We aim to develop knowledge of how new technology, in this case social media, can contribute to how sports fans interact with their idols. Therefore our framing of a question is to present how fans experience their contact with mixed martial arts (MMA) & ultimate fighting championship (UFC) through social media platforms. To specify our study, we also have a supplement question with in which way sports fans uses social media.We have chosen to conduct a qualitative study consisting of interviews and data observations of websites, related to the organization UFC, to approach our main question. We have interviewed nine randomly selected people with one common interest - MMA/UFC. With an implant of theories, consisting of social media, fandom and lurking, on the result of the interview and website data, we try to come closer to a conclusion for our intention with this thesis.Our conclusion is that the interviewed fans express that through the usage of social media, they feel like they have come closer to UFC. They have developed a deeper knowledge about the sport, the members and other fans that shares the same interest. Most of our respondents have a lurking attitude towards the social media usage, which means that they are more like observers and soak in the information and media material. They are active in the searching of material related to UFC, but they are not active in the way of contributing with comments, discussions or material.

This thesis is made of two main parts. First main part of the thesis is based on the qualitative enquiry of twenty-three Aikido participants from different levels - beginner, intermediate, advanced- from three different dojos. Open ended questions regarding the difference of Aikido from other sports is asked to the participants. Their written responses were coded using qualitative methods. Based on coding of documents: labels, categories and themes have been generated. Second main part of this thesis is based on the discussion of those findings. The discussion between different levels, the comparison with other findings in Aikido Literature was done. Lastly and largely the position of findings and possible arguments it can generate in the Philosophy of Sports Literature are discussed.

