Emily Dobrich

This paper discusses a qualitative research project investigating Muay Thai’s role in promoting self-determination among diasporic women in Canada. The paper examines participants’ motivation for learning and their perceived impacts of learning Muay Thai together. The research question addressed is: How did women in this project understand and what did they achieve through the embodied learning of Muay Thai, both on individual and collective levels?

The project employed a feminist decolonial research methodology (Mohanty, 2003; Smith, 2021). Aligning with Channon and Matthews’s (2015) typology of a recreational martial arts practice, the principal investigator organized a community education project wherein newcomer women learned Muay Thai and engaged in reflective discussions and journaling. Participants were novice learners who had little to no martial arts experience. Data from one-on-one semi-structured interviews, embodied ethnographic fieldwork and participant journals was analyzed by thematic analysis (Braun & Clark, 2021).

Findings deliver evidence on the community-building power possible in learning martial arts for women using feminist praxis. This project facilitated enhanced intercultural communication and connections among women from different cultural backgrounds. Participants also reported newfound confidence and self-acceptance which was meaningful for their ability to navigate their lives in Canada and improved their relationships and sense of belonging.

By offering new insights on supporting women’s self-determination in martial arts education, this study provides a foundation for future community-engaged research projects and practical recommendations for improving women’s experiences in learning martial arts.