SyfteSyftet med studien är att undersöka translationella accelerationer och rotationsaccelerationer hos huvudet vid lätt sparring hos manliga ungdomsboxare samt hur dessa påverkas av slagens acceleration, hastighet, slagteknik, träffområde och blockerande guard.MetodUrvalet baserades på fyra manliga ungdomsboxare tillhörande viktklass -60 kg och -77 kg. Tandskyddssensorer (Hybrid Mouthguard, Prevent Biometrics, USA) och handledsaccelerometrar (Corner Wearables Ltd. U.K.) användes för att mäta accelerationer i huvudet respektive slaghastighet och slagacceleration. Testupplägget bestod av 15 minuter individuell uppvärmning och två ronder a’ 3 minuter per rond på 50 % intensitetsnivå. Pearsons korrelationstest har använts för att undersöka samband och independent-samples t-test har använts för att mäta skillnader.ResultatEtt starkt positivt samband uppmättes mellan translationell acceleration och rotationsacceleration (r = 0,75; p < 0,001) hos huvudet. Inget signifikant samband upptäcktes mellan träff med/utan blockerande guard gällande translationella accelerationer (t = -0,09; p = 0,93) eller rotationsaccelerationer (t = -0,80; p = 0,43) hos huvudet.SlutsatserInget signifikant samband upptäcktes mellan uppmätt slaghastighet och translationella accelerationer hos huvudet eller mellan slaghastighet och rotationsaccelerationer hos huvudet. Ett starkt signifikant samband mellan translationella accelerationer och rotationsaccelerationer hos huvudet. Kollisionerna kännetecknades av de kinematiska egenskaperna som indikerar potentiella skaderisker. Det krävs mätningar i större omfattning för att undersöka de potentiella effekterna av upprepade subkonkusiva slag, då samtliga kollisioner låg under de tidigare uppsatta gränsvärderna för milda hjärnskador. / PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the translational and rotational accelerations from head impacts during low intensity sparring bouts among competitive teen boxers and how they are affected by punch velocity, acceleration, punch type, impact locations and a defending guard.MethodsFour male competitive teen boxers in the -60 kg and -77 kg weight classes participated in the study. Mouthguard accelerometers (Hybrid Mouthguard, Prevent Biometrics, USA) and wrist accelerometers (Corner Wearables Ltd. U.K.) were equipped to measure the accelerations to the head as well as the punch velocity and punch accelerations. The test battery included 15 minutes of individually chosen warm-ups and two sparring rounds at three minutes each at an intensity of 50 %. Pearson’s correlation test was used to examine the relationships between variables and independent-samples t-test was used to compare means.ResultsA strong correlation was found between translational acceleration and rotational acceleration (r = 0,750) (p < 0,001). No significant relationship was found between the translational and rotational accelerations of a clean punch to the head and a punch to the guard (t = -0,09, p = 0,93 (t = -0,80, p = 0,43).ConclusionsNo significant relationship between punch velocity and translational accelerations or between punch velocity and rotational accelerations of punches to the head. This result emphasizes the need of defensive movements to further avoid the risks of punches to the head. There was a strong correlation between translational accelerations and rotational acceleration. The kinematic properties of the head impacts could indicate potential injuries to the head during sparring even at lower intensities. Even though none of the impacts surpassed the 25 % probability threshold for brain injury, more extensive research is needed to evaluate the potential risks of sub concussive impacts.

SyfteStudiens syfte är att undersöka boxares förmåga att slå slag med givna intensitetsnivåer mot en boxningssäck. Vidare syftar studien till att undersöka boxares förmåga att hålla en förbestämd submaximal intensitsnivå vid sparring.MetodFyra boxare deltog i studien. Corner handledssensorer användes för datainsamling av slaghastighet och acceleration i slag under slagtest på säck i självvald 50 %, 70 %, 90 % och 100 % intensitet, och i två 3-minutersronder av lätt sparring med instruktionen att sparras i 50 % intensitet. Shapiro-Wilks test användes för att undersöka variablernas normalfördelning, därefter analyserades data med One-sample t-test och Wilcoxon Signed-rank test beroende på normalfördelningen.ResultatDet fanns signifikanta skillnader (p < 0,05) mellan flera av deltagarnas slag och slagteknikernas respektive uträknade slagintensitet i samtliga slagintensiteter. Det förekom ingen eskalering (alla p > 0,05) under lätt sparringen, men merparten slagen var över den instruerade sparringsintensiteten (50 %), och i flera fall även över boxarnas maximala slagintensitestvärden.SlutsatserDeltagarna tenderar att underskatta sin egen slagintensitet vid slag mot säck. Vidare så kan det under lätt sparring förekomma flertalet slag med intensitet vid eller över deltagarnas egna maximala slagintensitetsvärden. Resultatet från den nuvarande studien kan dock inte generaliseras på grund av ett litet urval och utrustning utan validering. Mer forskning bör genomföras med ett större urval och även med högre sparringsintensiteter för att se om slagen i de olika intensiteterna skiljer sig åt. / PurposeThe purpose of the study was to examine the ability of boxers to punch in predetermined submaximal intensities. Furthermore, the study aims to investigate the ability of boxers to maintain a predetermined submaximal intensity during sparring.MethodsFour boxers participated the study. Corner wrist sensors was used for data collection for punching tests in self-selected 50 %, 70 %, 90 % and maximal effort on a boxing bag, and for punches thrown during two 3-minute rounds of low intensity sparring with the instruction to spar at 50 % intensity. Shapiro-Wilks test was performed to examine the variables normal distribution. The data was then analyzed with One-Samples t-test or Wilcoxon Signed-rank test depending on the normal distribution.ResultsThere were significant differences (p < 0,05) between several of the participants punches and the punching techniques respective calculated punch intensity for each boxer, in all punching intensities. No escalation of punching intensity was found in the sparring rounds, most punches was over the instructed intensity (50 %), and in several cases had intensity values near or even over the participants maximal effort punching values.ConclusionsThe participants tend to underestimate their punching intensity when punching a boxing bag. The results of the present study show that high intensity punches are still present even in light sparring, with several punches having values near or even above the boxers respective maximal punching effort value. However, these results cannot be applied to the general population because of the limited sample size and due to not validated equipment. More research with a larger sample size and including higher sparring intensities for comparison.

