Nazis und Macker auf's Maul!? - Perspectives and challenges of martial arts, 18.5.23

Thursday 18.05.2023, 7.00 pm
PankaHyttn (Johnstraße 45, 1150)

Invitation text:

On Thursday, 18.05.2023, we invite you to the next AntifaCafé at PankaHyttn. Topic: antifascist and feminist perspectives on challenges and potentials of martial arts.

Martial arts have been a domain of right-wing extremist organising for years. But martial arts are also booming on the left. Whether feminist self-defence, militant anti-fascism or martial arts and fitness as a lifestyle in radical left circles: Martial arts and training have long since become a fixed component of radical left organisation in the fight against right-wing extremism. But what potential does left-wing martial arts actually have and what challenges do trainers face?

Three people who deal with these questions either as activists or professionally will discuss and lecture:

Anna Traninger from "fairplay" will talk about right-wing extremism in Austrian gyms and the professionalisation of Nazis and right-wing extremists in combat sports. The question of what emancipatory martial arts can mean for the prevention of anti-human ideologies will also play a role.
Jesse-Björn Buckler is himself a pro-Muaythai and MMA fighter from Berlin. He attempts a critical reflection on martial arts and talks about the supposed and actual contradictions of martial arts and emancipatory practice. To what extent is martial arts itself part of a right-wing culture war and how can leftists, who unlike neo-Nazis do not have such a solid relationship to martial arts, confront this tendency?
Rahel Barra devoted her Master's thesis to a supposed paradox of feminist martial arts: the compatibility of an emancipatory claim with a practice with masculine connotations. This paradox gives rise to the question of how and in what way it is possible for martial arts, as a practice with a commonly masculine connotation, to develop an emancipatory character? Critical aspects of feminist martial arts will be discussed and a reference to both body and gender relations and roles as well as the changeability of these will be established.

After the inputs there will be a moderated discussion and the possibility for audience questions.

On site, as always, there will be drinks for a small price, as well as t-shirts, jumpers and fanny packs, as always stickers, brochures and calendars. The Antifa Café is organised by the Antifa Working Group of the Radical Left Platform and takes place monthly.