Societies 2014, 4, 654–671; doi:10.3390/soc4040654 OPEN ACCESS societies ISSN 2075-4698 www.mdpi.com/journal/societies Article The Organization and Regulation of Full Contact Martial Arts: A Case Study of Flanders Jikkemien Vertonghen *, Marc Theeboom, Els Dom, Veerle De Bosscher and Reinhard Haudenhuyse Department of Sports Policy and Management, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; E-Mails:
[email protected] (M.T.);
[email protected] (E.D.);
[email protected] (V.D.B.);
[email protected] (R.H.) * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail:
[email protected]; Tel.: +32-(0)2-629-27-71; Fax: +32-(0)2-629-28-99. External Editors: Bryan Hogeveen and Brennan K. Berg Received: 29 April 2014; in revised form: 15 November 2014 / Accepted: 24 November 2014 / Published: 28 November 2014 Abstract: To date, martial arts involvement is often described in controversial terms. While some studies report increased anti-social behavior as a result of martial arts involvement, other findings refer to a more positive social and personal development. This paradox has resulted in an ambiguous public discourse on their value and legitimacy as socially accepted sports, often leading to a dichotomization between “good” and “bad” styles of martial arts. Up until now however, there has been a lack of empirical proof that this “good versus bad” perspective divides along the lines of specific martial arts styles. Consequently, the distinct moral and medical concerns regarding the effects of involvement in harder martial arts—combined with their increased popularity, as well as their perceived positive outcomes for specific target groups—have resulted in a growing demand among policy makers to develop (or rethink) their strategy towards the regulation and support of these sports.