Trauma informed martial arts by women, for women. We're curious about why so many people say "martial arts saved them". What is the link between martial arts and mental health? And how can we create safer, trauma informed gyms and dojos?
Emma (she/her) is a safeguarding specialist in Muay Thai, a survivor-advocate, and founder of Under the Ropes, through which she’s been writing about gendered issues in Muay Thai, and advocating for gender equality and the elimination of gender-based violence in the sport since 2013. She recently completed a master’s degree in Sports Ethics & Integrity, through which she conducted the world’s first study on women’s experiences of sexual harassment and abuse in Muay Thai. She’s a trustee board member at Safe Sport International, a UK-based charity working to advance safeguarding standards in sport globally. She’s also qualified as a safeguarding officer, and is currently undertaking the International Olympic Committee’s Safeguarding Officer in Sport programme. Now, she’s providing safeguarding consultancy services to help Muay Thai (and other combat sports) gyms implement safeguarding protocols, and for sports federations to advance survivor-centred approaches.
To find all the links mentioned: https://undertheropes.com/resources/safe-sport-community-library/ (https://undertheropes.com/resources/safe-sport-community-library/)
Connect with Emma: https://undertheropes.com/contact/ (https://undertheropes.com/contact/)
To work with Emma on your safeguarding approach:
https://undertheropes.com/work-with-me
(https://undertheropes.com/work-with-me)
To get involved with the Conscious Combat Club:
- Visit our site https://www.consciouscombat.club/ (https://www.consciouscombat.club/)
- Support Rounds 4 Respect https://rounds4respect.org/ (https://rounds4respect.org/)
- Join the waitlist for Melbourne classes https://www.consciouscombat.club/naarm (https://www.consciouscombat.club/naarm)
- Become a conscious combat coach https://www.consciouscombat.club/coaching (https://www.consciouscombat.club/coaching)
- Join our mailing list "Mat Chat' https://www.consciouscombat.club/mat-chat (https://www.consciouscombat.club/mat-chat)
- Join our facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/640626287248147 (https://www.facebook.com/groups/640626287248147)
SUPPORT LINKS:
Some listeners might find parts of this conversation distressing. Please take care, link in your support networks, or refer to one of these organizations if you need:
Mental health support: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support (https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support)
Domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support https://www.1800respect.org.au/ (https://www.1800respect.org.au/)
Sexism in sport https://www.respectvictoria.vic.gov.au/ (https://www.respectvictoria.vic.gov.au/)
(https://www.respectvictoria.vic.gov.au/campaigns/sexism-and-sport-call-it-out)
DirectLine (Alcohol & Drug Support) – 1800 888 236 (24/7)
http://www.directline.org.au/ (http://www.directline.org.au/)
(http://www.directline.org.au/)
QLife (Queer-Specific Peer Support) – 1800 184 527 (3pm – midnight) – https://qlife.org.au/ (https://qlife.org.au/)
Lifeline (Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention) – 13 11 14 (24/7)
http://www.lifeline.org.au/gethelp (https://www.lifeline.org.au/gethelp)
Thank you so much to Nari for the beautiful song "Shape Me" heard at the beginning and end of this episode. Nari wrote this song about Shape Your Life, a boxing program for self-identified female survivors of violence in Canada. She wrote this song using the words and experiences shared by participants with Cathy Van Ingen. You can find out more about Shape Your Life in my interview with Cathy in Episode 8. You can hear more of Nari's work by going to her Instagram: @narithesaga (https://www.instagram.com/narithesaga/?hl=en)
1 Feb 2026
Fight Science #8: Molly Higgins: Trauma-Informed Guidelines For Interpersonal Violence Survivors in Combat Sports (Part 2/2)
Fight Science is a special segment of the Conscious Combat Club podcast where we invite researchers to take a deep dive into a paper they’ve written and explain it to us as though we’re 14 years old.
In this episode I interview Molly Higgins (she/her), a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology with a clinical focus on trauma & PTSD, and a research focus on physical activity as an adjunct intervention for trauma-related disorders.