The participatory cyberspace, epitomized by the concept of Web 2.0, has become a key venue of Chinese stardom in the post-cinema era.Web 2.0 invites its users to contribute to the content through an architecture of participation. Fans can search, poach, edit, and post filmic and publicity materials about stars, formulating seamless, collaborative reworkings of the star image and generating a new star-fan dynamic. At the crossroads of participatory cyberspace and cinema, transnational Chinese movie stars call our attention to the critical concern of Chineseness. In recent years, a number of Chinese movie stars have attained prominent presence in the global cinematic arena. These acting talents, who are either identified as martial arts performers or known for their performances in martial arts films, won global acclaim as a result of the worldwide reception and esteem for Hong Kong action films and Fifth Generation directors’ films from mainland China. As these stars begin to engineer personae stretching beyond their ethnic identities for the global setting, their stardom engenders discourses of ethnicity and cosmopolitanism.What does it mean to call these stars “Chinese” in the global cyber setting? How do their fans interact to reshape their star personae on the Web? How can one approach and understand “Chineseness” within cyber fan discourse? All these questions point to a central problem of how to conceptualize Chineseness in participatory cyberspace. My agenda in this study is to investigate Chinese movie stardom as a web-based phenomenon by establishing a new theoretical framework for considering Chineseness in participatory cyberspace. I have created a set of four analytical matrixes, each examining a particular Chinese star through a specific fan-based practice on a specific participatory site: vidding Donnie Yen and critiquing Zhang Ziyi on YouTube; photo-sharing about Jackie Chan on Flickr; “friending” Jet Li on Facebook; and discussing Takeshi Kaneshiro on fan forums. Through close investigation of these five Chinese stars, I demonstrate that the cyber setting enables collaborative fan reworkings of star texts and multiple directionality of approaching Chineseness. Cyber fans produce intertextual, multi-faceted star personae, different from traditional film personae whose meanings are anchored in a rigid established representational framework. Through the relentless scrutiny, quotation, manipulation self-affiliation by fans enabled by cyber technology, Chineseness becomes an utterly illusive and indefinable entity, a new form of signification whose meaning is always changing. This unstable, hybrid Chineseness challenges the notion of a star’s given ethnicity, redefining the archetypal martial arts body in unpredictable, manifold and provocative terms for the cyber era. With the aim of advancing the critical theorization of Chineseness, this study unfolds and analyzes the dynamics of the vital relationship between Chinese stardom, web technologies, and fan discourse. It also serves as a timely response to the challenges posed by cyber culture for the disciplines of cinema and cultural studies, in light of the proliferating yet inadequate current efforts in this field. / published_or_final_version / Comparative Literature / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Denna uppsats fokuserar på King Hus actionestetik och den montagekonstruerade rörelsen, enligt en konkret syftesformulering som lyder: Att öka förståelsen för King Hus estetiska val genom att belysa vissa rytmiska rörelsetendenser, såsom en konstruktion av filmens montage, och dess relation till två vitt skilda konstyttringar, med dessa avses Pekingoperan och cinéma pur. Ledande tes genom uppsatsen är att Hus visuella stil visserligen är starkt präglad av ett personligt intresse och en djup förståelse för estetiska normer i Pekingoperan, men att han samtidigt genom ett skickligt utnyttjande av cinematiska tekniker skapar en alldeles unik version av kinesisk estetik, som måste förstås som specifik för filmmediet. Sammantaget är förhoppningen att resultatet skall bidra till avmarginaliseringen av Hu som förvaltare till en förment essens av traditionell kinesisk kultur. Metoden består i en jämförande analys av rörligt bildmaterial i två steg, som illustrativ modell och teoretisk ingång till rörelsebegreppet tillämpas Heinrich von Kleists marionett och i dess förlängning även Sergei Eisensteins biomekaniska rakurs. Min analys leder mig till slutsatsen att den rytmiska rörelsen i Hus actionscener har starka likheter med såväl Pekingoperan som cinéma pur, och jag vill på grundval av detta föreslå att Hu snarare bör förstås som en nyskapare av kinesisk estetik, då han positionerar sig någonstans mellan traditionalism och modernism genom att skapa en estetisk jämvikt mellan teater och film där ingenderas legat går förlorad.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka om visualiseringsträning kan minska nivån av upplevd stress hos kampsportare. I studien deltog 27 atleter (16-41 år) som var medlemmar i en utvald kampsportsförening lokaliserad i sydvästra Sverige. Deltagarna randomiserades in i en experimentgrupp och en kontrollgrupp där experimentgruppen erbjöds att vid tre tillfällen delta i visualiseringsträning. Det instrument som tillämpades i denna studie var K10 testet av Kessler et al. (2002) som mäter stressupplevelsen hos individer sett ur ett generellt hälsoperspektiv. Resultatet från studien visade ingen statistiskt signifikant skillnad mellan grupperna (p = 0.053). Dock påvisades en moderat effektstorlek (Cohen´s d = 0.78) vilket gör att en praktisk signifikans mellan grupperna kan diskuteras (där experimentgruppen uppvisar en lägre nivå av upplevd stress i jämförelse med kontrollgruppen). Rekommendationer från studien är att atleter uppmuntras att involvera visualisering i sitt träningsupplägg för att på så sätt potentiellt minska de upplevda stressnivåerna och på så sätt minska risken för de negativa effekterna som höga stressnivåer visats kunna generera. / The purpose of this study was to investigate if imagery exercise can reduce the level of perceived stress among martial artist athletes. The study enrolled 27 athletes (age 16-41) who were members in a martial arts association located in southwestern Sweden. The participants were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group in which the experimental group were offered to take part in three imagery-training classes. The instruments used were K10 test of Kessler et al. (2002), which measures self-perceived levels of stress seen from a general health perspective. The result showed no statistically significant difference between groups (p = 0.053). However, results showed a moderate effect size (Cohen's d = 0.78), which suggest that there is a practical significant between (where the experimental group showed a lower level of perceived stress in comparison with the control group). Recommendation with this study was to urge athletes to involve imagery in their training programs to thereby potentially reducing the self-perceived levels of stress and to counteract the subsequent/following negative effects that high stress levels can contribute to.

