The Martial Arts Studies Association works to promote and advance the academic study of the martial arts. It seeks to foster work that is rigorous, original and significant, and to bring diverse academic discourses into dialogue with one another. It also seeks to promote and disseminate martial arts studies scholarship outside of the university context, primarily by advocating open access publication and non-profit events and activities.

The Martial Arts Studies Association was formally established in 2023. It grew from and builds on the foundations of the Martial Arts Studies Research Network, which has been operating since 2015 under the directorship of Professor Paul Bowman of the School of Journalism, Media and Culture (JOMEC) at Cardiff University, UK.

Initially known as the Martial Arts Studies Research Network, we have been connecting and engaging diverse researchers and international institutions for over a decade. Today, the Martial Arts Studies Association is the world-leader in bringing together scholars and developing knowledge of the significance and impact of martial arts in the contemporary world.

The Martial Arts Studies Association plays a key role in setting the agenda of cutting-edge research, advanced scholarship, and the orientation of university pedagogy, as well as seeking to advance the wider cultural impact of martial arts studies.

The Association is led by a board of world-leading scholars, with an international advisory board, and distinguished fellows. It is connected in different ways to an ever-growing number of affiliated universities, educational and cultural institutions and other scholarly associations from around the world.