The value of combat sports as a healing tool for survivors of sexual violence

In this paper, the author argues that combat sports hold unique value as a healing tool for those who have experienced sexual violence. Central to this argument is the ‘freeze response’ which is linked to lasting psychological impacts. Thomas theorizes that combat sports can allow survivors to confront this response and dismantle the negative feelings often associated with it. Drawing from empirical studies of survivors’ experiences in combat sports, she suggests that these sports provide a metaphorical way to reclaim one’s agency, rewriting the narrative of the body.