Blog

Breaking the Code of Silence: A Safeguarding Panel at the Martial Arts Studies Conference

At this year’s Martial Arts Studies Association conference in Brighton, I was invited to speak as part of a panel titled ‘Breaking the Code of Silence: Safeguarding in Combat Sports and Martial Arts’. The Martial Arts Studies Association brings together diverse researchers and international institutions to develop knowledge of the impact of martial arts. The organisation began hosting conferences in 2015, and this was their biggest so far. Spotlighting the Need for Better Safeguarding in Read more

By Under the Ropes, ago

Why We Need Queer Spaces in Muay Thai

In November last year, I attended two queer-led Muay Thai fight events in different parts of England. The first was an interclub event in Birmingham which included a panel talk on the experiences of women and LGBTQ+ people in Muay Thai. The second was another interclub in Brighton, organised by a collective of queer martial arts gyms. Both events defied the standard categorisation of Muay Thai to allow for mixed-gender bouts. Drawing from interviews with Read more

By Under the Ropes, ago

The Safe Sport 2026 Conference: Global Voices, Shared Solutions

I recently spent a week at the University of Cape Town for the Safe Sport 2026 conference. The conference was a collaboration between Safe Sport International, The African Union Sports Council and the Sport for Social Change Network Africa. The conference brought together 460 delegates from 73 countries, many of whom are in safeguarding and leadership roles in national and international sports organisations. This was not purely a research conference, but also an opportunity for Read more

By Under the Ropes, ago

Safeguarding in Combat Sports on the Conscious Combat Club Podcast

I recently recorded an episode of the Conscious Combat Club podcast, which discusses trauma-informed martial arts and mental health. Founder Georgia Verry provides trauma-informed kickboxing programs in Australia, and through her podcast, she talks with women in martial arts, including academics and those with lived experience of violence. This is the second time I’ve appeared on Georgia’s podcast. She first interviewed me in 2021 for what was then called The Fight Back Podcast. In that Read more

By Under the Ropes, ago

‘A Survivor’s Story’ Speech for Sport Safeguarding Officers in Croatia

I was recently invited by the Croatian Olympic Committee to take part in their GUARD: Safeguarding Children in Sport project, which provides education for child safeguarding officers from sports organisations in 8 different countries (Croatia, Poland, Lithuania, Romania, Greece, Latvia, Macedonia & Slovenia). The topic of safeguarding in sport has recently been gaining more of the attention it demands, which has led to the initial development of policies, frameworks and safeguarding officer roles. However, implementing Read more

By Under the Ropes, ago

Under the Ropes at the Ann Craft Trust’s Safeguarding Adults Week

Last week was the Ann Craft Trust’s annual Safeguarding Adults Week, during which they bring safeguarding professionals from across the UK together to share expertise and raise awareness of important topics. This year, the theme was prevention. Each day, they held free online seminars with safeguarding experts on various topics, including preventing abuse in sport, forced marriage, brain injuries in football, grief support, and more. I was invited to lead an online seminar on day Read more

By Under the Ropes, ago