Boxing has been practiced for thousands of years, yet there is still limited research on how boxing affectsmental health. The primary focus has been physical aspects such as either injuries or health benefits.Previous studies do however indicate that boxing could be beneficial for mental health as well, but dueto the lack of existing evidence further research is necessary. To create a better understanding of thesubject the aim of this study was to identify boxers’ experiences of how boxing affected their mentalhealth, with a primary focus on well-being and self-image. Furthermore, the aim was also to find outwhether the boxers considered the impact from boxing any different compared to other physical activity.Data were collected through seven semi-structured interviews with boxers that had at least three years’experience. The results showed that boxing could provide with higher self-esteem, self-confidence, andwell-being, and it was also shown that coaches and training partners had a certain impact. Though someof the participants gave the expression of sometimes being nervous or anxious before sparring, therewere indications that the sparring elements contributed to a stronger connection among the boxers dueto the vulnerability they share by stepping into a boxing ring. The biggest perceived difference betweenboxing and other sports seemed to be that several of the participants experienced boxing as moremeaningful in a sense that boxing contributed to self-development and not just overall well-being.

Boxing has been practiced for thousands of years, yet there is still limited research on how boxing affectsmental health. The primary focus has been physical aspects such as either injuries or health benefits.Previous studies do however indicate that boxing could be beneficial for mental health as well, but dueto the lack of existing evidence further research is necessary. To create a better understanding of thesubject the aim of this study was to identify boxers’ experiences of how boxing affected their mentalhealth, with a primary focus on well-being and self-image. Furthermore, the aim was also to find outwhether the boxers considered the impact from boxing any different compared to other physical activity.Data were collected through seven semi-structured interviews with boxers that had at least three years’experience. The results showed that boxing could provide with higher self-esteem, self-confidence, andwell-being, and it was also shown that coaches and training partners had a certain impact. Though someof the participants gave the expression of sometimes being nervous or anxious before sparring, therewere indications that the sparring elements contributed to a stronger connection among the boxers dueto the vulnerability they share by stepping into a boxing ring. The biggest perceived difference betweenboxing and other sports seemed to be that several of the participants experienced boxing as moremeaningful in a sense that boxing contributed to self-development and not just overall well-being

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a combat sport where pugilists combine various martial art forms to compete in sanctioned bouts of hand-to-hand cage fighting. Through immersive ethnographic research at an MMA gym, this thesis presents a carnal sociology that investigates rigorous human sparring as a method of human liberation. Carnal sociology is a method of embodied inquiry where the sociologist uses their own body to investigate social phenomena of interest. Chapter 1 reveals connections between modern sparring encounters and early religious violence as described in Émile Durkheim’s sociology. I argue that human sparring is a form of violent and primitively religious prayer that allows the sparrer to extract originary feelings of human agency that are stored in the social energies of sparring intensity. Chapter 2 explores current debates regarding gender in modern mixed-sex martial arts gyms, arguing for a more patient approach to conceptualizing gender in sparring. Despite scholars depicting the history of sparring as being saturated with violent expressions of masculinity, modern sparring practices appear to present a novel space for men and women to enter into freer associations with gender on their own terms. In Chapter 3, I expand on Dale Spencer’s (2009) concept of body callusing, where instead, I argue that sparrers are primarily drawn to sparring to engage in existential callusing where the sparrer is driven towards a mastery of the non-body to overcome death anxiety. Drawing on participant diary entries, field notes, and immersive ethnography, this thesis argues that human sparring is best understood as a mechanism of human liberation that is undertaken by sparrers through a unique transcendental phenomenology. Sparring violence allows practitioners to overcome certain limitations embedded in everyday human thought by becoming intoxicated by especially altered states of consciousness as a means of accessing primary qualities of the human condition. / Graduate / 2022-04-14