Foucault Mixed Martial Arts VS Discipline
Foucault a fascinating sociologist that studies both power and discipline because you can’t have one without the other. He is fascinating in my eyes because I always found power and discipline to be very interesting. Foucault argued that disciplinary power became a way to control institutions and the more I think about it, the more I find it to be true. Some examples of that is boost camp, military base, schools, and prisons. He defined two types of power, one was regulatory power and the other was disciplinary power. Disciplinary power is when a person disciplines themselves for fear or “self policing.” As for regulatory power, it is forced obedience achieved by violence or threat of violence. Power starts off with context and social interactions because based on the setting and/or people, they determine the effects of fear on the individual having power on. Even though, power is mostly strength forced on situations. Sometimes, power can be seen as an idea that can be idealized among people to follow; like a belief which slowly people start to respect and not want reject or they believe there will be some serious consequences.
When there is power, there is also discipline. Discipline is a way of controlling a person physically or mentally. When disciplining a body, it can be molded, changed, broken down, and used. There are four types of discipline, cellular, organic, genetic, and combinatory. Cellular discipline is way the body is formed and functioned. Organic discipline is making sure that whatever a person plans on doing is reasonable possible. Genetic discipline is having complete control over your own body by practicing. Finally, combinatory discipline is letting the whole body be one in control. That mind and body is in one form.
There is only one things that I have in mind when I think of discipline and the control of the body, and that is, fighting. I first started to learn to fight MMA (mixed martial arts) style and with that, I finally learned to have self-discipline. MMA taught me to have patience, learn fighting style step by step, repeat a certain type of move for quite a while and use my moves to the point I fought without thinking. My body had to learn what moves to make without thinking about my next move. Foucault said that, “in order to create these docile bodies, disciplinary power must be exercised continuously.” Doing a move continuously was tiring and boring and I remembered hating to constantly repeat a move for several days. Yet, by repeating a move, it helps my brain forcefully remember how to fight or block a move.
There are three types of techniques to have a docile discipline bodies which are scale of control, object of control, and modality. Scale of control is when a person looks at their body as parts rather than the whole body. For MMA, by focusing on one particular body part, you are strengthening each one which is less stressful. I once forced on my legs, so all I did was kick on my right leg for a while but with time, I noticed how strong of my leg was getting. Object of control means that exercise helps the body learn a “new language” in how to move. One move that I learned which was hard for me through practicing is blocking and punishing. Finally, modality is analyze the body and see the progress your body has went through after so many weeks or months. Overall, Foucault had a great understanding of discipline, which made me realize that you needed a lot of discipline in order to do an activity like fighting, swimming or anything else. Discipline helped me out by having power over myself and forcefully remind myself how to find when I am in a fighting rink or in a bad situation.
Foucault a fascinating sociologist that studies both power and discipline because you can’t have one without the other. He is fascinating in my eyes because I always found power and discipline to be very interesting. Foucault argued that disciplinary power became a way to control institutions and the more I think about it, the more I find it to be true. Some examples of that is boost camp, military base, schools, and prisons. He defined two types of power, one was regulatory power and the other was disciplinary power. Disciplinary power is when a person disciplines themselves for fear or “self policing.” As for regulatory power, it is forced obedience achieved by violence or threat of violence. Power starts off with context and social interactions because based on the setting and/or people, they determine the effects of fear on the individual having power on. Even though, power is mostly strength forced on situations. Sometimes, power can be seen as an idea that can be idealized among people to follow; like a belief which slowly people start to respect and not want reject or they believe there will be some serious consequences.
When there is power, there is also discipline. Discipline is a way of controlling a person physically or mentally. When disciplining a body, it can be molded, changed, broken down, and used. There are four types of discipline, cellular, organic, genetic, and combinatory. Cellular discipline is way the body is formed and functioned. Organic discipline is making sure that whatever a person plans on doing is reasonable possible. Genetic discipline is having complete control over your own body by practicing. Finally, combinatory discipline is letting the whole body be one in control. That mind and body is in one form.
There is only one things that I have in mind when I think of discipline and the control of the body, and that is, fighting. I first started to learn to fight MMA (mixed martial arts) style and with that, I finally learned to have self-discipline. MMA taught me to have patience, learn fighting style step by step, repeat a certain type of move for quite a while and use my moves to the point I fought without thinking. My body had to learn what moves to make without thinking about my next move. Foucault said that, “in order to create these docile bodies, disciplinary power must be exercised continuously.” Doing a move continuously was tiring and boring and I remembered hating to constantly repeat a move for several days. Yet, by repeating a move, it helps my brain forcefully remember how to fight or block a move.
There are three types of techniques to have a docile discipline bodies which are scale of control, object of control, and modality. Scale of control is when a person looks at their body as parts rather than the whole body. For MMA, by focusing on one particular body part, you are strengthening each one which is less stressful. I once forced on my legs, so all I did was kick on my right leg for a while but with time, I noticed how strong of my leg was getting. Object of control means that exercise helps the body learn a “new language” in how to move. One move that I learned which was hard for me through practicing is blocking and punishing. Finally, modality is analyze the body and see the progress your body has went through after so many weeks or months. Overall, Foucault had a great understanding of discipline, which made me realize that you needed a lot of discipline in order to do an activity like fighting, swimming or anything else. Discipline helped me out by having power over myself and forcefully remind myself how to find when I am in a fighting rink or in a bad situation.