This chapter continues the examination of how martial arts differ from violence by delving into the symbolism attached to sport fighting. Here, this section investigates the significance of seemingly small gestures such as handshakes and fist bumps, treating them as play markers that separate the mat or the ring from the outside world. The rich symbolism of play markers run alongside an inversion of the meaning attached to strikes: in the outside world a punch devalues, whereas in sport fighting it signals respect for an opponent’s abilities. In this sense, sport fighting differentiates but also walks a fine line between the form and the function of violence. This consideration of significance in martial arts practice includes an investigation of martial arts and combat sport’s vexed relationship to real violence.
