Conferences

Martial Arts Studies Association 10th Annual Conference

Presentation types and limits

The conference invites three types of submissions from interested presenters. 

• Research papers (max. 15 minutes), which may report on the findings of empirical studies or literature reviews/analyses, develop or forward a specific theoretical argument, present methodological developments relevant to the field, and so on. Standalone research papers will be collated into thematic panels by the conference scientific committee.

• Pre-constituted panels, which are composed of 3-4 research papers as above. These are expected to be chaired by the person submitting them and feature several papers that work together on a similar theme.

• Practical workshops (max. 40 minutes) can showcase a pedagogical method or intervention strategy that will be of broad relevance and interest to an academic audience. They must be more than simply a demonstration of technique or coaching approaches and should be tied to an academic project, with clear justification and/or theoretical rationale.

Please note that each individual presenter is permitted to personally deliver a maximum of two presentations. These must be clearly distinct from each other (e.g., represent distinct projects, not different findings from the same data set). 

Presenters may be named on additional presentations, provided these are delivered by other presenters. Anyone wishing to personally deliver more than two presentations (either alone or as part of one or more research teams) must contact the conference organisers to discuss this first, by emailing MASAconference2026@gmail.com. 

Pre-constituted panels should not normally feature more than two papers from the same presenter or team of presenters. However, exceptions can be made here following discussion with the conference organisers as above.

How to submit an abstract

All abstract submissions must be made using the online forms linked to on this website. Prospective presenters should make sure they use the correct form for the type of presentation they wish to give:

• Research paper abstract submission

• Pre-constituted panel abstract submission

• Practical workshop abstract submission

All informal enquiries – but not abstract submissions – should be made directly to the conference organisers by emailing MASAconference2026@gmail.com 

If you make a mistake in completing one of these forms, or need to withdraw your abstract from the conference, please also contact the organisers by email.

Keynotes, spotlight panel and scientific committee

The conference will feature two keynote presentations; speakers and topics TBC. 

In addition, the conference will feature one spotlight panel, chosen by the scientific committee, which will open the conference academic programme.

The scientific committee for MASA 2026 is currently being recruited. Details will be announced soon.

Programme and dissemination

The conference programme will take shape over the coming months, and a prospective outline will be posted online a few weeks before the conference takes place. If presenters need to request a change to their scheduled time slot, or advise the organisers about times they need to avoid (e.g., for travel purposes), they should contact the organisers by email ASAP: MASAconference2026@gmail.com 

The final conference abstracts will be collated and published open access online after the event in a conference abstracts book. All abstracts that are presented at the conference will be included, unless presenters request that their work not be included. 

Presentations that are accepted but not presented – for instance, those that are withdrawn, or not presented for another reason – will not be included without first discussing with the conference organisers.

Important: by submitting an abstract, all named authors are consenting to their work as well as their name and email address (as provided in the submitted abstract) being included in the conference programme and the book of abstracts. If any named author does not want their name or email address to be included, they must contact the conference organisers via email to request this not be used (MASAconference2026@gmail.com). 

Timeline

The call for papers is now live. Deadline for all abstract submissions is Friday 9th January 2026.

The abstract review process will be undertaken by the scientific committee during January 2026. Deadline for notification of acceptance is Friday 6th February 2026. Delegates who need earlier notification of acceptance (e.g., for securing funding, etc.) must communicate this to the conference organisers ASAP. 

Online registration will open in March 2026. Deadline for registration is Friday 29th May 2026. Please note, to ensure the financial viability of the conference, registration deadlines will not be extended.

Final organisational arrangements and communications regarding confirmed conference programming will take place during June 2026. 

The conference will take place 22nd-24th July. 

Post-event dissemination of digital conference participation certificates and final book of abstracts will take place later during the summer of 2026. 

Registration fees

Registration will be conducted online, and an announcement will be made via the MASA newsletter and social media channels when registration opens. Payment of conference fees must be made at this point. To ensure stability in the conference financial planning and protect the financial viability of the conference, fees will not normally be refundable once paid.

We are attempting to keep the fees as low as possible while ensuring the conference is financially viable. We are also committed to supporting attendance by unwaged members of our community, including students and retired colleagues, as well as all colleagues from developing countries. Full details of the conference variable fee rates will be released shortly.

Please also note that for delegates wishing to attend the conference dinner (on Thursday 23rd July), an additional fee will apply (TBC, pending venue confirmation). This will also be payable at the point of registration.

Social events

On the first day of the conference, delegates will be invited to a drinks and canapes reception on campus in the early evening. Following this will be an informal social gathering at the Walrus Pub in Brighton, close to the seafront.

There will be a gala dinner held at a restaurant in Brighton on the second day of the conference. This will incur a small additional cost; venue and price TBC.

Further details about the conference social programme will be released in the months ahead.

Venue, accommodation and transport

The conference will be based at the University of Brighton’s picturesque Falmer campus, which sits at the edge of the South Downs National Park and is next door to the AMEX Stadium, home of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club. 

The conference will mostly take place in the Checkland Building, with practical workshop sessions held in the Brighton Sport and Health Complex. 

Accommodation within walking distance to the campus is sparse, so delegates are advised to check and book early if they want to stay close by.

Central Brighton itself boasts a great many hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, and transport links between Brighton and Falmer are excellent with regular buses (journey of approx. 25-40 minutes) and trains (journey of approx. 6-9 minutes). Buses and trains both stop on the Falmer campus site.

Delegates may also wish to stay in the smaller, quieter town of Lewes, which is also well connected to the Falmer campus via buses (approx. 30 minutes) and trains (approx. 15 minutes). All delegates are advised to plan their accommodation and travel arrangements well in advance to secure the best prices on hotels or bed-and-breakfasts.

Falmer, Brighton and Lewes are all easily reachable from London by train or coach. For overseas delegates, there are very regular direct trains from Gatwick Airport to Brighton which take approx. 25-40 minutes. For those arriving by Eurostar, direct trains from London St Pancras International to Brighton take approx. 75-90 minutes.

Parking on campus is available for delegates who wish to drive, but this must be arranged in advance. All details TBC.

Visiting Brighton

Brighton and Hove (to use its full name!) is a beautiful seaside city. It has a great number of excellent pubs and restaurants, exciting nightlife, and plenty of local attractions. Conference delegates are advised to check https://www.visitbrighton.com/ for inspiration on how to make the most of their visit.

For anyone intending to stay in the historic market town of Lewes, details of various local attractions can be found at https://www.visitlewes.co.uk/