Paper short abstract

The carnal ethnography of Brazilian jiu-jitsu on Guam raises questions pertaining to habitus and homicide in the embodiment, practice, and perilous performance of a martial art designed to smother, snap, strangle or suffocate the opponent

Paper long abstract

Recent carnal ethnography of Brazilian jiu-jitsu on Guam generates questions pertaining to habitus, hexis, and homicide in the embodied performance of perilous close-quarter combat training. What happens when self-defence bears a perilous proximity to murder? When a martial art designed to close-in, press, overwhelm, pin, lock, suffocate or strangle the opponent is applied on the street? In professional bouts of mixed martial arts (MMA) the referee may stop the fight when an opponent concedes defeat by 'tapping out.' In BJJ rolling (sparring), partners must occasionally tap out or they will not endure the training for any length of time. In actual street confrontations, however, tapping out may yet be fatal. This preliminary report examines five homicides on Guam where perilous proximities and suffocating closeness result in the permanent clutch of death.