Doctor's Stoppage: Preventing Intimate Partner Violence through Mixed Martial Arts

Fight Like A Champion - What You Should Know About Training and Competing

[Editor's Note: We are proud to present the first installment of David Mayeda's series of columns on MMA. They will all be called "Doctor's Stoppage" as the PhD brings you his unique perspective on fighting.]

In sync with all institutions, sporting institutions have their pros and cons. As the mixed martial arts (MMA) industry continues to rise in popularity, it is important to highlight the different ways it is affecting society. MMA's internet savvy fanbase is sometimes cast as a niche market that stands alone in defense of the continuous criticism MMA endures from mainstream media outlets. But the reality is, MMA and its numerous facets are always interacting with other societal sectors, sometimes in conflict and other times as mutually beneficial partners.

One thing to remember about sports in general is that they are male-dominated. Even with the 1972 passage of Title IX (which didn't even focus on athletics) and the law's unintended consequences on non-revenue producing men's collegiate sports, the world of athletics remains a male-centered one. And there is no doubt males' socialization in sport can too often influence boys and young men to have negative attitudes toward girls and women.

The renowned sports sociologist and former college athlete, Michael Messner (2005, p. 27), argues that sport can socialize males such that they begin internalizing the following norms and values:

Competitive, homophobic, and misogynistic talk and joking
A group practice of voyeuring, where boys can watch their friends have sex with girls and sometimes join in
Suppression of empathy toward others, especially toward the girls
A culture of silence among peers, in families, and in the community

Of course the degree to which these and other types of sexist norms are perpetuated and challenged varies from sport to sport, school to school, team to team, and so forth.

Furthermore, neither Messner's work nor my own suggests that all male athletes blindly succumb to these values. Such a statement would conversely perpetuate unfair stereotypes about male athletes. But it is difficult to argue that in some sports, especially male-dominated ones, a culture that demeans the opposite sex is present.

Consequently, it is important that those in the sporting world begin to think more critically about their social responsibilities beyond sport. Every year, approximately 10% of all women involved in a romantic relationship experience violence at the hands of an intimate partner (Alvarez & Bachman, 2008, p. 130). Among women of color and immigrant women, the percentage of victims is substantially higher (Dasgupta, 2006).

Historically, violence against women has been considered a "women's issue." But the bottom line is, if we are to prevent and decrease women's victimization, men need to begin taking leadership roles in this movement as well, and the MMA industry should not be exonerated from this responsibility.

This year was a colossal year for women in MMA. MMA female stars, such as Tara LaRosa and Gina Carano, now grace the covers of MMA magazines. Carano and Kaitlin Young partook in a main card match on MMA's network television debut. Women like Lana Stefanac are promoting MMA cards, running their own gyms, and even coaching men. In the spirit of supporting women's MMA, men in all facets of the MMA industry should also begin shifting the ways women and men are stereotypically portrayed.

With that said, the magazine, MMA Hawaii (July 2008; see http://MMAHawaii.com) recently cast ICON Sport Middleweight Champion, Kala "Kolohe" Hose on its back cover with his daughter, the headline stating:

You love your daughter. You want to give her the world. Start by treating her mother with respect.

REAL FIGHTERS KEEP IT IN THE RING.

The add was made in partnership with the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and MMA Hawaii has also partnered with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in its media campaigns. In fact, via personal communication with MMA Hawaii, I was told the magazine took the initiative to reach out to these organizations so that they could provide these types of messages to the predominantly male audiences that follow MMA in Hawaii and beyond.

This is a perfect example of how an MMA organization is taking active measures to change the way MMA is promoted in a socially responsible manner. It is an example of how an MMA organization took the time to collaborate with a domestic violence prevention group so that a positive image of male athletes is disseminated, one that aims to re-socialize boys and young men to respect women through MMA.

Yes, MMA is a violent sport. It is the closest thing to the complete sport of fighting. As MMA Hawaii has shown, this does not mean MMA has to perpetuate societal violence, and they are doing what they can to insure the violence is "kept in the ring."

Nobody can say it's unrealistic for MMA organizations to preach violence prevention and stimulate mutually beneficial relationships with organizations that prevent intimate partner violence, drunk driving, school violence, and so on. Let's hope more MMA organizations and MMA combatants begin forging these types of socially responsible partnerships and media campaigns, and showcase them to as broad an audience as possible.

David Mayeda, PhD, is lead author of Fighting for Acceptance: Mixed Martial Artists and Violence in American Society, the first political book on mixed martial arts that attempts to reform the sport by increasing violence prevention measures through interviews with forty mixed martial artists, including Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, Guy Mezger, Antonio McKee, Chris Leben, "Rampage" Jackson, "Mayhem" Miller, Travis Lutter, and Frank Trigg. Dr. Mayeda has also published numerous academic journal articles on youth violence prevention and discrimination in sports media.

Non internet sources:

Alvarez, Alex & Bachman, Ronet. (2008). Violence: The Enduring Problem. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Dasgupta, Shamita Das. (2006). Women's realities: defining violence against women by immigration. In N.J. Sokoloff (Ed.) Domestic Violence on the Margins: Readings on Race, Class, Gender, and Culture, pp. 56-70. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Messner, Michael A. (2005). The triad of violence in men's sports. In E. Buchwald, P.R. Fletcher, & M. Roth (Eds.) Transforming A Rape Culture, pp. 23-46. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions.