A Qualitative Exploration of Pain among Mixed Martial Artists by Kristina Smith A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master’s of Science Graduate Department of Exercise Sciences University of Toronto © Copyright by Kristina Smith 2016 A Qualitative Exploration of Pain among Mixed Martial Artists Kristina Smith Master’s of Science Graduate Department of Exercise Sciences University of Toronto 2016 Abstract Athletes often experience pain in sport and in their everyday lives, yet little research has explored how athletes form understandings of pain, and how social interactions contribute to athletes’ understandings of pain. The purpose of this study was to explore MMA fighters’ experiences of pain while training for fight. A multiple case study approach (Stake, 1995) was used to study pain among four amateur and professional fighters and their training partners (total N = 7). Data were collected longitudinally using semi-structured interviews, participant observation, athlete video diaries, and video recordings of training sessions and fights. Results pertained to: (a) distinguishing between physical pain, injury, and emotional pain; (b) social validation of pain; (c) giving and receiving pain; (d) sharing pain with teammates; and (e) reflections on ‘doing’ pain research. The results suggest that pain experiences are socially constructed and shared with others, and teammates influence how fighters understand their pain. ii Acknowledgments I am incredibly grateful for the journey my research has taken me on over the last two years. The knowledge that I have gained and the unforgettable experiences I have had were made possible by some extraordinary people. I would first like to acknowledge my supervisor and friend, Dr. Katherine Tamminen. You believed in me from the beginning, and only showed me support and patients throughout this research process, and for that I thank you. Next, I would like to thank my wonderful committee members, Dr. Michael Atkinson and Dr. Gretchen Kerr – you expanded my mind and provided me with invaluable insight. Danny, thank you for being you, always making me laugh, and showing me endless amounts of warmth and kindness. Thank you to my loving friends and family for putting up with my meltdowns, giving me the courage to fight through my doubts, and grounding me. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge my fighters whom made this research possible. Thank you for letting me into you worlds and trusting me enough to come into mine. I am truly grateful for the memories we share and the lifelong friendships we have built – we will be forever family. iii Table of Contents Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iv List of Appendices ........................................................................................................................ vii Chapter 1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................1 Chapter 2 Literature Review ............................................................................................................2 Literature Review ........................................................................................................................2 2.1 Overview and Definitions of Pain........................................................................................2 2.2 Physical Pain in Sport ..........................................................................................................3 2.3 A Cognitive Perspective of Pain in Sport ............................................................................5 2.4 Pain in Social Relationships.................................................................................................7 2.4.1 Pain tolerance and social modeling..........................................................................7 2.4.2 Pain and social support ............................................................................................8 2.4.3 Constructing pain in social relationships .................................................................9 2.5 Mixed Martial Arts as a Context for Pain ..........................................................................11 2.6 Gender in Sport ..................................................................................................................13 2.7 Purpose and Research Questions .......................................................................................14 Chapter 3 Methods .........................................................................................................................15 Methods .....................................................................................................................................15 3.1 Paradigmatic Position ........................................................................................................15 3.2 Methodology ......................................................................................................................15 3.3 Data Collection ..................................................................................................................16 3.4 Participants .........................................................................................................................17 3.5 Interviews ...........................................................................................................................18 3.5.1 Fighter interviews ..................................................................................................19 iv 3.5.2 Training partner interviews ....................................................................................19 3.6 Video Diaries .....................................................................................................................20 3.7 Participant Observation ......................................................................................................21 3.8 Video Recording Training Sessions and Competitions .....................................................22 3.9 Data Analysis .....................................................................................................................23 3.10 Ethical Considerations .......................................................................................................25 3.11 Reflexivity..........................................................................................................................26 3.11.1 Reflexive statement ................................................................................................28 Chapter 4 Results ...........................................................................................................................30 Overview ...................................................................................................................................30 4.1 Participant Profiles .............................................................................................................30 4.1.1 Fighters ..................................................................................................................30 4.1.2 Training partners ....................................................................................................32 4.2 Round 1: Understandings of Pain ......................................................................................33 4.2.1 Distinguishing between physical pain, injury, and emotional pain .......................33 4.2.2 Learning pain .........................................................................................................41 4.3 Round 2: Social Validation of Pain ...................................................................................51 4.3.1 Physical pain validated by social praise.................................................................51 4.4 Round 3: Giving and Receiving Pain.................................................................................54 4.4.1 “You’re not ok with violence” – Violence and consent ........................................54 4.4.2 “I made her bleed” – Inflicting pain as evidence of fighters’ ability .....................56 4.4.3 Boundaries of inflicting pain .................................................................................58 4.4.4 Receiving pain feels powerful ...............................................................................58 4.4.5 Humanization through pain....................................................................................60 4.4.6 Preparing for pain: Making the switch ...................................................................64 4.5 Round 4: Sharing Pain between Teammates .....................................................................66 v 4.5.1 “The moment I feel the way you grip me…” – Pain, training, and restraint within training relationships ..................................................................................66 4.5.2 “We bled together” – Building connections and bonds between fighters .............71 4.5.3 Emotional contagion and sharing others’ pain .......................................................76