Now that we know more about trauma and understand it's not necessarily a memory but an imprint on our nervous systems and bodies, therapists are increasingly recommending movement activities to heal, such as martial arts. So consider the cruel irony then when martial arts smash you, haze you, and sustain toxic, judgmental, and oppressive environments. There's the injury of being harmed, but there's a double injury when you're harmed by the thing that's supposed to heal you.
Love that you’re bringing out the topic of trauma within martial arts. Feels like such a vital aspect to uncover & explore (why do most of us find ourselves training anyway...?). There’s a concept I first heard from Nkem Ndefo “traumatized people create traumatized organizations.” This feels prescient to your piece here, good on you for pulling back the veil & de-normalizing the experience of traumatizing toxicity that is so prevalent in the world(s) of martial arts.
Love that you’re bringing out the topic of trauma within martial arts. Feels like such a vital aspect to uncover & explore (why do most of us find ourselves training anyway...?). There’s a concept I first heard from Nkem Ndefo “traumatized people create traumatized organizations.” This feels prescient to your piece here, good on you for pulling back the veil & de-normalizing the experience of traumatizing toxicity that is so prevalent in the world(s) of martial arts.