As the twentieth century ended with globalization and commercialization, popular culture begins to challenge the dominance of national culture. The Chinese intellectual community tries to defend national culture against the incoming global culture and local cultures. The conflicts between localism and nationalism, and also between globalism and nationalism, are clearly demonstrated in the Hero phenomenon, which basically concerns the unanimous disparagement on director Zhang Yimou's debut martial arts film Hero within the Chinese critics' circle. Through a discursive analysis of the phenomenon, we can see how the conflicts between modernism and postmodernism, between elitism and commercialism shape the landscape of contemporary Chinese culture. In this article, I first seek to understand how modernism evolved into nationalism in China during the last century and what role the intelligentsia played in the process of such evolvement. I further seek to understand why the intellectual community has distaste for popular culture and commercialism. Other research on this topic has linked nationalism to national culture, and localism and globalism to popular culture.

The thesis examines the learning experience of Muay Thai training and competition through an interpretation of Whiteheads’ theory of learning. This examination is undertaken through a reflection on training and competing in Canada and Thailand during the 2009-2011 period. I will offer an analysis of learning Muay Thai through an interpretation of Whiteheads learning theory and educational philosophy. This thesis rejects learning as a product of hoarding information and recommends education must facilitate concrete and abstract experiences of the principles of freedom and discipline to allow for the development of wisdom and courage in learners. This paper argues that expressing oneself through Muay Thai facilitates non-violent dispositions by allowing for ‘rhythmic’ experiences which enable the growth of active wisdom and courage through periodic tests of training and competition. By providing an autoethnographic account of learning Muay Thai and a theoretical discussion on learning the author will provide a subsequent interpretation of Whiteheads’ theories applied to Muay Thai training and competition. This paper will also consider the educational merit of Muay Thai for marginalized identities as a consequence of developing active wisdom and courage.

Thesis (Ph. D.), Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1998. / Bibliography: leaves 241-261.

abstract: Masculinity has been increasingly recognized as a critical and relatively unexplored area of inquiry in anthropological gender studies. This project seeks to expand anthropological research on masculinity to contemporary American society. Using the case study of a male-centered popular new sport, Mixed Martial Arts (also known as cagefighting) this project integrates theories of embodiment and feminist perspectives to explore how masculinity and masculine hegemony are shaped, contested, and perpetuated in the United States. Using a multi-level framework this project explores: 1) How is masculinity experienced and expressed by Mixed Martial Arts fighters as a form of self-identity? How do their bodies play a role in constructing masculinity? 2) What are the pervasive forms of masculinity associated with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)? Are they truly representative of the sport? 3) Can these pervasive forms of masculinity be seen as hegemonic? How would hegemony operate in relation to individual experience? Using multiple methods to capture multiple points of view was critical to thoroughly examining the complex notion of masculinity. This study employed participant observation, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, surveys, photo elicitation, and media content analysis, as each presented particular benefits and allowed for the development a more well-rounded understanding of masculinity within the realm of MMA. This study also situates the rise of MMA and its representations of masculinity within the greater perspective of contemporary American society. By doing so reveals how ideologies of prescribed masculinity do not arise out of a vacuum but in relation to particular economic, social and political contexts. An emphasis of this study was to examine the daily lives of MMA fighters to understand how their participation in what may be regarded as a hypermasculine activity affects their own perceptions of masculinity. In looking at how masculinity is embodied, the gaps and often contradictions between representation and individual experiences are revealed. Ultimately, the goal of this research is to contribute to a better understanding of masculinity as both an embodied and relational construct. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Anthropology 2011

