Who We Are

We are a consortium of researchers, martial artists and industry leaders who aim to use scientific research methods to support safer, more inclusive recreational sport for people across a lifetime. Our expertise ranges from health science to sociology, from physiotherapy to athletic wear.

This initiative first started with a conversation between Open University lecturer (and Taekwondo instructor) Wendi Bacon and physiotherapy clinical lead Rowan Wilson. They realised the warm-up practices in martial arts training often did not align with modern physiotherapy knowledge. If they could apply modern knowledge in this traditional field, could they improve martial arts? Thus, Better Martial Arts was born. Since its inception in 2021 by Dr Bacon, the consortium has received numerous grants from the Open University, the Higher Education Innovation Fund, and the Private Physiotherapy Education Foundation.