ABSTRACT
This chapter considers how broader normative discourses regarding sexuality and masculinity as well as biopolitical practices impinge on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). It explores the dynamics of the regulation of touch and its consequences for primarily male bodies by focusing on the link between bodily practice in BJJ and the interpretation and representation of the aesthetics of that practice. The chapter deals with the masculinities and sports literature to contextualize heteronormative regulation within combat sports, including how such regulation focuses on touch and the aesthetics of fighting technique. It examines how sexuality and masculinities are regulated through prescriptions regarding contact between BJJ practitioners and how members of the sporting community manage accusations of BJJ being a 'homosexual' sport. The chapter outlines the concept of pandemic culture in relation to biopolitics and touch, and brings these theories to bear on the almost-constant physical contact of BJJ training. It focuses on how information and 'remedies' for diseases proliferate within BJJ.
