the literature in comparing contact sport athletes’ pain perception with a deliberately chosen athlete control group using a pain induction protocol meant to emulate a facet of pain experienced during exercise. A protocol proposal is included in the discussion to meet this demand.

L’objectif de cette étude est de décrire et comprendre l’impact d’un programme de sport-étude mis sur pied pour les jeunes à risque sur la vie des participants. Le programme à l’étude a été mis sur pied à Montréal afin de maximiser l’intégration sociale de jeunes à risque de s’engager, ou étant déjà engagés dans un mode de vie déviant. Le programme mise sur les sports de combat comme levier d’intervention auprès de ces jeunes. Les participants sont invités à suivre une formation scolaire aux adultes en matinée et des entraînements en sports de combat en après-midi. L’objectif de ce programme est de les outiller pour qu’ils intègrent la société efficacement. Une méthodologie qualitative a été choisie afin de mener cette étude à terme. Une période d’observation participante et des entretiens semi-dirigés avec différents acteurs du programme ont permis de bien saisir la dynamique à l’intérieur de celui-ci et de déterminer quels sont les impacts de la participation au programme sur la vie des jeunes. Le programme génère des effets mixtes sur la vie des participants: 1) quelques uns y vivent des changements positifs, notamment par rapport à l’estime de soi et l’autodiscipline, 2) d’autres ne tirent pas de bénéfices particuliers de leur passage dans le programme et 3) certains développent un sentiment d’indifférence, d’apathie à la suite de leur passage dans le programme, notamment induit par la dynamique présente au sein de celui-ci. Il appert que le modèle logique du programme n’a pas été fidèlement respecté lors de sa mise en place. Un mauvais appariement entre la clientèle et le programme ainsi qu’une implantation déficiente du modèle logique sont à la base des effets pervers induits par celui-ci. / The aim of this study is to describe and understand the impact of a combat sports program on the life of at-risk youths. The program aims at socially reintegrating at-risk youths and was created by a school board in partnership with a combat sports gym. The typical day that participants experienced while on the program is divided into two blocs. In the morning, they attend school. In the afternoon, they train. The best way to understand how this program really works and to grasp its atmosphere is by attending the same training as they do. Accordingly, participant observation and semi-structured interviews were conducted with different actors of the program. Results suggest that the program has mixed effects on the lives of these at-risk youths: 1) some youths experience positive changes, particularly in terms of self-esteem and discipline, 2) others do not seem to benefit from the program, and 3) some develop indifference and apathy, caused by the environment in wich the program takes place. The fundamental assumptions underlying the program are, in theory, beneficial. However, negative effects ensue from the ineffective implementation of it.