In this episode we the guidelines:
Trauma-Informed Guidelines For Interpersonal Violence Survivors in Combat Sports
To contact Molly:
Email: mhiggin3@uccs.edu
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mollyhigg/?hl=en (https://www.instagram.com/mollyhigg/?hl=en)
Read the guidelines here:
https://osf.io/wc3e5/files/3zdsv (https://osf.io/wc3e5/files/3zdsv)
To get involved with the Conscious Combat Club:
- Donate: https://conscious-combat-club.raiselysite.com/ (https://conscious-combat-club.raiselysite.com/)
- Visit our site https://www.consciouscombat.club/ (https://www.consciouscombat.club/)
- Rounds 4 Respect: https://rounds4respect.org/ (https://rounds4respect.org/)
- Join the waitlist for Melbourne classes https://www.consciouscombat.club/naarm (https://www.consciouscombat.club/naarm)
- Become a conscious combat coach https://www.consciouscombat.club/coaching (https://www.consciouscombat.club/coaching)
- Join our mailing list "Mat Chat' https://www.consciouscombat.club/mat-chat (https://www.consciouscombat.club/mat-chat)
SUPPORT LINKS:
Some listeners might find parts of this conversation distressing. Please take care, link in your support networks, or refer to one of these organizations if you need:
Eating disorder support: https://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/ (https://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/)
Mental health support: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support (https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support)
Domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support https://www.1800respect.org.au/ (https://www.1800respect.org.au/)
Sexism in sport https://www.respectvictoria.vic.gov.au/ (https://www.respectvictoria.vic.gov.au/campaigns/sexism-and-sport-call-it-out)
DirectLine (Alcohol & Drug Support) – 1800 888 236 (24/7)
http://www.directline.org.au/ (http://www.directline.org.au/)
QLife (Queer-Specific Peer Support) – 1800 184 527 (3pm – midnight) - https://qlife.org.au/ (https://qlife.org.au/)
Lifeline (Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention) – 13 11 14 (24/7)
http://www.lifeline.org.au/gethelp (https://www.lifeline.org.au/gethelp)
Thank you so much to Nari for the beautiful song "Shape Me" heard at the beginning and end of this episode. Nari wrote this song about Shape Your Life, a boxing program for self-identified female survivors of violence in Canada. She wrote this song using the words and experiences shared by participants with Cathy Van Ingen. You can find out more about Shape Your Life in my interview with Cathy in Episode 8. You can hear more of Nari's work by going to her Instagram: @narithesaga (https://www.instagram.com/narithesaga/?hl=en)
20 Jan 2026
Fight Science #7: Molly Higgins: “It literally makes me feel harder to kill” (Part 1/2)
Fight Science is a special segment of the Conscious Combat Club podcast where we invite researchers to take a deep dive into a paper they’ve written and explain it to us as though we’re 14 years old.
In this episode I interview Molly Higgins (she/her), a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology with a clinical focus on trauma & PTSD, and a research focus on physical activity as an adjunct intervention for trauma-related disorders.
In this episode we explore her paper titled:
Higgins, M., Littleton, H., Zamundu, A., & Dolezal, M. (2024). “It literally makes me feel harder to kill”: A qualitative study of the perceived benefits of recreational martial arts practice among women sexual assault survivors. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 90(9), 1285–1299. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-024-01495-w (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-024-01495-w)
To contact Molly:
Email: mhiggin3@uccs.edu
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mollyhigg/?hl=en (https://www.instagram.com/mollyhigg/?hl=en)
Read the paper here:
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-13150-001 (https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-13150-001)
To get involved with the Conscious Combat Club:
- Donate: https://conscious-combat-club.raiselysite.com/ (https://conscious-combat-club.raiselysite.com/)
- Visit our site https://www.consciouscombat.club/ (https://www.consciouscombat.club/)
- Rounds 4 Respect: https://rounds4respect.org/ (https://rounds4respect.org/)
- Join the waitlist for Melbourne classes https://www.consciouscombat.club/naarm (https://www.consciouscombat.club/naarm)
- Become a conscious combat coach https://www.consciouscombat.club/coaching (https://www.consciouscombat.club/coaching)
- Join our mailing list "Mat Chat' https://www.consciouscombat.club/mat-chat (https://www.consciouscombat.club/mat-chat)
SUPPORT LINKS:
Some listeners might find parts of this conversation distressing. Please take care, link in your support networks, or refer to one of these organizations if you need:
Eating disorder support: https://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/ (https://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/)
Mental health support: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support (https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support)
Domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support https://www.1800respect.org.au/ (https://www.1800respect.org.au/)
Sexism in sport https://www.respectvictoria.vic.gov.au/ (https://www.respectvictoria.vic.gov.au/campaigns/sexism-and-sport-call-it-out)
DirectLine (Alcohol & Drug Support) – 1800 888 236 (24/7)
http://www.directline.org.au/ (http://www.directline.org.au/)
QLife (Queer-Specific Peer Support) – 1800 184 527 (3pm – midnight) - https://qlife.org.au/ (https://qlife.org.au/)
Lifeline (Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention) – 13 11 14 (24/7)
http://www.lifeline.org.au/gethelp (https://www.lifeline.org.au/gethelp)
Thank you so much to Nari for the beautiful song "Shape Me" heard at the beginning and end of this episode. Nari wrote this song about Shape Your Life, a boxing program for self-identified female survivors of violence in Canada. She wrote this song using the words and experiences shared by participants with Cathy Van Ingen. You can find out more about Shape Your Life in my interview with Cathy in Episode 8. You can hear more of Nari's work by going to her Instagram: @narithesaga (https://www.instagram.com/narithesaga/?hl=en)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
11,130
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
9 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 67 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
70
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
85
Contact Conscious Combat Club
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