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T16:34:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ORLANDO MARREIRO DE SOUZA JUNIOR.pdf: 469087 bytes, checksum: acc82f9b46fa6f2170380cae29d7d0a3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-09-27 / This study objectives to describe the strategies of coping used by practitioners of martial arts; to relate the strategies of coping used by beginning practitioners in martial arts with those used by practitioners with experience; and to relate the strategies of coping to the time of practises of the martial arts. Mens between 15 and 56 years old, most of them were single mens, students till high school, thus distributed: 94 practitioners of Kung Fu Chinese, Kung Fu Vietnamese (Qwan Ki Do), Taekwondo and Karatê similar martial arts of contact technical. They had been distributed in two groups: Group 1 - 67 practitioners with time of practise up to 12 months but they don´t have "black belt" necessary. In this group, there are just teachers and just practitioners and Group 2 - 27 practitioners called beginning, till 12 months of experience. It was used Escala de Modos de Enfrentamento de Problemas: EMEP and a Questionary. The data had been submitted to the Statistical Package will be the Social Science (SPSS), version 15.0 for Windows for descriptive statistical analysis and r-Person. The results had indicated the strategies of coping used by these beginning practitioners or those have black belt. Analyzes showed differences not so important between two groups. In an in agreement understanding the average point of the scale, could be observed that the strategies of coping with "care on problem" and "searching for social support", present a good average of use (steady). It means they use them inside of a standard adjusted in both the groups. It is interesting also to observe about "strategies on the emotion", these are between the observed average minors. The practitioners use these strategies but just a little, denoting more than emotional control in relation to the other strategies. Other important information is that with more time dedicated to Martial Arts teaching, more strategies of social support they develop. Of a logical point of view, this relationship with pupils during teaching helps to better contact social.(AU) / O presente estudo teve por objetivos, descrever as estratégias de enfrentamento utilizadas por praticantes de artes marciais; relacionar as estratégias de enfrentamento utilizadas por praticantes iniciantes em artes marciais com aquelas utilizadas por praticantes formados; e relacionar as estratégias de enfrentamento ao tempo de pratica das artes marciais. Participaram 94 sujeitos do sexo masculino, numa faixa etária de 15 até 56 anos, com nível de instrução médio, praticantes de: Kung Fu Chinês, Kung Fu Vietnamita (Qwan Ki Do), Taekwondo e Karatê, artes marciais de contato semelhantes tecnicamente. Foram distribuídos em dois grupos: Grupo 1 67 praticantes com tempo de pratica superior a 12 meses podendo ser ou não formados faixa-preta, ou seja, aqueles que tiveram experiência, treino e estudo necessários exigidos dentro de sua modalidade marcial e entre esses estão incluídos também os que se formaram e lecionam e o Grupo 2 - 27 praticantes chamados iniciantes, com tempo de prática compreendido até 12 meses. Utilizou-se a Escala de Modos de Enfrentamento de Problemas: EMEP e um Questionário. Os dados foram submetidos ao Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), versão 15.0 para Windows, para analise estatística descritiva e r-Person. Os resultados indicaram que quanto ao uso de estratégias de enfrentamento utilizadas por estes praticantes de artes marciais não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre os dois diferentes grupos. Numa compreensão conforme o ponto médio da escala pôde-se observar que as estratégias de enfrentamento focado no problema e busca de suporte social, apresentaram uma média de utilização (estável); isso significa que os sujeitos utilizam-nas dentro de um padrão adequado em ambos os grupos. É interessante também observar que com relação à estratégias focadas na emoção, estas estão entre as menores médias observadas. Isto significa que os sujeitos praticantes de artes marciais utilizam menos estas estratégias, denotando pouco mais de controle emocional em relação às outras estratégias. Outros aspectos interessantes, dizem respeito a um índice significativo, ou uma relação entre os anos de ensino e busca de suporte social entre os sujeitos do Grupo 1 (formados que lecionam). Pode-se entender que quanto mais tempo essas pessoas se dedicam ao ensino, mais estratégias de suporte social eles desenvolvem. De um ponto de vista lógico, pode-se dizer que essa convivência com alunos durante os anos que o sujeito leciona, também favorece um melhor contato social.